During a run, the round button is called “Stop”. Afterwards, a quiet “Stopped.” appears below the reply, steps that did not run any more are marked “Not run”, and Biwak does not start again on its own. If a run ends without a visible reply, Biwak asks once for a short summary instead of showing an error line.
On the computer, a permission card no longer expires after five minutes; until now it then counted as declined. While it waits, the run’s clock stands still. If a card appears while another window is in front, the Dock icon bounces once on the Mac, and on Windows the taskbar button flashes.
The card of a finished file has three buttons: “Open” in the default program, “Show in Finder” or “Show in folder”, and “Save to Downloads”. Before opening, Biwak checks that the content matches the file extension, and it does not hand files with macros to any program. The card only appears once the run is finished, never with an interim state.
Biwak is instructed to use its built-in tools instead of scripts for searching, reading and counting across many documents; these only ask first on the “Always ask” level. New is “Find files”: it searches by name, modification time and size, even across whole drives. The step list now names commands and scripts in everyday words.
Document search can store its hits as a table, and Biwak writes them from there straight into an Excel file, without copying the rows out by hand. One column gives the date stated in the letter itself, not just the file date; when in doubt, it stays empty. The permission card shows the first three rows beforehand.
If “Web research” or “Allow terminal commands” was switched off, the chat did not start on computers without a particular developer tool and reported an unknown tool. Now it starts in that case too.
Biwak is set up so that, for a broad task such as research on a technical topic, it takes the obvious reading, searches straight away and then offers to narrow things down. If the scope of a deletion or a send is unclear, Biwak looks first and then asks a specific question.
In the Mac app, a click on a link in the chat did not open a browser. Biwak now opens the link through the system, and at the bottom left, the app shows the link’s destination when you hover over it.
Biwak searches the patent data of the European Patent Office, shows the bibliographic data and claims of a document, and for EP and WO documents also the description, and lists patent families. For broad result lists, Biwak suggests ways to narrow them down by class, period or office.
Biwak reads emails as .eml, .emlx, .mbox and .msg files, Outlook attachments (winmail.dat), web archives in MHTML format, calendar entries (.ics) and contacts (.vcf). Attachments are also read, insofar as they are readable.
Biwak writes tables as .xlsx or .csv files; numbers stay numbers and no formulas are created. The header row is bold and frozen. Biwak only overwrites existing files when explicitly told to.
When updating, a curtain falls across the window and counts down to the restart. The new version starts in front and shows which version it comes from. If the installation fails, the update stays ready, and the curtain gives the details.
The comparison shows changes in compact lines, changed words are highlighted, and code is coloured by language. Unchanged passages fold into a bar. Tables show the old value directly above the new one.
A chat that is waiting for permission shows a dot in the accent colour in the history. A finished chat that has not been opened yet shows a dot that glows once. When the sidebar is collapsed and in the mobile menu, a dot on the button shows the most urgent hint.
Up to four tasks run side by side on the computer, and in the browser, Biwak queues further ones. Each conversation has its own task, and a new chat can also be opened while a task is running.
If the connection to the view drops, for example when the computer goes to sleep, the task keeps running. The view reconnects and catches up on the messages it missed.
The data processing agreement is available as a file to download under DPA. The terms include it for businesses, and it has applied since 4 October 2026.
Each permission card rates a step as harmless, to be checked or risky, and explains what it does. For risky steps, “Decline” is the highlighted button. A no stands, and Biwak then does not try the step by another route.
On Convert bank statements, you upload a bank statement as a PDF. Biwak converts it into a table, as Excel or as a CSV file. This requires signing in, and the page says when the method is not suitable.
While a task is running, Biwak keeps the computer awake. On Windows running on battery, the system may still put it to sleep after a while. Closing the lid and the power button still put the computer to sleep.
Biwak checks for updates and downloads them in the background. A downloaded update is installed when the app quits, and if the window has been hidden for 20 minutes, Biwak restarts quietly, provided nothing is running. Unsent text is kept.
The pages are also available in English under /en, with their own addresses. A switch at the top right changes the language. The German text remains binding.
If a reply from the language model does not arrive, Biwak waits and tries again with growing pauses. A task no longer breaks off after two silent replies.
The Windows setup has been signed since 1 October 2026.
More changes in
· New · A conversation can be sent to Biwak support as diagnostics. After a failed run, when reporting a reply, after a failed download and in a conversation’s menu, Biwak offers “Send diagnostics”. It first states what is included; nothing is sent until you click, and it goes encrypted, without your user folder and computer name. Screenshots and images are only included if you tick the box for them.
· Fixed · Each task starts with its own task list. Biwak sometimes kept working on open items from an earlier task. Now every new task starts with an empty task list. The list of the current task is kept, even when Biwak summarises a long history, and after stopping it stays in place so that Biwak can pick up from there with “continue”.
· Improved · A deleted conversation takes its working data on the computer with it. Deleting a conversation now also deletes what Biwak created for it on the computer, such as the run’s transcript and search hit tables. Until now, these files were left behind.
· Fixed · Finished files stay linked to their conversation. Each conversation now remembers its work folder, so that finished files keep their card for downloading. Local file links in replies become clickable when Biwak finds the file in the work folder.
· Fixed · An attached file can be sent without text. An attached file can now be sent without text. The conversation then uses the file name as its title and shows the file in the history.
· Improved · Tables in the chat can be selected and copied row by row. Dragging across several cells of a table in an answer selects a rectangle, including whole rows. The selection is copied as table text with tabs between the columns.
· Improved · Steps that the app recovers from by itself no longer look like errors. A step that Biwak catches itself appears grey with a cross in the sequence, instead of with an exclamation mark. Red remains reserved for a failed task and for permissions. The reason is shown when the step is expanded.
· Improved · Tables read decimal commas, currencies and percentages more accurately. Biwak reads numbers in .xls, .xlsx and .ods tables with decimal commas, thousands separators, currency, percentages and times. Cell notes sit behind their cell, so that search finds them. Biwak shows formulas without a stored value as a formula with the note “value not stored”.
· Fixed · Parallel conversations no longer lose history entries. If several conversations ran at the same time, the history could lose entries. Biwak now writes the history list one after another.
· New · XML invoices and signed files can be read. Biwak reads XML invoices such as XRechnung and XJustiz files, as well as the content of signed files (.p7m, .pkcs7). Biwak does not check the signature in the process, and it says so explicitly. Biwak reports encrypted containers as unreadable.
· Improved · Document search finds spellings with umlauts. The search finds “Mueller” for “Müller” and “Strasse” for “Straße”, also the other way round, and makes no distinction between upper and lower case.
· Security · Permission cards only accept clicks after a short pause. A permission card only accepts clicks after a short pause, so that a click does not grant permission by accident.
· New · Folder analysis reads older Office formats and ZIP archives. Folder analyses now also read older Excel and PowerPoint files, email files, HTML files and ZIP archives. Biwak recognises files without an extension by their content.
· Improved · Folder analysis names files that were not read. If an analysis does not read all the files in a folder, Biwak counts the remaining ones and names them as far as space allows.
· Improved · PDF pages without text are reported as not searched. A PDF page without a text layer counts as not searched and is reported. The reply counts such files on the line “not or not fully searched”.
· New · Each published version has a SHA-256 checksum. The Checksums page lists the SHA-256 checksum for each published version. This makes it possible to recalculate the downloaded version, independently of the signature.
· Improved · Research backs up figures with a verbatim quotation. Biwak is instructed to back up figures and key statements from web research with a verbatim quotation and the address of the page it read. It points out contradictions and gaps instead of smoothing them over.
· Fixed · Text files in Mac Roman or CP850 are read correctly. Text files without a character set declaration that are written in Mac Roman or CP850 are recognised. If recognition is uncertain, Biwak says so explicitly.
· Improved · Word files with tracked changes are marked. Biwak marks in Word files with tracked changes what has been deleted and what has been inserted. The preview hides deleted text.
· Improved · After signing in, the browser chat takes you back to the chat. Anyone who opens the browser chat without signing in lands on the sign-in page and then returns to the chat.
· Improved · A stricter permission level applies at once, even to a running task. If you switch to a stricter level, this immediately applies to the task that is running as well.
· New · The app's web search needs no setup. The app searches the web through the Biwak account. Nothing needs to be set up on the computer for this.
· Fixed · Web search returns results again. Web search returned no results for a while. This has been fixed.
· New · The browser chat has an English user interface. The browser chat has an English user interface. Tasks, permissions, settings and sign-in are translated.
· New · The privacy policy names the recipients and their contracts. The privacy policy names each recipient with its role and registered office and, where it is fixed, the place of processing. Contracts and evidence are available as files with a checksum.
· Improved · Replies appear at a steady pace. The reply appears evenly instead of in bursts. While a task is running, the view follows the text smoothly and stops as soon as you scroll yourself.
· New · Word documents can be viewed as pages. The preview shows Word documents as pages with their page layout. A text view shows the content of the document.
· New · Diagrams in replies appear as drawings. Diagrams in a reply appear as drawings once they are complete. Until then, the source code is shown in their place.
· Improved · Biwak does not suggest third-party software when it is enough on its own. If Biwak can complete a task itself, it does not suggest third-party software.
· Improved · On Windows, Biwak keeps running in the notification area after it is closed. As on the Mac, the close button only hides the window. Biwak keeps running in the notification area, and a click on the icon brings the window back.
Below the performance slider, each level shows a guide value for how many credits a task uses on average. Each of the five levels sets the model and thinking time together; individual models are not chosen.
With the Rope Team and Mountain Guide plans, a subscription can be shared with any number of people. The owner invites them in the account, and an invitation is only accepted by someone who is signed in with the invited address. Members do not buy a subscription of their own.
The permission level at the input field determines which commands and file changes Biwak asks about, and it applies to every task. How the levels work and where their limits lie is described on the Security page.
The four permission levels are called “Always ask”, “Read”, “Write” and “Full access”. Anything a level does not permit, Biwak asks about with a card and carries out only after consent, the same way on every computer.
Under “What are we working on today?”, there are suggestions for office tasks, such as transferring invoices into a table or writing meeting minutes with a task list. Suggestions for software projects appear only if a project file is in the work folder.
Files can be selected with a click, dragged into the window or pasted from the clipboard, for example screenshots. The agent sees attached images directly.
The pricing table lets you order directly. If you are signed in, clicking “Book” takes you straight to payment without a sign-in page. Below the table are the tick box and the button “Subscribe with obligation to pay”.
The Guides page brings together the specialist articles and the earlier blog posts. The overview sorts the articles into categories and has search and topic filters.
A change to a higher plan takes effect immediately, and a change to a lower one takes effect at the end of the paid period. With an active subscription, Biwak shows before you click what is due today and from when the new plan applies.
Even a plain text answer shows its usage in credits when you point at the copy icon below the answer. The live line and the receipts show the same value, and the balance updates after every model call.
The pricing table shows four cards: a free entry plan with a one-off trial allowance, plus Base Camp, Rope Team and Mountain Guide on request. The cards say what each plan is for and state its credits.
A task may use up to 1,000 credits, per task and not per conversation. Shortly before the limit, the agent is told to wrap up. If a task ends at a limit, Biwak gives the reason.
In the browser chat, the agent works in up to five conversations at the same time. Within a conversation, the order of the messages is kept. A running task no longer blocks the other conversations.
Tables from PDF files, such as bank statements, stay as tables and are read row by row. The agent analyses many documents without loading each one into the conversation, and names files that could not be read.
Subscribers see their plan allowance in credits, in the app and in the account, along with the day on which it is full again. A bar shows the level the same way everywhere.
The input field stays open while a task is running. The next message can already be written and sent once the task has finished; until then the send button is a stop button.
For a completed task, Biwak shows the files before and after the task side by side. Unchanged passages can be shown. Very large files are left out of the comparison.
After confirming the email address, free trial credits are available as a one-off, without a credit card. Once the trial is used up, a subscription is needed for further work. Earlier tasks and results are kept.
Projects group related chats together. Instructions for each project apply to all new tasks within it, while each chat keeps its own history. In the desktop app, a project can use its own work folder.
The app can run tasks through the Biwak account, in which case the usage is counted to the account. After signing in in the browser, the app window comes back to the front.
More changes in
· Improved · Scanned documents with several pages are read faster. Scanned documents with several pages can be read considerably faster. Each page keeps its page number in the process.
· Improved · Checkpoints now also include large files. Checkpoints now also cover large files. Before a change, Biwak asks about any file that is not backed up.
· Security · Biwak installs software only from official package sources. Biwak installs software only from the official package sources of the programming languages.
· Fixed · The first message in a new conversation runs reliably. The first message in a new conversation sometimes broke off with an error message. This has been fixed.
· Improved · The preview of Word documents shows headings and tables. Headings in the preview appear as headings, and tables use the full width. Newly created Word documents use heading styles.
· New · The contact page lists the channels and response times. The contact page lists the ways to reach Biwak and the response times.
· New · Every guide article names its author and the AI support. Every guide article names a responsible author, with a portrait and an author page. A box names the AI support, the verification date and whether there is human approval.
· New · A guide article explains the difference between chat and agent. The article explains what it means that Biwak runs commands itself in the work folder, instead of only replying. Four graphics show how it works.
· Improved · The website has been reworked for screen readers and phones. The route buttons on the start page carry the visible text as their name, and links are underlined and clearly named. Fonts load earlier, and page sections load separately.
· New · Fourteen new guide articles on tasks, industries and law. New articles cover tasks such as converting a PDF into a table or checking quotes, industries such as tax advice and skilled trades, and e-invoicing and AI literacy.
· Improved · Greetings and plain text work need no detour. For greetings and plain text work, Biwak replies directly, without first running a command.
· Improved · In the browser, the first character of a reply appears immediately. In the browser, the first character of a reply appears as soon as it is available. Until now, the display came in a rhythm of about one and a half seconds.
· Fixed · A double click on “Book” does not create a second subscription. A double click, two open tabs or the back button do not create a second subscription. If the checkout is already open in another window, Biwak says so.
· Fixed · Long replies no longer break off after 110 seconds. Long replies no longer break off after 110 seconds. If you stop a reply yourself, only what has been delivered up to that point is charged.
· New · On the Mac, the preview shows images for Office files. On the Mac, the preview shows a thumbnail generated by macOS for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and image files.
· Fixed · Credits stay available at the monthly renewal. Credits stay available at the monthly renewal, even if the payment has not yet been confirmed. For this, a running subscription keeps its previous supply of credits for 72 hours.
· New · After payment, you return to where you booked. After payment, you return to the place from which you booked. A confirmation then appears in the chat and in the app.
· New · The preview shows databases, RTF and older text files. The preview lists SQLite databases with tables and row counts, and shows RTF documents as paragraphs. Text files in the Windows-1252 and UTF-16 character sets can also be read, and the database itself remains unchanged.
· Improved · Payment buttons stop waiting after 20 seconds and show a hint. The buttons “Book” and “Open checkout” spin for at most 20 seconds. If the account does not respond, a sentence with “Try again” appears on the button, and the page remains usable.
· Improved · Web search in the browser chat returns whole page sections. Web search in the browser chat returns whole page sections instead of just addresses. If the service does not respond, Biwak says so.
· Improved · In the browser chat, a stalled tool ends the task after ten minutes. If a tool in the browser chat produces no output for ten minutes, the task ends and names the tool.
· Improved · Thinking, steps and replies appear in the order in which they are produced. Thoughts, tool steps and interim texts appear in the history in the order in which they arise. What was said last remains at the bottom as a reply, even if the work area is collapsed.
· Improved · Web pages are read in full and tables are preserved. Biwak reads web pages in a plain text version where the website offers one, and otherwise the page itself. Long overview pages are read in full, and tables remain tables.
· Improved · Cancel subscription is at the very bottom of the account. In the account, “Cancel subscription” is at the very bottom, in the area for plan and usage. How to cancel is described on the Cancellation page.
· Improved · The agent reads long files in sections. The agent reads long files in sections of 2,000 lines and sees how many lines remain. On request, Biwak recalculates the balance of a bank statement line by line.
· New · A panel shows the file tree of the work folder. A panel that is shown displays the file tree of the work folder, so that it is visible which files are in the project. A click opens a file in the suitable viewer, for example for pages, tables or archives.
· Security · Projects in the browser chat are kept separate. Projects in the browser chat are kept separate. Each project’s files and the agent’s sessions cannot be reached from other projects.
· New · Conversations can be moved to another project by dragging them. A conversation can be moved to another project by dragging it. If a task is still in progress, Biwak states above the history why this is not possible.
· Improved · Biwak replies in the language of the message. Replies, progress reports and work steps follow the language of the last complete message. The language is changed only on explicit request. If no language can be recognised, Biwak replies in German.
· New · Tasks in the browser keep their progress. If a task in the browser is interrupted, the progress made so far is saved.
· New · The browser workspace can be saved as a web app. The browser workspace can be saved as a web app on the device. It then opens without a browser bar and starts directly in the chat.
· Fixed · A folder dragged into a task no longer attaches an empty file. If you drag a folder into a task, Biwak no longer creates an empty file for it. The folder thus remains readable in the task.
· Security · Mac installers are notarised before release. The installation files for the Mac are notarised before they are published. If that fails, no new version is released.
· Improved · The window adjusts its size to the screen. The app window adjusts its size to the screen. It appears on the screen where it was last.
· Improved · The sign-in page names the reason and the next step during a disruption. The sign-in page names the reason and the next step during a disruption. If sending a code fails, the page says so.
· Improved · Follow-up messages continue the conversation. A conversation keeps its context between two messages. The next reply starts without a restart and builds on the earlier history.
· Fixed · Disruptions name the cause and a way back. If a task cannot continue, the app names the reason and offers exactly one way: top up, sign in or try again. Network errors do not count as a sign-out.
· Fixed · When signing in, you choose the account yourself. After signing out, Biwak asks at the next sign-in which account you want to sign in with. Until now, you returned to the same account without a choice.
· Improved · A plan change does not create a second subscription. Anyone who chooses a plan while signed in does not enter a second code from the email. A plan change does not create a second subscription.
· Improved · The app creates the work folder and has a new icon. If the work folder is missing, the app creates it before the first task. The app icon has been redrawn.
On request, Biwak creates files such as CSV tables, Excel workbooks, and Word and PowerPoint documents. Generated files have their correct file type and can be fetched from the preview.
Anyone who has not chosen a different start view sees the projects first. A pen on each project row opens an empty task in that project, with its work folder.
A file that Biwak has written appears as a card. A click opens a preview for pages, images, tables, PDF and source code. The comparison of changes shows the full difference for each file against the state before the task.
Biwak takes on a task and works in the folder that you choose. It lists folders, reads, searches, writes and changes files. Every step remains visible in the reply.
Every conversation is saved on the computer. After a restart, the history, tool steps and changes are there again. The sidebar lists all conversations.
The file tools read and change only within the chosen work folder and reject paths that lead outside it. What else is protected is described on the Security page.
Before each task, Biwak creates a checkpoint of the work folder. “Undo” reverts the changes this task made to files in the work folder. What a command does outside the folder is not covered by the checkpoint.
Instead of answering from memory, Biwak searches the web. It finds results for a question and retrieves the content of a page to read.
More changes in
· New · The first launch guides you step by step to your first task. After installation, the app guides you step by step to your first task. The connection check says in one sentence what the cause is.
· New · The accent colour can be chosen in the settings. The accent colour is chosen in the settings with a slider or with a preset. A colour workshop shows the colours live.
· Improved · File names in the reply text can be clicked. A file name in the reply text can be clicked if the file is in the work folder. The preview recognises files by their content and shows more types, such as tables and documents.
· Security · Biwak does not take over skills from third-party program folders. Biwak does not take over skills from the plugin folders of other programs on the computer.
· Improved · Running steps and tool output already appear while work is under way. While a task runs, Biwak shows thinking and tool output in a window of fixed height, and a clock keeps track of the running time. Once the reply is finished, everything folds into one line, which can be opened with a click.
· Improved · The send button becomes a stop button while a task is running. While a task is running, the send button becomes a stop button. This makes it possible to stop the task at any time.
· Improved · The status bar shows what Biwak is working on. A symbol in the status bar shows whether Biwak is thinking, reading, writing, searching, running, connecting or waiting for permission.
· New · Under “Speed and care”, you choose how thoroughly Biwak thinks. Under “Speed and care”, you choose how thoroughly Biwak thinks, from quick replies to thorough deliberation.
· Improved · The history can be grouped by time or project. The history can be grouped by time or by project, and sorted by last change or by a custom order. Custom orders are set within a group by dragging or with Alt and the arrow keys.
· Improved · Buttons and dialogue boxes are labelled for screen readers. Buttons without visible text now have a name for screen readers. Dialogue boxes keep keyboard focus and return it when they are closed.
· New · Replies show formatting already while they are being written. Headings, lists, tables and bold text appear formatted while the reply is still being written. Links are active only for web and email addresses.
· Security · Content from the web counts as external material, not as a command. Whatever Biwak reads on the web is marked in the conversation as external content. Biwak is instructed to point out any requests in it and not to carry them out.
About this page
The entries are drawn from the version history of Biwak's source code and summarised with AI assistance. The person responsible is Hermann Hampel. An entry describes a change that users can see or use; the date is the day it was finished. “From version” names the first published app version that contains it; the table of app versions shows when each version appeared for which system. Internal work such as tests and tooling is not listed here.
From version 0.2.32, the desktop app itself installs a checked update when you quit Biwak; older versions wait until you choose “Restart” in the settings. The entries are also available as an Atom feed at /updates.xml, with the fifty most recent.