Claude 5-hour session limits now drain faster during weekday peak hours (5–11AM PT) on Free, Pro and Max, to manage demand.

A source-linked change to usage terms or limits.

Exact effect time unavailable. The date below is when this change was announced, not proof that every account changed at that moment. This record is classified as completed; follow its sources for the available evidence.

What happened

Provider / product: Anthropic / Claude (claude.ai)
Plans: free, pro, max5, max20
Announced: Mar 26, 2026, 19:45 UTC
Effective: Exact time not established
Audience: all users · Free, Pro and Max; weekdays 5-11AM PT / 1-7PM GMT
Model or pool: Not specified
Provider-stated reason: To manage growing demand for Claude

Primary evidence and context

Follow the original posts or documentation. Announcement posts and completion evidence can say different things; check each source's claim.

Source 1: @trq212 ↗staff post · Thariq Shihipar (Anthropic)
Source 2: www.theregister.com ↗press
Source 3: www.techradar.com ↗press

Research notes

Anthropic made 5-hour session limits drain faster during weekday peak hours, leaving weekly limits unchanged (~7% of users would newly hit session limits, mostly Pro).