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What's New In 5.3

Row-Bot 5.3 puts its browser inside the app and rebuilds computer use. It also adds pages and questions, incognito chats, Outlook, several X accounts, reviewed approvals and Hands-off, and background work. This page lists the highlights and links to the guide for each one. The full list is in the release notes.

Row-Bot Does More Without Being Asked​

You don't need to name a feature. Ask in your own words:

  • a plan, checklist, comparison or numbers to track becomes a page;
  • a choice only you can make comes as a question;
  • research on several things goes to helpers;
  • a file server or watcher runs in the background;
  • "keep me on track" gets a plan and a weekly check-in workflow.

A new chat also starts faster. Row-Bot sends about 40% less to the model before your first message, and with a ChatGPT plan the shared start of each chat comes from the provider's cache.

Highlights​

  • Row-Bot's browser, in the app. A Browser pane beside the chat shows the page live, with tabs, Take control and Stop. See Row-Bot's Browser.
  • Computer use, rebuilt. Row-Bot works in an app with your mouse and keyboard while you watch. A Stop bar shows on screen, and Esc ends it. See Computer Use.
  • Pages and questions. Plans you approve step by step, checklists that remember ticks, and questions with options in a card. See Pages and Questions.
  • Incognito chats. Nothing in them is read for memory. See Incognito Chats.
  • Approvals: Ask, Auto, Hands-off, Block. Auto's reviewer approves what you asked for, and Hands-off asks nothing. Always ask me keeps a step or an app asking you whatever the level. See Approvals.
  • Outlook and several X accounts. Outlook works through your own Microsoft app. Each X post names its account. See Accounts.
  • Background work. Servers and long jobs keep running and show in the chat. Video editing, sending files to your devices and code folders work from any device. See Background Processes.
  • Workflows. Monthly schedules, timezones, missed-run handling, a code folder per workflow, and Always ask me steps. See Workflows.
  • Claude with your Claude plan, through your own Claude Code. See Settings › Providers.

Before You Upgrade From 5.2​

  • It arrives in the background. Row-Bot 5.2.1 downloads 5.3 and offers Restart now. From 5.1 or 5.0, install 5.2 first with the full installer.
  • Claude needs setting up again. The old Claude sign-in is removed on first start. Install and sign in to Claude Code, then choose your Claude plan in Settings › Providers.
  • Auto may ask a little more. It now asks about anything that doesn't clearly match your request. Choose Hands-off for a chat or workflow that should never ask.
  • Workflow schedules keep their times, in this computer's timezone. Runs missed while Row-Bot was closed are still skipped unless you change that.
  • Your X account becomes your first account the next time Row-Bot reaches X.
  • Windows may ask once about Row-Bot Server in Windows Firewall.
  • A job started with & inside a command now stops when that command finishes. Ask Row-Bot to start a server instead.