Context compaction.

Context compaction is Claude tidying up the conversation as it grows, so a long session doesn't hit a wall and stop. It quietly condenses earlier messages, keeps what matters, and carries on.

The plain version: "Claude now compacts earlier messages automatically, so the chat just keeps going." You used to have to start a fresh chat once the context filled up. Now it buys you longer working sessions without you babysitting the window.

One thing worth knowing as a builder: compaction is a summary, not a perfect memory. Anything you want kept for sure (a decision, a preference, a fix) is safer written to a memory file than left to ride in the chat history.