Faster local agents, Research mode, workflow templates
Highlights:
- Create or clone a project and run a local agent in minutes
- Claude Code and custom ACP agent runtimes
- Research mode for evidence before Plan and Build
- Workflow templates and native desktop notifications
This release focuses on getting agents running faster, giving you more ways to run them, and making workflows easier to start and follow.
Local agents in minutes
Setting up a local agent used to stall on Git install, repo creation, and push credentials. Desktop Add agent and Workflows Get started now lead with a Project step: create a new project, clone an existing repository, or use a folder you already have.
Git ships with Desktop when the machine does not have it. Connected GitHub can provision the remote and handle push auth for the create path, so you are not bounced out to set that up yourself. Advanced agent options stay collapsed until you need them.
See Local agents for the updated walkthrough.
More agents you can run
Local workers are no longer Codex-only. You can set up Claude Code as a first-class local agent during worker setup.
You can also install custom agent runtimes that speak the Agent Client Protocol (ACP). The worker runtime still handles auth, worktrees, claiming, and outcomes; the third-party agent plugs in through a small manifest and shows up next to the built-ins in Desktop and the CLI.
MCP access is on by default for worker runtimes, so agents can reach your One Horizon tools without an extra toggle.
When you connect MCP, CLI, or local agents, the OAuth screen now lists what access you are granting before you authorize.
Research before you build
Tasks already support Plan, Build, and Review. Research is a fourth, read-only mode for open questions: what approaches exist, what the codebase already does, and what you should recommend next.
Research produces a reusable research document with question, findings, options, trade-offs, and sources. Later Plan, Build, and Review steps can pull that evidence in as context. Research is meant to investigate, not change the repository.
Workflow templates
Creating a workflow no longer starts from a blank canvas by default. Choose a system template or start from scratch.
Templates include fully automatic build, approve-before-build, documentation, UI work, and research. Each template sets identity and inputs, and helps you assign compatible agents for each step.
Follow along without babysitting
Desktop now sends native OS notifications for Work Inbox updates. Click a notification to open the matching view in the app.
When a workflow stalls or fails, you also get a dashboard notification. Workflow runs surface the resulting pull request or merge request so you do not have to hunt for it.
On Desktop, Open in Terminal from a run menu jumps straight into the local worktree or repo folder while the run is still active.
Insights and polish
Insights includes a token usage chart for workspace and team views, grouped by day or month, next to lines changed.
Improved
- Revised onboarding for agents and workflows
- Worker inbox layout and clearer online-agents navigation
- Emoji reactions on incoming triage items
- Documents remember your last list or default view
- Recent team and label choices kept when writing bugs and initiatives
- Auto-created Review documents for approval-only review steps
- Clearer messaging when a review hits a pass limit or needs your reply
- Pulsating avatar progress and status chip motion on agent activity
- Copy URL from task and initiative card menus
- Breadcrumb truncation and cleaner work-queue layout
- Agents & Workflows documentation rewritten around the current setup paths
Fixes
- Workflow resume and restart now update task status and reset retry caps correctly
- Awaiting-input recovery no longer drops the session or hides why a reply is needed
- Custom runtime install and conformance failures show actionable errors instead of generic Desktop IPC messages
- Leftover worktrees no longer block retry after a failed run
- Cursor Desktop agents show up correctly next to other local profiles
- Claude worker workspace access settings save to the right permission fields
- New workflows appear in the workflows overview
- Bug details label as Bug, not Initiative
- Work Inbox stays in sync across browsers and devices
- MCP expired auth asks you to reconnect instead of returning an internal error
- Desktop identity switch no longer signs out production workers by mistake
- Image and activity polish in agent terminals and workflow run rows