Anthropic's latest update (2.0.72) for Claude Code addresses an issue many users experienced: flickering in the terminal user interface (TUI). This problem isn't unique to Claude; other TUIs like Cursor and those built on Ink face similar challenges. The core of the issue lies in how traditional terminals aren't designed for interactivity, which leads to flickering when using ANSI escape codes to update text. Two main solutions exist: taking full control of the terminal through alt mode or re-rendering only the changed parts while preserving the scrollback. Anthropic opted for a custom renderer built from scratch while still using React as the component model. This decision allows for smoother updates without sacrificing the terminal's native features, like text selection and scrolling. Other coding agents like Amp and Gemini attempted to implement alt mode but faced backlash due to the loss of expected terminal behaviors. OpenCode introduced its own renderer but struggled with compatibility and user experience, while OpenAI’s Codex, despite some issues, maintains a more traditional terminal interaction model. The article emphasizes that Claude Code and Mario Zechner's pi demonstrate how to eliminate flicker while retaining the benefits of a terminal. The author argues that for coding agents, maintaining the terminal's native functions is essential. Even in 2025, it's possible to achieve both smooth rendering and the familiar terminal experience users rely on.