OpenCode Desktop Shipped 5 Releases in 10 Days, Rewriting the v2 Input Box and Killing Ghost Tabs
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01 Introduction
OpenCode updates are incredibly frequent. After updating these past couple of days, I noticed the entire UI style of the desktop version has changed. The official website still retains the old style, which can be switched via a configuration option.
Let's review the versions and content of the OpenCode desktop updates over the last 10 days.
02 Updated Versions
The completion of the desktop V2 layout started from v1.18.0. Here's what has been updated since.
| Version | Release Date | One-Liner Theme |
|---|---|---|
| v1.18.0 | 2026-07-14 | Desktop v2 layout officially finalized |
| v1.18.1 | 2026-07-14 | Tiny patch (spacing fix) |
| v1.18.2 | 2026-07-15 | Desktop + Core joint update |
| v1.18.3 | 2026-07-16 | Desktop experience polish |
| v1.18.4 | 2026-07-20 | v2 input box major rewrite |
The desktop updates mainly focus on finalizing the v2 layout and improving the desktop version.
03 Main Update Content
3.1 v1.18.0
The previous v2 layout was a "half-finished product"; you could see the new design, but many old paths were still in v1.
v1.18.0 mainly completed three things:
- Complete upgrade migration: Upgrading from v1 automatically migrates to v2 and provides a first-start guide;
- Old/new layout toggle switch: Worried about not getting used to it? Switch back to v1 anytime in settings;
- Fixed file view background misalignment under v2.
3.2 v1.18.2
If you're used to opening more than 3 session windows simultaneously, the two changes in v1.18.2 are genuine "must-haves":
Mod+Nnew tab shortcut (Cmd+Non macOS,Ctrl+Non Windows/Linux);- Automatically close tabs for sessions that no longer exist (prevents you from opening a bunch of ghost tabs).
- Sub-agents no longer start nested by default.
Combined with the Mod+1 ~ Mod+9 tab switching, drag-and-drop, hover preview, and close/reopen features already in place from the v1.17 series—the desktop version's multi-session capability is officially mature.
Previously, sub-agents could continue to start "sub-sub-agents," making the chain easy to run wild. After v1.18.2, nesting is turned off by default—you can adjust the limit via the subagent_depth configuration if needed.
3.3 v1.18.3
Mainly detail optimizations for the desktop experience:
- The Home page command palette supports searching and opening sessions (previously could only open new sessions);
- WSL service loading is included in the startup readiness check, preventing the app from reporting ready before WSL is up;
- Custom Agent selector visibility fix.
3.4 v1.18.4
The major rewrite of the Review panel and the v2 input box is the most important upgrade in this version. The v2 prompt input box has been completely rewritten—situations where commands, context, Shell mode, attachments, and history conflicted with each other have been significantly reduced. Command drafts are also preserved.
Review panel continues to be polished:
- When the diff view changes, the opened file tab stays aligned with the current diff;
- The Review panel width is stable and no longer jitters when opening or closing files;
- Large patches can load the complete review diff, no longer truncated by the initial diff.
Terminal theme syncs with the application theme—this seems minor, but people using dark themes will feel it immediately.
For detailed changelogs, see: https://opencode.ai/changelog
04 Old vs New UI Overview
4.1 Old Version
4.2 New Version
The UI changes between the old and new versions are quite significant. I'm still not used to the new version.
Switching between old and new versions is as follows:
4.3 Defaults
The most disorienting change is that the original button for switching between build/plan modes is gone.
I originally wanted to check the
issues to see if anyone mentioned this problem, but in the AI era, I just let it look it up:
Very thoughtful—it listed the relevant issues and solutions. You can see this button has been given a toggle switch. Someone suggested enabling this button by default.
We can just turn it on directly.
After turning it on, it's there.
05 Summary
The overall layout change is quite significant. Have you desktop users updated yet? Anyway, since you can switch between the old and new versions at any time, why not update and give it a try!