Migrate to v26

If you are coming from ChatWise v0, v26 is the new desktop release line.

Starting in 26.3.0, the desktop app was rewritten in Electron, with comparable performance and memory consumption as previous versions, and releases now use the YEAR.MONTH.BUILD_ID version format. For example, 26.3.16 means year 2026, month 3, build 16.

Your existing chats, files, and settings are preserved when upgrading from v0 to v26. The main thing you should expect after upgrading is that you will need to sign in again.

Download the latest v26 build from the ChatWise homepage.

What Changed in v26

New Desktop Foundation

• ChatWise desktop was rewritten in Electron.
• The version number changed from the old v0.x style to YEAR.MONTH.BUILD_ID.

Better Web Search and Web Fetch

• ChatWise now adds built-in WebSearch and WebFetch tools.
• Web Search and Web Fetch now have separate settings under Settings > Extensions.
• Web Fetch supports these providers:
  • in-app-browser
  • defuddle.md
  • pure.md
  • custom URL
  • custom command
• Web search can now be used together with Agent mode.
• The in-app browser used for search and fetch was improved, with clearer settings and easier ways to open it directly.

For more details, see Web Search.

Stronger Agent Mode

• Bash tool output now streams live.
• Agent mode can load local skills from the current work directory.
• Agent mode now supports Subagent for more complex tasks.
• MCP still does not work with Agent mode at this point.

Everyday Quality-of-Life Improvements

• The About dialog is much richer and now shows app version, release date, Electron, Chromium, Node.js, and OS details, with a copy button.
• Theme and accent color settings are now available from the account dropdown menu.
• You can shift-click multiple chats in the sidebar and delete them together.
• Chat scroll position is now saved and restored.

Provider and Platform Updates

• OpenAI now always uses the Responses API.
• xAI now always uses the Responses API.
• New providers were added, including Alibaba Coding Plan and OpenCode Go.

Upgrade Checklist

After installing v26, it is a good idea to check the following:

• Sign in to your ChatWise account again.
• Open Settings and review your provider configuration.
• Revisit Settings > Extensions > Web Search and Settings > Extensions > Web Fetch if you rely on search or page extraction.
• Test Agent mode again if you depend on skills or Bash tools. If you rely on MCP, keep in mind it still does not work inside Agent mode yet.
• Open the About dialog and verify that you are running the expected 26.x build.

Upgrade Summary

For most users, the upgrade is straightforward: install v26, launch the app, and sign in again.