Jan

October 2026

1. Oct 28
   New feature

   Jan 0.8.8 adds Trusted Hosts for the local API server, opens chat links in the system browser, and includes security fixes, for all users.

   What this means for you: This update to Jan, an app that runs AI chat models on your own computer, makes it safer. Links in chat replies now open in your regular web browser, not inside Jan's window. Web pages can only reach Jan's local API server (the way other programs talk to Jan) if you have approved them.

   Why it matters: The release is described as a security update to 0.8.7, and the notes recommend updating. It also fixes bugs, such as local models failing to load on Windows when the user name had non-English characters like Cyrillic.

   How to use it: Update to Jan 0.8.8. Your data and settings carry over. If a web app on another machine or a browser extension needs to call Jan's API, add its host under Settings, then Local API Server, then Trusted Hosts. Obsidian plugins can use app://obsidian.md. Programs that don't run in a browser, such as scripts or Claude Code, work as before.

   I run Jan, the offline AI chat app, and just updated to version 0.8.8, which adds a Trusted Hosts setting under Settings > Local API Server. Explain in plain words what that setting does and help me decide what to add to it. The tool I want to connect is [tool name, e.g. Open WebUI or an Obsidian plugin].

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2. Oct 20
   New feature

   Jan 0.8.7 adds a chat Shell tool switch, a separate Max Image Size setting for attachments, and built-in subagents for the Jan agent.

   What this means for you: Jan is a free chat app that runs AI models on your own computer. This update lets you turn off the Shell tool, which lets the AI run commands on your computer, from the tool menu in the chat box. It also adds a separate size limit for attached images, and built-in helper agents (called subagents) named explore, research, review and debug, each of which can use its own model.

   I use Jan, an app that runs AI models offline on my computer. Version 0.8.7 adds a Shell tool switch in the chat box and a Max Image Size setting for attachments. Help me decide when to leave Shell on or off and what image size limit to set. I mostly use Jan for: [describe your tasks].

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