This update fixes a launch crash on macOS 13 and 14, along with several other crashes and fixes.

Improved

• Kimi K3 can now use Low and High reasoning, not only Max, to keep costs down.
• The reasoning menu next to the model picker now offers Extra High and Max for supported Claude models.

Fixed

• Fixed BoltAI crashing at launch on macOS 13 and 14.
• Fixed the About window opening by itself at launch on macOS 13 and 14.
• Fixed "Hide Dock icon when last window closes" not working reliably on macOS 13 and 14.
• Fixed AI Workflows that insert or copy their result directly failing with "The model returned an empty response" when using Codex CLI. [ref]
• Project folders in the sidebar show their orange color again on macOS 14 and 15.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when stopping a response while it was streaming.
• Fixed a rare crash in background sync.

This update fixes chat and AI Workflow issues introduced in 2.17.

Improved

• Unavailable MCP tools remain visible in chat, default, agent, and project plugin settings, where you can remove their saved selections.
• Deleting an MCP server also removes its tool selections from saved defaults, agents, projects, and chats. Synced selections are updated on your other devices too. If you add the server again, select its tools again.

Fixed

• Fixed chats failing to send when an enabled MCP server could not load, including deleted servers still saved in chat defaults. Other available tools remain enabled.
• AI Workflows can continue when a selected MCP tool is unavailable or its server is still starting.
• Chats can continue when an attached text document cannot be read, using saved extracted text when available.
• Fixed certain AI Workflow requests failing with custom API base URLs, and corrected provider-specific request handling.
• Fixed results or errors from an earlier AI Workflow appearing in a later run.
• Fixed completion handling for No Preview workflows, including consecutive runs while BoltAI is in the background.

BoltAI now feels more at home on your Mac. The rebuilt chat window brings a native toolbar and sidebar, scrolling that blends into the window, and faster chat switching. Arrange the toolbar around your work, or try experimental tabs when you want several chats open at once.

New

• A more native chat window: The toolbar, sidebar search, and window layout now fit macOS more closely. On macOS 26, chat content scrolls beneath the toolbar and the inspector blends with its header.
• Experimental chat tabs: Press Command-T for a new tab, or right-click a chat and choose Open in New Tab. Each tab keeps its own place, and you can reopen closed tabs or restore previous tabs. To try tabs, go to Settings > Developer > Feature Flags, turn on Enable native chat tabs (experimental), then restart BoltAI. Tabs are off by default.
• Customize the native toolbar with the actions you use most, including Share and one-click PDF export.
• Review and remove duplicate starter prompts, agents, and workflows from your library. BoltAI shows what would be removed before you confirm.

Improved

• BoltAI holds onto less data from chats you are no longer viewing, helping long sessions stay lighter on memory, especially with document attachments.
• Supported Claude models have a larger default response allowance, giving them more room to think and finish an answer. Your custom limits still apply.
• AI Workflows explain capture and permission failures more clearly, provide a way to enable Accessibility, and let you review an incomplete result when a run cannot finish.
• Model pickers keep cached models visible while an updated list loads.
• BoltAI no longer offers to install starter prompts, agents, or workflows you already have.

Fixed

• Saved custom OpenRouter endpoints are now used when loading models and sending requests.
• Custom agents keep their selected plugins, and interrupted settings saves no longer display a cancellation error. [ref]
• Claude now reports when its response allowance is exhausted without an answer, including in empty chats. [ref]
• Answers that fail to save remain visible when switching chats. Refreshed history still reflects messages deleted or synced elsewhere.
• Fixed a case where regenerating an answer that failed to save could bring later messages back when you reopened the chat.
• Documents sent as text retain their saved extracted content if the original file is missing on this Mac.
• Dragged images use the correct format, and attachment-loading failures show an error.
• Prompt editor headings and buttons remain visible in their sheets.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when stopping or restarting speech playback during audio parsing.

AI Workflow permission change: AI Workflows need Accessibility permission in this version. If your workflows do not run, turn on BoltAI in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility, then try again.

Clipboard limitation: During selection capture, BoltAI currently restores only plain text up to 1 MB from the previous clipboard contents. A copied image, file, or rich formatting may not be restored.

This release brings more capable projects, faster AI workflows, and smoother everyday performance, along with a wide range of bug fixes.

New

• Projects now support linked files and folders on your Mac. Your AI can search, read, and edit them as you work. This feature is in beta. [ref] [ref]
• Choose a default agent for each project, so new chats start with that agent’s instructions, model, and plugins. [ref]
• BoltAI can automatically read AGENTS.md, AGENT.md, and CLAUDE.md from your linked project folders, saving you from copying instructions into each project.
• “Reveal in Sidebar” takes you from a search result to the chat’s location, so you can continue browsing your chats without the search filter. [ref]
• You can now connect your OpenRouter account via OAuth instead of manually entering an API key.
• GPT-6 Astra is now available through Codex CLI. Grok gains Extra High reasoning, and supported Claude models have more reasoning levels to choose from. [ref]
• Amazon Bedrock now caches prompts automatically to reduce the cost of reusing the same instructions and context, with a choice of cache duration.
• Approve edits to linked files directly in chat, either once or for the project. If you’re in another app, BoltAI can notify you when it needs your approval.

Improved

• Redesigned project settings to make them easier to navigate. You can now drag files and folders into the new-project window to link them.
• Improved startup speed, chat switching, and the display of code in responses.
• You can now disable providers you don’t use, including Setapp, to keep the model picker easier to browse. [ref]
• Improved AI workflow performance.

Fixed

• Fixed crashes related to clipboard handling in AI workflows.
• Fixed slow sidebar searches in large chat libraries.
• Fixed code highlighting losing its colors while a response was being generated.
• Claude now shows an error when it returns an empty response, rather than leaving you without a reply or explanation. [ref]
• Interrupted Claude responses are now marked as incomplete instead of looking like a finished answer. [ref]
• PDF attachments that can’t be read now show an error instead of being silently left out of your request.
• Fixed errors when continuing a Claude chat after it read a web page. [ref]
• Fixed plugin-related errors when your chat settings limit how much conversation history is included. [ref]
• Switching providers no longer sends plugins that the new provider doesn’t support.
• Fixed Mistral responses failing as they finished generating.
• Fixed duplicate responses and empty response controls caused by overlapping requests. [ref]
• Fixed follow-up messages being lost when sent just after pressing Stop. [ref]
• BoltAI now explains when an agent stops because it has reached its step limit, including after a plugin fails.
• Fixed the main window staying hidden when you clicked BoltAI in the Dock or switched to it with Command-Tab. [ref]
• Opening Instant Chat or Workflow Palette no longer unexpectedly brings up the main window. [ref]
• Fixed HEIC photos dragged from Apple Photos being rejected by AI providers.
• Refreshing the model list no longer keeps showing an outdated locally cached list.
• Failed image generation now shows an error instead of leaving an empty response or a stuck progress indicator.
• Fixed requests timing out after 60 seconds despite a longer timeout in Settings.
• Fixed chats remaining selected in Trash after they were deleted or restored. [ref]

This release includes bug fixes and compatibility improvements.

Fixed

• Fixed the Projects section label being partially hidden in the sidebar on macOS 27.
• Fixed PDF exports that could contain the chat title but leave the message content blank.

Note: After updating, BoltAI may still appear as BoltAI 2 in the Dock, Spotlight, and app launchers. To update the name, quit BoltAI and rename BoltAI 2.app to BoltAI.app in your Applications folder. Your chats and settings will remain available.