Fakechat

Fakechat is a Claude Code plugin that serves a small browser chat interface for sending messages straight into a running Claude Code session. It lives in the external_plugins/fakechat folder of anthropics/claude-plugins-official, the official repository maintained by Anthropic, which falls under the Apache-2.0 license. Its plugin.json describes it as an "iMessage-style web chat for Claude Code" with file upload and message editing, explicitly with no tokens and no access control. On its marketplace page at claude.com/plugins/fakechat, Anthropic's own count shows roughly 7,900 installs, and the plugin does not carry the "Anthropic verified" badge.

What Fakechat is for

Claude Code can accept messages from the outside through so-called channels, for example from Telegram, Discord, or iMessage. Anyone building such a channel, or simply trying to understand how notifications, replies, and attachments flow through this mechanism, would normally have to register a bot, obtain a token, and wire up a third-party service. Fakechat removes that hurdle: according to the README, it is simply a testing surface for the channel contract. You open a local address in your browser, type a message, and the reply appears in the same thread. That makes the plugin handy for experiments, demos, and as a reference when building your own channel plugins.

Setup and launch

After installing with /plugin install fakechat@claude-plugins-official, Claude Code has to be restarted with the channels flag: claude --channels plugin:fakechat@claude-plugins-official. On startup the server prints its URL to stderr. According to the source code, it listens on port 8787 by default and binds to 127.0.0.1 only, so other machines on the network cannot reach it. To change the port, set the FAKECHAT_PORT environment variable.

Tools and files

The plugin gives Claude two tools: reply sends text to the interface, optionally as a response to a specific message and with file attachments of up to 50 MB each; edit_message changes a message that was already sent. Per the README, uploaded files are stored in ~/.claude/channels/fakechat/inbox/, while files Claude sends out are served over a local HTTP endpoint from the outbox folder. The source code blocks path characters such as ".." and "/" in file names, and upload paths are passed to Claude as metadata rather than as message text, so such details cannot be forged.

Limitations

The README is candid here: there is no persistent history, no search, no configuration file for access rules, and no skill integration. Every page reload starts a fresh session. And since the interface has no authentication, it is meant strictly for local development rather than as a replacement for a production messaging channel.

Who Fakechat is for

The plugin makes sense for developers building channel plugins for Claude Code, for teams who want to understand the channel mechanism before connecting a real Telegram or Discord bot, and for anyone who needs a quick, consequence-free test. If you actually want to message Claude Code while away from your desk, the Telegram, Discord, or iMessage plugin is the better fit. Fakechat is free to use; it adds no plugin fees of its own, and it connects to no external service that could cause costs. Using Claude Code itself is governed by your Anthropic plan.

/plugin install fakechat@claude-plugins-official