Browse and import provider sessions
Find existing Codex, Claude, and OpenCode sessions, open them directly in Happier, and import or sync them when you want Happier-native continuity.
This feature is for a common workflow:
“I already have sessions in Codex, Claude, or OpenCode. I want to find them in Happier, inspect them, and decide whether to keep them provider-backed or bring them fully into Happier.”
Happier supports that through the Direct sessions flow.
What this feature does
Happier can:
- browse existing provider sessions on a selected machine
- show those sessions in a searchable list
- open them directly in Happier without importing them first
- follow running transcripts from the provider
- take control of the session in Happier
- import/sync the session into Happier when you want Happier to become the source of truth
This works best with:
- Codex
- Claude
- OpenCode
If you are trying to continue an existing provider session by id (without opening it as a direct session first), see:
Where to find it
- Open the session list
- Switch to the Direct tab
- Choose Browse provider sessions
- Pick:
- a machine
- a provider
- a source
From there, Happier shows the provider sessions it can discover for that selection.
What “browse provider sessions” means
Happier is reading the provider’s own session source on the chosen machine.
That usually means:
- provider logs
- provider session stores
- provider-managed server state
So this feature is specifically useful for sessions that:
- were started outside Happier
- already existed before you opened Happier
- are still running locally in a provider CLI or provider server
Open directly vs import into Happier
You have two main ways to work with an existing provider session.
Open directly
Open the session as a Direct session when you want:
- immediate access
- no transcript import yet
- the provider to remain the source of truth
- a machine-bound session that Happier can inspect or control
This is the best option when you mainly want to browse, inspect, monitor, or lightly continue the provider session.
Import or sync into Happier
Use Take over + Sync when you want:
- Happier to own the transcript moving forward
- a session that behaves like a normal Happier synced session
- cross-device continuity through Happier
- a clean transition from provider-native history into Happier-native history
This is the best option when the session is no longer just something you want to observe—you want it to become part of your regular Happier workflow.
A practical decision rule
Use Direct when:
- the provider session already exists
- you want the lowest-friction way to open it
- the machine will stay online
- you do not want to import it yet
Use Take over + Sync when:
- you want Happier-native continuity
- you want the session to feel like a normal Happier session afterward
- you want the imported transcript and the new work to live together in Happier
What users can do after browsing
After you browse and open a provider session, users can usually:
- read the transcript
- load older transcript pages
- follow new transcript entries
- take over the session directly in Happier
- take over and sync/import it into Happier
Depending on the provider and session state, users may also be able to:
- resume it from Happier once it is a synced Happier session with valid resume metadata
- continue sending prompts
- move from observe-only mode into a controlled mode
How import works conceptually
When a user chooses Take over + Sync:
- Happier reads the provider transcript
- Happier imports that history into the Happier session
- The session changes from Direct to Synced
- Future work continues as a Happier-managed session
This is why the feature is more than “view logs”. It is a real bridge from provider-native sessions into Happier-native sessions.
What providers are supported
Codex
Happier can browse existing Codex sessions from supported Codex homes on the selected machine, including the usual user store and supported connected-service-backed stores.
Claude
Happier can browse existing Claude sessions from the selected machine’s Claude session store and open them as direct sessions in Happier.
OpenCode
Happier can browse existing OpenCode sessions from the OpenCode server/session source and open them directly from Happier.
What happens if the machine is offline
If the provider session is still Direct, the machine must be reachable.
If the machine goes offline:
- Happier can no longer refresh the provider transcript
- direct follow/tail stops
- direct takeover controls are unavailable until the machine returns
If the session has already been synced/imported into Happier, the synced Happier session remains available as a normal Happier session.
Search and filtering
In the Direct sessions flow, the browse modal lets users narrow down provider sessions by:
- machine
- provider
- source
- local search inside the loaded candidate list
Happier also shows useful browse metadata when available, including:
- extracted session titles
- last activity
- path/context
- activity state such as running, recent, or idle
In the Resume ID flow, the picker is intentionally locked to the machine/provider/auth context you already selected, so you can safely pick a session that will resume correctly.
Typical user scenarios
“I started a Codex session in my terminal yesterday”
Open Direct → Browse provider sessions, select the machine and Codex, find the session, open it, then either:
- keep it direct, or
- choose Take over + Sync
“I want to monitor a live Claude session from Happier”
Browse the Claude sessions on the machine, open the session directly, and keep it in Direct mode unless you want Happier to take ownership.
“I use OpenCode and want those sessions to appear in Happier without starting them through Happier”
Browse the OpenCode source, open the session directly, and sync it later only if you want Happier-native continuity.