diff --git a/src/commands/auth-choice-options.test.ts b/src/commands/auth-choice-options.test.ts
index c23c7d783..db529761f 100644
--- a/src/commands/auth-choice-options.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/auth-choice-options.test.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe("buildAuthChoiceOptions", () => {
 
     const claudeCli = options.find((opt) => opt.value === "claude-cli");
     expect(claudeCli).toBeDefined();
-    expect(claudeCli?.hint).toBe("requires Keychain access");
+    expect(claudeCli?.hint).toBe("reuses existing Claude Code auth · requires Keychain access");
   });
 
   it("skips missing Claude Code CLI option off macOS", () => {
diff --git a/src/commands/auth-choice-options.ts b/src/commands/auth-choice-options.ts
index cb2df5f3a..b15a3e644 100644
--- a/src/commands/auth-choice-options.ts
+++ b/src/commands/auth-choice-options.ts
@@ -160,26 +160,26 @@ export function buildAuthChoiceOptions(params: {
     options.push({
       value: "claude-cli",
       label: "Anthropic token (Claude Code CLI)",
-      hint: formatOAuthHint(claudeCli.expires),
+      hint: `reuses existing Claude Code auth · ${formatOAuthHint(claudeCli.expires)}`,
     });
   } else if (params.includeClaudeCliIfMissing && platform === "darwin") {
     options.push({
       value: "claude-cli",
       label: "Anthropic token (Claude Code CLI)",
-      hint: "requires Keychain access",
+      hint: "reuses existing Claude Code auth · requires Keychain access",
     });
   }
 
   options.push({
     value: "setup-token",
     label: "Anthropic token (run setup-token)",
-    hint: "Runs `claude setup-token`",
+    hint: "runs `claude setup-token` · opens browser for fresh OAuth login",
   });
 
   options.push({
     value: "token",
     label: "Anthropic token (paste setup-token)",
-    hint: "Run `claude setup-token`, then paste the token",
+    hint: "run `claude setup-token` elsewhere, then paste the token here",
   });
 
   options.push({