Quick Model Selector, MCP Notifications, and Grok 4
And other features & fixes in Kilo Code v4.51.0-v4.56.2
Hey there, coding wizards! 🧙♂️ We're back with another action-packed release digest covering six new versions of Kilo Code. From lightning-fast model switching to MCP notifications that'll make you a properly informed developer, this batch has more quality-of-life improvements than a luxury apartment complex.
TL;DR - The Best Stuff
Quick Model Selector - Switch AI models without diving into settings
MCP Notifications - Stay informed about your MCP server operations
Smart Commit Messages - Generate messages from unstaged changes
Autocomplete API Configuration - Customize your autocomplete experience
Grok 4 Support - Latest AI model integration
Timer-Based Auto-Approve - Automatic approval for follow-up questions
Import/Export Modes - Save and share your custom configurations
Error and Usage Data Reporting - Help us improve (your choice!)
As you see, we've been working harder than a caffeine-powered squirrel to bring you these improvements!
Community Spotlight 🌟
Before we dive into the technical goodies, let's give a massive shoutout to our incredible community contributors who made this release possible! Open source thrives because of developers like these who step up and make things better for everyone:
@alexandrevilain - Delivered the autocomplete API configuration feature that lets you customize which provider handles your autocomplete suggestions. This level of fine-tuned control is exactly what power users have been asking for!
@philipvas - Squashed that annoying browser mode JSON snippets bug that was cluttering up chat conversations. Clean interfaces make for happy developers, and this fix keeps your chat history focused on what matters.
@NyxJae - Our dedicated Chinese translation champion! This isn't their first rodeo either - they've been consistently working to make Kilo Code accessible to Chinese-speaking developers. Internationalization work like this opens doors for developers worldwide and shows the true spirit of open source collaboration.
Community contributions like these are what make Kilo Code stronger every day. Whether it's code, bug reports, or feature suggestions, every contribution counts. And yes, we put our money where our mouth is - all these contributors received free non-expiring credits as a token of our appreciation! Thank you for making Kilo Code better for everyone! 🙏
Noteworthy Changes
Quick Model Selector
Available in: v4.51.0 | Contributor: @catrielmuller
Switch between AI models directly from the chatbox without navigating through settings. No more context switching when you want to try a different model for a specific task - just click and go. Perfect for those moments when you need Claude's reasoning power for architecture planning but want to switch to GPT for quick code generation.
MCP Notifications
Available in: v4.53.0 | Contributor: @chrarnoldus Source: Thanks to Cline
MCP servers can now send progress notifications to keep you informed about long-running operations. No more wondering if your MCP tool is stuck or making progress - you'll get real-time updates on what's happening behind the scenes.
Smart Commit Messages
Available in: v4.52.0 | Contributor: @hassoncs
Generate meaningful commit messages based on unstaged changes when nothing is staged. Kilo Code now intelligently analyzes your working directory changes and creates descriptive commit messages, making your git history more informative without the extra staging step.
Author's note (Aleks): While this feature is super convenient, I'd like to remind y'all that git history matters! Be conscious about what you stage and commit. The Git Police 👮♂️ are always watching, and we have very strong opinions about atomic commits. Use this feature wisely, or you might find yourself explaining a 47-file commit that "fixes everything (hopefully)" to your future self at 2 AM.
Another noticeable change: Kilo Code rules are now included in commit message generation prompts, ensuring your git history follows your project's conventions. Your carefully crafted coding standards will be reflected in every auto-generated commit message.
Kilo Code Provider UI Rework
Available in: v4.53.0 | Contributor: @catrielmuller
The provider configuration interface has been redesigned for better usability. Cleaner layout, more intuitive controls, and better organization make it easier to manage your AI providers and configure advanced settings.
Autocomplete API Configuration
Available in: v4.54.0 | Contributor: @alexandrevilain
Customize which API provider handles your autocomplete suggestions. Want different models for chat vs autocomplete? Now you can fine-tune your setup for optimal performance and cost efficiency.
Grok 4 Support
Available in: v4.55.3 | Contributor: @kevinvandijk (thanks @mrubens!)
Added support for Grok 4, giving you access to the latest AI model from X. More options mean more flexibility in choosing the right tool for your specific coding challenges.
Error and Usage Data Reporting
Available in: v4.55.0 | Contributor: @chrarnoldus
Kilo Code now optionally sends error and usage data to help improve the extension. Your code, prompts, and personal information are never sent - only anonymous usage patterns and error reports. For example, language settings help us understand how many users are using Chinese or Arabic. By default, it disabled for existing users, enabled for new users - but you can opt out anytime in Settings if you prefer.
Developer Experience Improvements
Improved UI Responsiveness
Available in: v4.55.1 | Contributor: @catrielmuller
Better UI responsiveness when canceling operations. No more waiting for the interface to catch up when you change your mind mid-task - cancellation is now immediate and smooth.
Automatic Mode Fallback
Available in: v4.55.2 | Contributor: @chrarnoldus
The default mode automatically activates if your previously selected mode no longer exists. This prevents frustrating "mode not found" errors when switching between different Kilo Code configurations or after updates.
Major Roo Code Integration
Massive Feature Merge from Roo Code v3.22.6
Available in: v4.51.0 | Contributor: @kevinvandijk Source: Merged from Roo Code v3.22.6
This release includes a substantial merge from Roo Code v3.22.6, bringing dozens of improvements:
User Experience:
Timer-based auto-approve for follow-up questions
Import/export modes functionality
Persistent version indicator on chat screen
Automatic configuration import on extension startup
User-configurable search score threshold slider for semantic search
Performance & Reliability:
Consistent cancellation error messages for thinking vs streaming phases
AWS Bedrock cross-region inference profile mapping fixes
API retry exponential backoff capped at 10 minutes
URL loading timeout fixes in @ mentions
Cache files excluded from rules compilation
Developer Quality of Life:
Streamlined extension installation and documentation
Architect mode no longer provides time estimates
Context size removed from environment details
Default mode changed to architect for new installations
Improved Mermaid rendering with better light mode support
Added .vscode/ to write-protected files/directories
Performance & Stability Fixes
Documentation and UI Polish
Available in: v4.54.0 | Contributor: @kevinvandijk
Fixed multiple broken documentation links throughout the interface. No more 404 errors when trying to access help documentation - everything now points to the correct resources.
OpenRouter Model Fix
Available in: v4.56.2 | Contributor: @catrielmuller
Fixed autocomplete initialization issues with custom OpenRouter models. Your custom model configurations now work properly from the first use without requiring restarts or configuration resets.
Polish & Bug Fixes
Better Condensing Error Messages
Available in: v4.51.1 | Contributor: @chrarnoldus
Context condensing error messages are now more detailed and helpful. When things go wrong, you'll get clearer information about what happened and how to fix it.
UI Improvements
Available in: v4.51.1 | Contributor: @kevinvandijk
Fixed double scrollbar issues in dropdowns. Clean, single scrollbars make the interface more polished and prevent confusion about which scrollbar actually controls the content.
Customer Support Link Fix
Available in: v4.51.1 | Contributor: @chrarnoldus
Customer support email links replaced with web links for more reliable access. No more dependency on your default email client configuration - support is just a click away.
Browser Mode JSON Fix
Available in: v4.51.2 | Contributor: @philipvas
Fixed JSON snippets appearing in chat during browser mode operations. Your conversation history stays clean and focused on actual development discussions, not internal processing data.
Get the Latest Release
Ready to upgrade your coding experience? Download the latest version from the VS Code Marketplace or check out the latest release on GitHub.
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With these improvements, Kilo Code continues to evolve as the most comprehensive open-source AI coding assistant. Whether you're architecting complex systems or debugging stubborn issues, these updates make your development workflow smoother and more productive than ever.
Happy coding! 🚀