> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bowerlabs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Changelog

> What's new in Bower — the features and capabilities we've shipped, in the order we shipped them.

## June 2026

<Update label="2026-06-27" description="Microsoft OneNote · Integrations">
  ### Microsoft OneNote — connect it, then import your notebooks

  Connect OneNote and Bird gains read access to your notebooks, sections,
  and pages. Then, when you want them in Bower, **import** notebooks,
  sections, or pages — they become notes inside mirrored collections, with
  tables, to-do checkboxes, and inline images preserved. Read-only at the
  source; re-importing won't duplicate.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-06-27-onenote)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-06-12" description="Protocol step videos · Protocols & Live Mode">
  ### Protocol step videos — show me, don't tell me

  Attach a video of a protocol being performed and mark where each step
  happens, YouTube-chapters style — markers save as you set them. Then
  ask Bird for the right moment by voice, hands-free: *"show me this
  step"*, *"skip to step 3"*, or *"show me the vortex step"*. The clip
  plays seeked to the marker on web, mobile, and AR glasses.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-06-12-protocol-step-videos)
</Update>

## May 2026

<Update label="2026-05-30" description="Page tree organising · Organisation">
  ### Organise the page tree — drag to reorder, right-click menus

  Drag any note or collection in the sidebar to reorder it within a
  level, or drop it onto a collection to nest it inside — collapsed
  collections auto-expand as you drag over them. Every item gets a **⋮**
  menu for rename, move, copy, copy link, manage access, and delete,
  without opening it first. Order is shared across the workspace.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-05-30-page-tree-organising)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-05-26" description="Rebuilt mobile experience · Mobile">
  ### A rebuilt mobile experience

  Bower on your phone is now a proper app — a bottom-nav layout with
  Capture, Bird, and Workspace tabs, and a redesigned Quick Capture
  built around one ring and four modes: voice, photo, video, and text.
  Scan a QR code to sign in on your phone in seconds, and captures
  survive a dropped connection.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-05-26-mobile-experience)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-05-25" description="Equipment Register · Organisation">
  ### Catalogue your instruments — Bird handles the rest

  Add your lab instruments to the new Equipment Register. Bird learns what
  you have and where it is, then helps troubleshoot problems, walk through
  procedures, and explain error codes. Especially useful hands-free with
  smart glasses in Live Mode.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-05-25-equipment-register)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-05-09" description="Knowledge graph visualizer · Visualisation">
  ### See your workspace as a graph

  A new Knowledge Graph page renders every note, protocol, attachment,
  and project — with their relationships — as a force-directed graph.
  Permission-filtered, light and dark mode, with an opt-in 3D view for
  large workspaces.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-05-09-knowledge-graph)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-05-07" description="ORCID iD + OpenAlex DOI lookup · AI">
  ### Your publications, one ORCID iD away

  Save your ORCID iD on your profile and Bird pulls from your public
  publication list whenever it's relevant. Drop a DOI in a chat and
  Bird fetches the full record from OpenAlex. Works in chat and live
  mode, with no connector to set up.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-05-07-orcid-and-openalex)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-05-06" description="Live video recording · Live Mode">
  ### Hands-free video clips during a live session

  Ask Bird to record a video clip during a live session — say *"record
  this"* and Bird captures a 2-minute audio + video clip straight to
  your workspace attachments. No taps, no buttons, with a visible REC
  indicator while it's running.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-05-06-live-video-recording)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-05-04" description="Connectors platform · Integrations">
  ### Bird searches the tools your lab already uses

  Connect Drive, Notion, Slack, Linear, GitHub and more from Account
  Settings → Connectors. Bird does federated search across your
  connections live, returns answers with citations, and only writes to
  your knowledge base when you explicitly save a result. Per-user,
  per-workspace, OAuth-bound, read-only by default.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-05-04-connectors-platform)
</Update>

## April 2026

<Update label="2026-04-30" description="Workspace roles · Permissions">
  ### Owner, Admin, Member, Guest — a role for every relationship

  Four workspace roles with a clean separation of duties: billing for
  Owner, member management for Admin, day-to-day work for Member,
  read-only for Guest. Last-Owner protection and an atomic
  ownership-transfer flow keep the workspace safe.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-30-workspace-roles)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-27" description="Granular permissions · Permissions">
  ### Permissions on every note and collection

  Three privacy modes per note and collection — **Anyone in the
  workspace**, **Only specific people**, or **Just me**. Per-person
  View, Edit, or Manage grants. Inheritance from parent collections, a
  compliance toggle for regulated workspaces, and a polite request-access
  flow on restricted content.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-27-granular-permissions)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-26" description="Inferred relationships · AI">
  ### Bird connects related notes for you, automatically

  Bird now reads your notes in the background and suggests links to related
  protocols, prior experiments, attachments, and concepts. Inline link
  chips on the note view make jumping between related work a single click.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-26-inferred-relationships)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-25" description="Personal preferences + Workspace instructions · AI">
  ### Teach Bird how you and your lab actually work

  Two editable documents inject straight into every Bird conversation:
  **Personal preferences** (just for you — your style, units, focus area)
  and **Workspace instructions** (shared with your team — protocols,
  conventions, policies).

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-25-bird-memory)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-24" description="Version history for every note · Capture">
  ### Every save, recoverable

  Every note now has full version history with a side-by-side diff viewer.
  See exactly what changed, when, and by whom — and roll back to any prior
  version with one click.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-24-version-history)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-24" description="Native spreadsheet analysis · AI">
  ### Drop a spreadsheet, ask Bird

  Bird reads CSVs and Excel files natively, summarises what's in them,
  compares across files, and cross-references with your notes when
  answering.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-24-spreadsheets-in-bird)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-24" description="Inline charts in Bird · AI">
  ### Bird draws charts when a chart is the right answer

  Bar, line, and scatter plots rendered directly in the chat, with axes
  and units pulled from the source data. Refine through follow-up
  questions.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-24-inline-charts)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-20" description="Audit log redesigned as a timeline · Trust & compliance">
  ### Who did what, when — at a glance

  A clean activity timeline with multi-select filters, full-text search,
  and richer event details. Login deduplication keeps the feed readable.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-20-audit-log-timeline)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-19" description="UI refresh · Brand">
  ### Softer surfaces, sharper details

  A pass over Bower's interface: modern theme primitives, segmented
  controls, cleaner card previews, per-user avatar colours, and a
  refreshed data table.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-19-ui-refresh)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-17" description="Hybrid search is now always on · Search">
  ### Find by meaning, not just keywords

  Global search now runs keyword and semantic similarity in parallel by
  default. No toggle, no second query — type what you remember, get what
  you meant.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-17-always-on-semantic-search)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-12" description="Editor power-ups · Editor">
  ### Equations, collapsible toggles, table of contents

  Three additions to the note editor: LaTeX/KaTeX equations, `/details`
  collapsible blocks, and a table-of-contents sidebar that builds itself
  from your headings.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-12-editor-power-ups)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-12" description="Image annotations + diagrams · Capture">
  ### Draw on anything, build diagrams from scratch

  A built-in drawing editor (powered by Excalidraw) lets you annotate any
  image and build full diagrams from a blank canvas. Annotations save as a
  separate layer.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-12-annotations-and-diagrams)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-10" description="Voice dictation in Bird Chat · AI">
  ### Speak your questions to Bird

  The Bird Chat input has a microphone button — tap it, speak your prompt,
  and Bower transcribes it directly into the input field, ready to edit
  and send.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-10-voice-dictation)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-08" description="Trash and one-click restore · Workspace">
  ### Delete with a safety net

  Deletes are now soft-deletes, recoverable from the trash for 30 days.
  Bulk restore, undo toasts on every delete, and a scheduled background
  purge keep things tidy.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-08-trash-and-restore)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-06" description="Merge two notes into one · Workspace">
  ### Combine duplicate or related notes

  Pick a target, pick a source: content, attachments, tags, and links flow
  in. Tags and links de-duplicate automatically. The source moves to
  trash, recoverable if you change your mind.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-06-merge-notes)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-03" description="Bird searches the web — with citations · AI">
  ### Beyond your workspace, with sources

  Bird can now reach external sources when a question requires them, and
  brings back inline citations linking back to the original.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-03-bird-web-search)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-04-02" description="Restricted mode (HIPAA-ready) and GDPR controls · Trust & compliance">
  ### Compliance controls in place, not on a roadmap

  Restricted mode (HIPAA-ready) with a workspace toggle, GDPR consent and data
  export, account deletion, retention controls, and a public sub-processors list.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-04-02-compliance-and-privacy-controls)
</Update>

## March 2026

<Update label="2026-03-31" description="Bird on mobile, Bird on glasses · Live Mode">
  ### Bird where your hands are

  A dedicated Bird page on mobile, and Live Mode support for Ray-Ban Meta
  glasses with high-resolution photo capture.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-31-bird-on-mobile-and-glasses)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-27" description="Onboarding checklist · Workspace">
  ### A guided first week, in the sidebar

  A short, evidence-based checklist of the steps that predict whether
  someone gets value out of Bower in their first week — with a circular
  progress indicator in the sidebar.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-27-onboarding-checklist)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-25" description="Public share links · Permissions">
  ### Share an artifact via a public link

  Generate a read-only public link for any note, attachment, or collection.
  Recipients open the link in their browser; no Bower account needed.
  Revocable any time.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-25-public-share-links)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-22" description="Wake-word standby · Live Mode">
  ### Talk to Bird hands-free

  Standby mode lets Bird stay quiet during a long protocol and wake up the
  moment you call it.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-22-wake-word-standby)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-22" description="Help Centre launched · Workspace">
  ### A proper Help Centre at docs.bowerlabs.ai

  Searchable guides for capture, AI, organisation, workspaces, and the
  Trust Centre. In-app "Learn more" links point straight to the relevant
  page.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-22-help-centre)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-21" description="Sharper OCR for scientific text · AI">
  ### Built for lab notebooks, not receipts

  Photo-to-text extraction now runs on Gemini 2.5/3 Pro with a
  scientific-lab prompt. Better on handwriting, instrument readouts, units,
  and chemical formulae — and honest about its uncertainty when a region
  is unclear.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-21-sharper-ocr)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-20" description="Smart notes vs. attachments · Capture">
  ### Bower picks the right artifact type for you

  Voice and Word documents become notes. Images become notes when their
  text is clear. PDFs stay as PDFs but become searchable. No more
  decision-making at import time.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-20-smart-notes-vs-attachments)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-17" description="Mobile workspace · Mobile">
  ### Bower on your phone, fully

  Every page in Bower has a responsive layout tuned for one-handed use.
  Read a note on the bus. Reorganise a collection while waiting for a
  centrifuge.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-17-mobile-workspace)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-16" description="Linked entities · Workspace">
  ### Wire your workspace together

  Any artifact can be linked to any other — notes to protocols, protocols
  to collections, attachments to anything they're relevant to. Links are
  bidirectional.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-16-linked-entities)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-15" description="Protocols become a first-class artifact · Workspace">
  ### A dedicated home for your lab procedures

  Protocols are now a first-class artifact type with their own library,
  detail pages, and knowledge-graph relationships to the experiments
  that ran them.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-15-protocols)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-13" description="Async batch import · Capture">
  ### Drop a folder, Bower handles it

  Batch import runs in the background via Cloud Tasks. Drag dozens of
  files in, close the dialog, and keep working — completed artifacts
  appear as they finish.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-13-async-batch-import)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-13" description="AI titles and descriptions · AI">
  ### Bower names your work for you

  Auto-generated titles for notes and short descriptions for attachments,
  so you don't stop mid-capture to think of a name. Always editable.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-13-ai-titles-and-descriptions)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-13" description="Proactive confidence flags · AI">
  ### Bird flags low-confidence captures

  After every voice transcription and photo OCR, Bird scores the result
  and surfaces a quiet notification when it's uncertain — so silent
  errors stop slipping through.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-13-proactive-confidence-flags)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-12" description="Better attachment viewing · Capture">
  ### Split-view, DOCX preview, photo lightbox

  OCR notes open beside their source attachment for easy comparison; Word
  documents preview inline; image attachments open in a proper full-screen
  viewer with pinch-to-zoom and swipe.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-12-better-attachment-viewing)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-03-08" description="A new look for Bower · Brand">
  ### Refreshed logo, palette, and typography

  DM Sans for body, Playfair Display for headings, a refined accent
  palette, and a new mark across the app and email comms.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-03-08-brand-refresh)
</Update>

## February 2026

<Update label="2026-02-26" description="Cmd+K opens everything · Search">
  ### A unified command palette

  Press **Cmd+K** anywhere in Bower for global search, navigation, and
  quick actions. Search blends keyword and semantic ranking; move, copy,
  and jump-to without leaving the keyboard.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-02-26-command-palette)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-02-23" description="Project → Collection · Workspace">
  ### "Project" is now "Collection"

  We renamed Bower's grouping artifact from Project to Collection across
  the UI, URLs, and API. Same thing, clearer term. Old URLs redirect.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-02-23-project-to-collection)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-02-08" description="Semantic search across your workspace · Search">
  ### Find notes by meaning, not just exact words

  A vector store and an agentic RAG pipeline mean Bird and global search
  retrieve by meaning. Hybrid ranking blends semantic and keyword scores
  so exact matches still win when they should.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-02-08-semantic-search)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-02-08" description="Voice transcription upgrade · Capture">
  ### Sharper transcription, better with lab vocabulary

  Speech-to-text moves to Chirp 3, with markedly better punctuation,
  formatting, and recognition of scientific vocabulary, units, and
  reagent names.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-02-08-voice-transcription-chirp3)
</Update>

<Update label="2026-02-06" description="Bird arrives · AI">
  ### Your AI lab partner — text chat, Live Mode, inline citations

  Bird launches with a persistent chat panel, real-time voice and video
  conversation in Live Mode, and answers grounded in your workspace with
  numbered citations back to the source. Multi-agent under the hood,
  running on Vertex AI inside Bower's perimeter.

  [Read more →](/changelog/2026-02-06-bird-launches)
</Update>