Claude Code Unveils Auto Memory Feature That Retains Memory Across Sessions

Auto Memory, introduced in Claude Code (v2.1.59 and above), is a feature that saves instructions users give during conversations (e.g., forcing the use of specific packages, style corrections, etc.) and reloads them in the next session.

Key Features and How It Works:

• Difference from CLAUDE.md: While CLAUDE.md is a file containing project-specific rules, Auto Memory is a separate memory system in which Claude records what it has learned on its own.
• Storage Location: It is stored not in .claude/ within the project folder, but in the user's home directory (~/.claude/projects/<project-name>/memory/).
• Efficient Context Management: Only the top 200 lines (about 25KB) of the MEMORY.md index file are used when loading a session, and detailed topic files are read only when needed, adopting a Lazy Loading approach to prevent context bloat.
• Control Commands: The /memory command allows you to check memory status and toggle it, and memory can be managed with natural language such as "remember: [content]" or "forget: [content]".
• Local Storage: Memory is stored locally on the machine, so it is not synced across other devices or the cloud.