OpenCode 2.2.0 Desktop Plugins Explained: Keyed Session Instructions, Breaking Changes and What to Update
Illustrative image: code on a developer's monitor. Image: Wikimedia Commons / Markus Spiske, CC0. This is not a screenshot of OpenCode — no license-safe official OpenCode product image exists in the primary sources.
TL;DR: The opencode 2.2.0 desktop plugins explained in one line: on 27 October 2026, the open-source AI coding agent shipped desktop plugins you can create, install and share, plus keyed session instructions that update an agent's guidance without busting the prompt cache — but SDK users and plugin authors must check three breaking changes before updating.
📌 KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Released 27 October 2026: OpenCode v2.2.0, the open-source AI coding agent from the Anomaly team, with desktop plugins as the headline feature.
- Desktop plugins (experimental): create, install and share plugins from the desktop app, managed under Settings › Extensions › Plugins.
- Keyed session instructions: plugins can attach and update small instruction entries that survive compaction and reverts, without editing the system prompt, busting the prompt cache, or starting an extra model turn.
- Also new: a refreshed desktop app, an opt-in Todo tool in desktop, configurable prompt-cache TTLs, and experimental image and decision generation APIs.
- Breaking changes: @opencode/ai moves to the Promise API, the OpenCode GitHub Action is removed, and TUI plugins now require OpenTUI 0.7.
What happened?
OpenCode is an open-source AI agent harness: you describe a coding task in plain language and it investigates code, edits files and runs commands for you. Because the harness sits between you and the model, you can swap providers — Claude, GPT, Gemini or a local model — without changing how you work. Version 2.0 unified the tool around a single shared background server, so the terminal, web and desktop front ends share sessions. Version 2.2.0, released on 27 October 2026 and documented in the project's official changelog, builds on that foundation with an emphasis on the desktop experience and on making long-running agent sessions cheaper to steer.
The release is a normal minor-version update, not a rewrite — but it contains real breaking changes for two audiences (SDK users and plugin authors), which is why this post separates what is new from what you must check before updating.
OpenCode 2.2.0 desktop plugins explained: what's new
| Feature | What it does | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop plugins | Create, install and share plugins for the desktop app; manage them from Settings › Extensions › Plugins | Experimental |
| Keyed session instructions | Plugins attach/update instruction entries (put/list/remove) that apply at the next step without cache busts or extra turns | New API |
| Refreshed desktop app | Updated desktop experience, including a persistent zoom setting, rewind/fork from any message, and faster Mermaid rendering | Stable |
| Todo tool in desktop | The Todo tool returns to the desktop app | Opt-in |
| Configurable prompt-cache TTLs | Set how long prompt-cache entries live, per provider or model | New setting |
| Image and decision generation APIs | Plugins and the SDK can call image generation or decision-model workflows | Experimental |
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Illustrative image: a programmer at work. Image: Wikimedia Commons / "Crew" (Unsplash), CC0. OpenCode runs in the terminal, web and desktop — this photo shows the kind of setup it is built for, not the tool itself.
Keyed session instructions: why they matter
The most consequential change for anyone building on OpenCode is also the least visible. Until now, changing what an agent should do mid-session typically meant editing the system prompt — which invalidates the cached prompt, so the next step re-processes the whole context and costs more. Keyed session instructions work differently: a plugin attaches small, named instruction entries that are applied as a small update at the next step.
Three properties make this useful in practice. First, the prompt cache stays intact, so steering a long session stays cheap. Second, the entries survive compaction (when the session history is summarised to fit the context window) and reverts, so guidance does not silently disappear when the session is trimmed. Third, adding an entry does not start an extra model turn — the instruction simply shapes the next step the agent was already going to take. For teams running agents for hours, that combination — cheap steering that survives session maintenance — is the difference between an agent you can direct and one you have to restart.
Breaking changes: check these before you update
1. @opencode/ai is now the Promise API. The package root now exports the Promise API, the same shape as @opencode/sdk and @opencode/client. The Effect API moved to @opencode/ai/effect, and @opencode/ai/promise is removed, along with the wildcard subpath export (replaced by an explicit list of provider and protocol entry points). If your code imports from @opencode/ai/promise or from the package root expecting the Effect API, update the imports first.
2. The OpenCode GitHub Action is gone. It is no longer published. If a CI workflow uses it, remove that step — the release notes are blunt about this one, and a workflow that references a removed action fails rather than degrading gracefully.
3. TUI plugins need OpenTUI 0.7. @opencode/plugin now requires @opentui/core and @opentui/solid 0.7.0, up from 0.6.8. Plugins built on OpenTUI 0.6 fail to install until their authors upgrade, and 0.7 changes how custom renderables declare hooks. If you maintain a TUI plugin, this is your migration; if you only use plugins, wait for your plugins' updates before upgrading.
Ordinary desktop and terminal users who do not write SDK code or plugins are largely unaffected — for them, 2.2.0 is a feature update, not a migration.
Why it matters for India readers
India's developer economy — agency teams, SaaS startups, freelancers and students — is exactly where open, provider-swappable agent tooling pays off. A team that can point the same harness at different models avoids being locked to one vendor's pricing, and a tool whose steering survives compaction keeps long jobs affordable — a real consideration when API bills are paid in rupees against dollar-priced models. The plugin story matters here too: small Indian dev-tool teams can now ship desktop plugins for OpenCode the way they ship VS Code extensions, without waiting for the core team.
The same week has been busy across developer tooling — TanStack AI 1.0 went stable, Visual Studio 2026's October update reworked Copilot chat, and Bun 1.4.4 shipped a built-in formatter. OpenCode 2.2.0 fits the same pattern: the agent layer is becoming programmable infrastructure, not a single product you rent.
Should you care? Our verdict
✅ Yes — if you already use OpenCode, or you build agent tooling. Desktop plugins and keyed instructions make the tool more extensible and cheaper to steer, and the update itself is free and open source. ⏳ Check first if: you import @opencode/ai in code, run the OpenCode GitHub Action in CI, or maintain a TUI plugin — handle the three breaking changes above before upgrading, and treat the desktop plugins and image/decision APIs as experimental, not production promises.
FAQs
What is OpenCode? OpenCode is an open-source AI coding agent (harness) from the Anomaly team. You give it instructions in natural language and it investigates code, edits files and runs commands, working with Claude, GPT, Gemini or local models of your choice. It runs as a terminal UI, a web interface and a desktop app sharing one background server.
What are desktop plugins in OpenCode 2.2.0? Plugins that extend OpenCode with custom tools, hooks and integrations, now creatable, installable and shareable from the desktop app under Settings › Extensions › Plugins. They are experimental in 2.2.0, so expect their APIs to keep changing.
What are keyed session instructions in OpenCode? Small, named instruction entries that plugins attach to a session (put, list, remove). They apply at the next step without editing the system prompt, so they do not bust the prompt cache, do not start an extra model turn, and survive compaction and reverts.
What breaks when updating to OpenCode 2.2.0? Three things: @opencode/ai now exports the Promise API (Effect API moved to @opencode/ai/effect, @opencode/ai/promise removed); the OpenCode GitHub Action is no longer published; and TUI plugins require OpenTUI 0.7. Ordinary desktop/terminal users without SDK code or plugins are unaffected.
Is OpenCode free, and how do I update to 2.2.0? OpenCode itself is open source and free to install, but the AI models it drives are not free — you bring your own provider keys or subscriptions. Update through your usual install route (the project's install/update command or package manager) and check the breaking changes above first if you write SDK code or plugins.
Takeaway: OpenCode 2.2.0 is a builder's release — desktop plugins to extend it, keyed instructions to steer it cheaply, and three breaking changes to respect. Update freely if you just use it; migrate carefully if you build on it.
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