How To Get Anthropic Fable 5 Back in Claude Code

If Claude Fable 5 is supposed to be back but you still do not see it in Claude Code, do this first:

1. Close every Claude Code session.
2. Open a fresh terminal.
3. Update or reinstall Claude Code using the commands for your installer below.
4. Start Claude Code again with claude.
5. Run /model.
6. Choose fable or claude-fable-5 if it appears.

If Fable 5 is still missing or disabled after that, stop reinstalling for a bit. Anthropic is bringing it back in stages, and your account, plan, region, workspace policy, or Claude Code version may not have it yet.

Quick Check Before You Reinstall

Run this first:

claude --version
claude update
claude

Inside Claude Code, type:

/model

If Fable 5, fable, or claude-fable-5 is available, select it. If the picker does not show it, or it is shown as disabled, continue with the reinstall steps below.

Anthropic's Claude Code docs say Fable 5 requires Claude Code v2.1.170 or later. Older versions will not show Fable 5 in the model picker.

If You Do Not Know How Claude Code Was Installed

On macOS, Linux, or WSL:

command -v claude
claude --version
npm list -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code --depth=0
brew list --cask | grep claude

On Windows PowerShell:

where.exe claude
claude --version
npm list -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code --depth=0
winget list --id Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Pick the reinstall block that matches what you find. If you see more than one install, remove the old one too. Multiple Claude Code installs are a common reason the terminal keeps launching the stale version.

Native Installer: macOS, Linux, or WSL

Use this if you installed Claude Code with the native install script.

cd ~
rm -f ~/.local/bin/claude
rm -rf ~/.local/share/claude
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
claude --version
claude

Then type this inside Claude Code:

/model

If you want to try forcing Fable directly from inside Claude Code:

/model fable

or:

/model claude-fable-5

Native Installer: Windows PowerShell

Close Claude Code first, then run this in PowerShell:

cd $HOME
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\claude.exe" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\share\claude" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
claude --version
claude

Then type:

/model

If the picker does not show it, try:

/model fable

or:

/model claude-fable-5

npm Install: macOS, Linux, WSL, or Windows

Use this if you installed Claude Code globally with npm.

cd ~
npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest
claude --version
claude

Then run:

/model

You can also launch a one-off Fable session directly:

claude --model claude-fable-5

Homebrew Install: macOS

If you installed the stable Homebrew cask:

cd ~
brew uninstall --cask claude-code
brew install --cask claude-code
claude --version
claude

If you installed the latest Homebrew cask:

cd ~
brew uninstall --cask claude-code@latest
brew install --cask claude-code@latest
claude --version
claude

Then use:

/model

WinGet Install: Windows

Use this if Windows shows Claude Code as a WinGet package.

cd $HOME
winget uninstall Anthropic.ClaudeCode
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode
claude --version
claude

Then use:

/model

apt Install: Debian or Ubuntu

Use this if you installed Claude Code through apt.

cd ~
sudo apt remove claude-code
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/claude-code.list /etc/apt/keyrings/claude-code.asc
sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://downloads.claude.ai/keys/claude-code.asc \
  -o /etc/apt/keyrings/claude-code.asc
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/claude-code.asc] https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-code/apt/stable stable main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/claude-code.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install claude-code
claude --version
claude

Then use:

/model

dnf Install: Fedora or RHEL

Use this if you installed Claude Code through dnf.

cd ~
sudo dnf remove claude-code
sudo rm -f /etc/yum.repos.d/claude-code.repo
sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/claude-code.repo <<'EOF'
[claude-code]
name=Claude Code
baseurl=https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-code/rpm/stable
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://downloads.claude.ai/keys/claude-code.asc
EOF
sudo dnf install claude-code
claude --version
claude

Then use:

/model

apk Install: Alpine Linux

Use this if you installed Claude Code through apk.

cd ~
apk del claude-code
sed -i '\|downloads.claude.ai/claude-code/apk|d' /etc/apk/repositories
rm -f /etc/apk/keys/claude-code.rsa.pub
wget -O /etc/apk/keys/claude-code.rsa.pub \
  https://downloads.claude.ai/keys/claude-code.rsa.pub
echo "https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-code/apk/stable" >> /etc/apk/repositories
apk add claude-code
claude --version
claude

Then use:

/model

If Fable 5 Still Does Not Appear

Try these in order:

1. Close Claude Code completely and open a fresh terminal.
2. Run claude --version and confirm you are on v2.1.170 or later.
3. Run claude update.
4. Start a one-off session with claude --model claude-fable-5.
5. Inside Claude Code, try /model fable.
6. Inside Claude Code, try /model claude-fable-5.
7. Check Claude.ai in a browser. If the Claude app has access before your terminal does, try a new chat and use the model picker there. Some users are also trying /model claude-fable-5 in the app.

If it still does not work, wait and check again later. Anthropic said Fable 5 is becoming available again starting Wednesday, July 1, 2026 across Claude.ai, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and the Claude Platform, but access is being restored in stages. Checking back every hour or two is reasonable; repeatedly deleting configuration files usually is not.

Do not change your computer clock to try to force it. Model availability is controlled by Anthropic's servers, your account, and your workspace settings, not by your local time.

Do Not Delete Your Claude Settings Unless You Mean It

The reinstall commands above remove the Claude Code app or binary. They do not wipe your Claude Code settings, project config, MCP servers, allowed tools, or session history.

Anthropic documents separate commands for removing ~/.claude and .claude project folders, but that is a full cleanup step. Do not do that just to refresh the model list unless you are comfortable rebuilding your Claude Code setup.

Why This Is Happening

Anthropic launched Claude Fable 5 on June 9, 2026, then suspended access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 on June 12 after a US government export-control directive. On June 30, Anthropic said those export controls had been lifted and that Fable 5 would return globally starting July 1.

That does not mean every Claude Code terminal updates at the same second. The local Claude Code app has to be new enough to know about Fable 5, your account has to have access, and your plan or workspace settings have to allow it.

There are also legitimate cases where reinstalling will not fix anything:

• If your organization has disabled the model.
• If your Enterprise workspace needs usage credits enabled.
• If your plan has not received access yet.
• If you are under a zero-data-retention setup where Fable 5 is not available.
• If the rollout simply has not reached your account yet.

The clean path is: update, reinstall if needed, check /model, try claude --model claude-fable-5, then wait for the staged rollout if it is still not there.

Sources

• Anthropic: Redeploying Fable 5
• Anthropic: Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5
• Claude Code setup and uninstall docs
• Claude Code model configuration
• Claude Help Center: Claude Code model configuration