2 Platforms, 3 Commands: Claude Code Channels Setup Guide

Claude Code Channels is an MCP server that pushes events from external messaging platforms into a running Claude Code session — unlike traditional MCP tools that wait to be called, a channel delivers messages the moment they arrive. Three commands. That's all it takes to wire your phone to a live Claude Code session. I know because I read the official documentation end to end, set it up on both Telegram and Discord, broke it twice, and documented every step that the docs assume you already know. This is the guide I wish existed when I started. The existing coverage of Channels — including my own Post not found or has been removed. — tells a narrative story. This post is different. It's a structured reference you bookmark and come back to when something breaks at 2 AM. What Makes Channels Different From Every Other Claude Code Integration? Anthropic ships five distinct ways to interact with Claude Code, and the official docs lay out the differences in a comparison table that most people