OpenClaw v2026.9.1 adds Mermaid rendering in chat, fuller Android app, and safer update recovery

OpenClaw v2026.9.1 is out — 1,186 pull requests, 28 direct commits, and contributions from 281 people. The headline: Mermaid diagrams now render natively in conversations across the Control UI and the Android, iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps. There's also a much more complete Android chat experience, and the update process got safer with pre-restart checks and clearer recovery when something goes wrong.

Mermaid in chat

Completed Mermaid blocks render as diagrams directly inside conversations. Source, copy, expansion, and platform-appropriate zoom controls stay close to the rendered output. Incomplete or invalid diagrams remain readable as source, so you won't lose context when a diagram is mid-edit.

Fuller Android app

The Android app now offers a fuller everyday workspace. Native chat includes better model, effort, Fast Mode, and permission controls. You also get searchable session browsing, configurable navigation, themes and accents, longer drafts, safer model availability checks, and steadier queued-message and reconnect behavior. It's a significant step up for daily use on the go.

Safer updates and setup

The recommended Quick Start path can reuse verified Claude Code or Codex access, or an existing provider key, and jumps to the web dashboard after one choice. Custom setup remains available. Failed checks and reruns now preserve existing models, agents, workspaces, and configuration better.

Updates check memory, plugin, approval, and service readiness before restarting. If a global npm update fails, OpenClaw can restore the previous package and launchers. Backups retain more active configuration, and Doctor handles more legacy state migrations with clearer recovery guidance.

Conversations and messaging improvements

New Session shows the first prompt and its images sooner, and can suggest a session name without delaying start. Drafts survive creation failures. Reconnects preserve completed answers more reliably, queued prompts stay with the replies they produced, chat images survive history and Gateway handoffs, and exports retain participant names.

Across messaging channels: Slack Agent View conversations stay separate across restarts, iMessage attachments tolerate short file delays, Signal stops retrying permanent connection rejections, and Discord avoids claiming delivery without a real receipt.

Memory can reset and rebuild indexes without deleting sessions or transcripts. Model selection is clearer about session, agent, and global defaults. Provider catalogs recover better after auth or discovery problems. Shared Gateways now allow personal skill libraries without host access, and exact skill names resolve correctly while ambiguous aliases fail loudly.

See the full release notes for details. iOS and Android app updates are in store review.