Release2026-08-30

OpenClaw released version 2.0, its largest update so far. The release touches installation, messaging, memory, skills, models, automations, the browser and native apps, plugins and security. First-time setup now reuses what is already on the machine, including ChatGPT or Claude subscriptions, API keys and local models. Much configuration was cut or moved out of initial setup, so people finish setting up by talking to the agent. OpenClaw rebuilt the browser app, which now opens straight into a conversation. Shared cloud sessions let several people work in the same session together. The team says it slowed shipping for nearly seven weeks to protect existing installs. OpenClaw is open source and the project says it is not selling anything.

What changed

Bringing a colleague into a task lost everything the agent already knew.

What it unlocks

Handing a live agent session to a teammate with its context intact.

  • 16,000+ pull requests
  • 933 contributors, 569 first-time
  • 106 releases in 230 days prior
  • ~50% of all PRs ever merged

What you need to act on it

  • self-hosted install or update of OpenClaw
  • an existing model subscription, API key or local model

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