fix(patch): cherry-pick d351f07 to release/v0.18.0-preview.1-pr-12535 to patch version v0.18.0-preview.1 and create version 0.18.0-preview.2

packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx

@@ -705,6 +705,7 @@ Logging in with Google... Please restart Gemini CLI to continue.
     handleApprovalModeChange,
     activePtyId,
     loopDetectionConfirmationRequest,
+    lastOutputTime,
   } = useGeminiStream(
     config.getGeminiClient(),
     historyManager.history,
@@ -1104,6 +1105,8 @@ Logging in with Google... Please restart Gemini CLI to continue.
   const { elapsedTime, currentLoadingPhrase } = useLoadingIndicator(
     streamingState,
     settings.merged.ui?.customWittyPhrases,
+    !!activePtyId && !embeddedShellFocused,
+    lastOutputTime,
   );
 
   const handleGlobalKeypress = useCallback(

packages/cli/src/ui/components/LoadingIndicator.tsx

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { GeminiRespondingSpinner } from './GeminiRespondingSpinner.js';
 import { formatDuration } from '../utils/formatters.js';
 import { useTerminalSize } from '../hooks/useTerminalSize.js';
 import { isNarrowWidth } from '../utils/isNarrowWidth.js';
+import { INTERACTIVE_SHELL_WAITING_PHRASE } from '../hooks/usePhraseCycler.js';
 
 interface LoadingIndicatorProps {
   currentLoadingPhrase?: string;
@@ -36,7 +37,12 @@ export const LoadingIndicator: React.FC<LoadingIndicatorProps> = ({
     return null;
   }
 
-  const primaryText = thought?.subject || currentLoadingPhrase;
+  // Prioritize the interactive shell waiting phrase over the thought subject
+  // because it conveys an actionable state for the user (waiting for input).
+  const primaryText =
+    currentLoadingPhrase === INTERACTIVE_SHELL_WAITING_PHRASE
+      ? currentLoadingPhrase
+      : thought?.subject || currentLoadingPhrase;
 
   const cancelAndTimerContent =
     streamingState !== StreamingState.WaitingForConfirmation

packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ShellToolMessage.tsx

@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ import { Box, Text, type DOMElement } from 'ink';
 import { ToolCallStatus } from '../../types.js';
 import { ShellInputPrompt } from '../ShellInputPrompt.js';
 import { StickyHeader } from '../StickyHeader.js';
-import { SHELL_COMMAND_NAME, SHELL_NAME } from '../../constants.js';
+import {
+  SHELL_COMMAND_NAME,
+  SHELL_NAME,
+  SHELL_FOCUS_HINT_DELAY_MS,
+} from '../../constants.js';
 import { theme } from '../../semantic-colors.js';
 import { SHELL_TOOL_NAME } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import { useUIActions } from '../../contexts/UIActionsContext.js';
@@ -104,7 +108,7 @@ export const ShellToolMessage: React.FC<ShellToolMessageProps> = ({
 
     const timer = setTimeout(() => {
       setShowFocusHint(true);
-    }, 5000);
+    }, SHELL_FOCUS_HINT_DELAY_MS);
 
     return () => clearTimeout(timer);
   }, [lastUpdateTime]);

packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ToolMessage.tsx

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
  */
 
 import type React from 'react';
-import { Box } from 'ink';
+import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
 import type { IndividualToolCallDisplay } from '../../types.js';
 import { StickyHeader } from '../StickyHeader.js';
 import { ToolResultDisplay } from './ToolResultDisplay.js';
@@ -14,7 +15,17 @@ import {
   ToolInfo,
   TrailingIndicator,
   type TextEmphasis,
+  STATUS_INDICATOR_WIDTH,
 } from './ToolShared.js';
+import {
+  SHELL_COMMAND_NAME,
+  SHELL_FOCUS_HINT_DELAY_MS,
+} from '../../constants.js';
+import { theme } from '../../semantic-colors.js';
+import type { Config } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
+import { useInactivityTimer } from '../../hooks/useInactivityTimer.js';
+import { ToolCallStatus } from '../../types.js';
+import { ShellInputPrompt } from '../ShellInputPrompt.js';
 
 export type { TextEmphasis };
 
@@ -26,6 +37,10 @@ export interface ToolMessageProps extends IndividualToolCallDisplay {
   isFirst: boolean;
   borderColor: string;
   borderDimColor: boolean;
+  activeShellPtyId?: number | null;
+  embeddedShellFocused?: boolean;
+  ptyId?: number;
+  config?: Config;
 }
 
 export const ToolMessage: React.FC<ToolMessageProps> = ({
@@ -40,41 +55,96 @@ export const ToolMessage: React.FC<ToolMessageProps> = ({
   isFirst,
   borderColor,
   borderDimColor,
-}) => (
-  <Box flexDirection="column" width={terminalWidth}>
-    <StickyHeader
-      width={terminalWidth}
-      isFirst={isFirst}
-      borderColor={borderColor}
-      borderDimColor={borderDimColor}
-    >
-      <ToolStatusIndicator status={status} name={name} />
-      <ToolInfo
-        name={name}
-        status={status}
-        description={description}
-        emphasis={emphasis}
-      />
-      {emphasis === 'high' && <TrailingIndicator />}
-    </StickyHeader>
-    <Box
-      width={terminalWidth}
-      borderStyle="round"
-      borderColor={borderColor}
-      borderDimColor={borderDimColor}
-      borderTop={false}
-      borderBottom={false}
-      borderLeft={true}
-      borderRight={true}
-      paddingX={1}
-      flexDirection="column"
-    >
-      <ToolResultDisplay
-        resultDisplay={resultDisplay}
-        availableTerminalHeight={availableTerminalHeight}
-        terminalWidth={terminalWidth}
-        renderOutputAsMarkdown={renderOutputAsMarkdown}
-      />
+  activeShellPtyId,
+  embeddedShellFocused,
+  ptyId,
+  config,
+}) => {
+  const isThisShellFocused =
+    (name === SHELL_COMMAND_NAME || name === 'Shell') &&
+    status === ToolCallStatus.Executing &&
+    ptyId === activeShellPtyId &&
+    embeddedShellFocused;
+
+  const [lastUpdateTime, setLastUpdateTime] = useState<Date | null>(null);
+  const [userHasFocused, setUserHasFocused] = useState(false);
+  const showFocusHint = useInactivityTimer(
+    !!lastUpdateTime,
+    lastUpdateTime ? lastUpdateTime.getTime() : 0,
+    SHELL_FOCUS_HINT_DELAY_MS,
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (resultDisplay) {
+      setLastUpdateTime(new Date());
+    }
+  }, [resultDisplay]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isThisShellFocused) {
+      setUserHasFocused(true);
+    }
+  }, [isThisShellFocused]);
+
+  const isThisShellFocusable =
+    (name === SHELL_COMMAND_NAME || name === 'Shell') &&
+    status === ToolCallStatus.Executing &&
+    config?.getEnableInteractiveShell();
+
+  const shouldShowFocusHint =
+    isThisShellFocusable && (showFocusHint || userHasFocused);
+
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" width={terminalWidth}>
+      <StickyHeader
+        width={terminalWidth}
+        isFirst={isFirst}
+        borderColor={borderColor}
+        borderDimColor={borderDimColor}
+      >
+        <ToolStatusIndicator status={status} name={name} />
+        <ToolInfo
+          name={name}
+          status={status}
+          description={description}
+          emphasis={emphasis}
+        />
+        {shouldShowFocusHint && (
+          <Box marginLeft={1} flexShrink={0}>
+            <Text color={theme.text.accent}>
+              {isThisShellFocused ? '(Focused)' : '(ctrl+f to focus)'}
+            </Text>
+          </Box>
+        )}
+        {emphasis === 'high' && <TrailingIndicator />}
+      </StickyHeader>
+      <Box
+        width={terminalWidth}
+        borderStyle="round"
+        borderColor={borderColor}
+        borderDimColor={borderDimColor}
+        borderTop={false}
+        borderBottom={false}
+        borderLeft={true}
+        borderRight={true}
+        paddingX={1}
+        flexDirection="column"
+      >
+        <ToolResultDisplay
+          resultDisplay={resultDisplay}
+          availableTerminalHeight={availableTerminalHeight}
+          terminalWidth={terminalWidth}
+          renderOutputAsMarkdown={renderOutputAsMarkdown}
+        />
+        {isThisShellFocused && config && (
+          <Box paddingLeft={STATUS_INDICATOR_WIDTH} marginTop={1}>
+            <ShellInputPrompt
+              activeShellPtyId={activeShellPtyId ?? null}
+              focus={embeddedShellFocused}
+            />
+          </Box>
+        )}
+      </Box>
     </Box>
-  </Box>
-);
+  );
+};

packages/cli/src/ui/constants.ts

@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ export const SHELL_NAME = 'Shell';
 // usage.
 export const MAX_GEMINI_MESSAGE_LINES = 65536;
 
+export const SHELL_FOCUS_HINT_DELAY_MS = 5000;
+
 // Tool status symbols used in ToolMessage component
 export const TOOL_STATUS = {
   SUCCESS: '✓',

packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/shellCommandProcessor.ts

@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ export const useShellCommandProcessor = (
   terminalHeight?: number,
 ) => {
   const [activeShellPtyId, setActiveShellPtyId] = useState<number | null>(null);
+  const [lastShellOutputTime, setLastShellOutputTime] = useState<number>(0);
+
   const handleShellCommand = useCallback(
     (rawQuery: PartListUnion, abortSignal: AbortSignal): boolean => {
       if (typeof rawQuery !== 'string' || rawQuery.trim() === '') {
@@ -202,6 +204,7 @@ export const useShellCommandProcessor = (
 
               // Throttle pending UI updates, but allow forced updates.
               if (shouldUpdate) {
+                setLastShellOutputTime(Date.now());
                 setPendingHistoryItem((prevItem) => {
                   if (prevItem?.type === 'tool_group') {
                     return {
@@ -366,5 +369,5 @@ export const useShellCommandProcessor = (
     ],
   );
 
-  return { handleShellCommand, activeShellPtyId };
+  return { handleShellCommand, activeShellPtyId, lastShellOutputTime };
 };

packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useGeminiStream.ts

@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
     markToolsAsSubmitted,
     setToolCallsForDisplay,
     cancelAllToolCalls,
+    lastToolOutputTime,
   ] = useReactToolScheduler(
     async (completedToolCallsFromScheduler) => {
       // This onComplete is called when ALL scheduled tools for a given batch are done.
@@ -211,17 +212,18 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
     await done;
     setIsResponding(false);
   }, []);
-  const { handleShellCommand, activeShellPtyId } = useShellCommandProcessor(
-    addItem,
-    setPendingHistoryItem,
-    onExec,
-    onDebugMessage,
-    config,
-    geminiClient,
-    setShellInputFocused,
-    terminalWidth,
-    terminalHeight,
-  );
+  const { handleShellCommand, activeShellPtyId, lastShellOutputTime } =
+    useShellCommandProcessor(
+      addItem,
+      setPendingHistoryItem,
+      onExec,
+      onDebugMessage,
+      config,
+      geminiClient,
+      setShellInputFocused,
+      terminalWidth,
+      terminalHeight,
+    );
 
   const activePtyId = activeShellPtyId || activeToolPtyId;
 
@@ -681,8 +683,9 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
         [FinishReason.UNEXPECTED_TOOL_CALL]:
           'Response stopped due to unexpected tool call.',
         [FinishReason.IMAGE_PROHIBITED_CONTENT]:
-          'Response stopped due to prohibited content.',
-        [FinishReason.NO_IMAGE]: 'Response stopped due to no image.',
+          'Response stopped due to prohibited image content.',
+        [FinishReason.NO_IMAGE]:
+          'Response stopped because no image was generated.',
       };
 
       const message = finishReasonMessages[finishReason];
@@ -1348,6 +1351,8 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
     storage,
   ]);
 
+  const lastOutputTime = Math.max(lastToolOutputTime, lastShellOutputTime);
+
   return {
     streamingState,
     submitQuery,
@@ -1359,5 +1364,6 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
     handleApprovalModeChange,
     activePtyId,
     loopDetectionConfirmationRequest,
+    lastOutputTime,
   };
 };

packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useInactivityTimer.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+
+/**
+ * Returns true after a specified delay of inactivity.
+ * Inactivity is defined as 'trigger' not changing for 'delayMs' milliseconds.
+ *
+ * @param isActive Whether the timer should be running.
+ * @param trigger Any value that, when changed, resets the inactivity timer.
+ * @param delayMs The delay in milliseconds before considering the state inactive.
+ */
+export const useInactivityTimer = (
+  isActive: boolean,
+  trigger: unknown,
+  delayMs: number = 5000,
+): boolean => {
+  const [isInactive, setIsInactive] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isActive) {
+      setIsInactive(false);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    setIsInactive(false);
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+      setIsInactive(true);
+    }, delayMs);
+
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [isActive, trigger, delayMs]);
+
+  return isInactive;
+};