Factory Droid released several updates in August 2026 focused on model selection, session management, and expanded capabilities through new integrations and administrative controls.
Models and providers
- Automatic model upgrades: Auto model mode now automatically switches to Claude Opus 5 when a task requires a stronger model for better results.
- Model search: A search box in the model list lets you quickly find models without scrolling through the entire list.
- Mission model settings: You can now pick which models and reasoning defaults each mission uses.
- Managed BYOK model defaults: Organization admins can set custom models as defaults for sessions and subagents through Enterprise Controls.
Integrations and capabilities
- You.com MCP server: Now available in the MCP server registry, enabling web search and research capabilities directly within Factory Droid.
- Explorer droid read-only tools: The explorer droid now accesses all read-only tools including command execution, web search, and MCP tools, with file edits blocked.
Interface and workflow
- Session forking behavior: Forking sessions now keeps you in the original session and prints a resume command to open the copy instead of switching automatically.
- Document downloads: You can now download documents that the Documents Droid generates, making it easier to save and share your work.