Agent Focus Mode, Permissions, Custom Agents, and More

IDE 1.0 puts you in control of what the agent can access, lets you build and switch between specialized agents, and introduces an experimental agent focus mode for directing parallel agents. This release also brings natural language hook creation, dockable chat tabs, and session export.

Direct multiple agents from a chat-first layout designed for developers who spend their day guiding agents. Launch sessions that work independently and in parallel, see status at a glance, and watch file changes appear as inline diffs. Start with structured workflows (Spec, Plan, Bug Fix, Quick Spec) or freeform chat. Toggle between Agent Focus and the traditional IDE from the top-right corner — your work carries over in both directions. Learn more ->

Define exactly what the agent can and cannot do. A capability-based permissions system evaluates every file read, command execution, and MCP call against your rules. The IDE prompts for consent on anything you haven't pre-approved, and you can persist decisions as rules scoped to a workspace or globally. No configuration required to start — defaults apply, and your policy grows as you make consent decisions. Learn more ->

Build specialized agents in minutes. Write a Markdown file, declare tool access with simple tags (read, write, shell, web), embed MCP servers and permission rules inline, and share the file with your team via version control. Your agent appears in the selector the moment you save it. Switch agents mid-session without losing conversation history. Learn more ->

Describe the automation you want in natural language and Kiro generates the hook configuration. Hooks use a structured v1 JSON format stored in .kiro/hooks/ with triggers for file events, tool use interception, spec tasks, and prompt submission. Legacy hooks from 0.x can be migrated directly from the Agent Hooks panel. Manual hooks have been replaced by manual steering files. Learn more ->

Open any chat session as a full-width editor tab for more space to read and review long conversations. Right-click a chat tab and select Open in Editor to dock it. Split horizontally or vertically alongside source files, drag between editor groups, or use a multi-monitor setup with chat on a separate screen. The editor tab and panel stay in sync — messages sent from either reach the same session. Learn more ->

Switch between agents within a chat session without losing conversation history. The selector sits in the chat input bar alongside the model picker — go from Default to a custom code reviewer to Spec mode in a single conversation. Set a preferred default agent that persists across restarts so new sessions always start the way you want. Learn more ->