Haruno Knowledge base

Temporary chat

A conversation that is not saved to History, does not use memory and leaves nothing behind on this PC once it ends. Built, but switched off in the released Windows app.

  • Mac appNot availableThe Mac app has no equivalent.
  • Windows appIn developmentBuilt, but File > New Temporary Chat is disabled in the released app while Projects are on, which they are for every customer.
In development in the Windows app. It is not available to customers yet. Do not promise it.
Not available to customers yet

The feature is built, but File ▸ New Temporary Chat is greyed out in the released Windows app. A temporary chat cannot start while Projects are on, and Projects are on for everyone. Do not offer this to customers. The in-app User Guide still describes it as if it worked.

A temporary chat is a conversation that Haruno does not keep. It is the same assistant, with the same tools and the same permission rules. What changes is what stays on the PC afterwards.

What it looks like

While a temporary chat is open, a banner sits above the message box. It cannot be dismissed. Its only button is End chat, which does what New Chat does.

The banner, as it looks in the build that has the feature switched on.
An empty chat with a banner above the message box that says Temporary chat, not saved to History, with an End chat button.An empty chat with a banner above the message box that says Temporary chat, not saved to History, with an End chat button.

The banner says the chat is not saved to History and does not use or update memory. It also says that ending it does not delete files you exported or files the assistant wrote, and does not undo actions taken through connectors.

How to start and end one

  • Choose File ▸ New Temporary Chat. The default shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+T. It replaces the chat on screen, the way New Chat does.
  • End it with End chat, or by starting another chat. When it is gone, the status line says: "Temporary chat ended. Nothing from it was saved to History."
  • Quitting Haruno ends it too.
  • If Haruno is still working on a reply, ending the chat asks first: End temporary chat? The reply will be stopped and the conversation discarded. Choose Stop and end or Keep chatting. An idle temporary chat ends without asking.

What is not kept

  • The chat is not listed in History, does not show up in search and is not reopened the next time Haruno starts.
  • It does not use memory and does not add to it.
  • Up does not bring back its messages in the message box.
  • Unsent attachment chips and the unsent draft are not saved.
  • When it ends, Haruno deletes the conversation and the files made for it on this PC.

Playbooks and the instruction files in your project folder still apply. They are not memory.

What changes while it is open

  • Branching is not offered, and /branch is refused.
  • Regenerate answer replaces the answer and keeps no copy. The status line says: "Regenerating the answer. A temporary chat doesn’t keep the previous one."
  • Notifications about it are generic: "A temporary chat is waiting for you. Open Haruno to see it." They never name the tool or the question.
What it does not promise

Your messages are still sent to Haruno's service to get answers, as in any chat. A temporary chat changes what this computer keeps. It is not a promise of anonymity. Windows may also keep a notification that already appeared in Action Center.

What ending it does not undo

Ending a temporary chat does not delete files you exported, or files the assistant wrote or changed. It does not undo anything done through a connector, such as a sent email or a calendar change.

Last updated · PR #2944 · View this version on GitHub

History (1 version)
  1. Internal knowledge base for staff: site, reader keys, assistant, 197 pages and the PR rule (#2944)
    PR #2944Commit a2a7836The page at this version
    What changed
    @@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+---
+title: Temporary chat
+summary: A conversation that is not saved to History, does not use memory and leaves nothing behind on this PC once it ends. Built, but switched off in the released Windows app.
+feature: temporary-chat
+covers:
+  - windows-client/docs/temporary-chat.md
+  - windows-client/Haruno.Desktop.ViewModels/ChatViewModel.TemporaryChat.cs
+  - windows-client/Haruno.Desktop.Services/Chat/TemporaryChatStore.cs
+  - windows-client/haruno-webview/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
+---
+
+<Callout variant="warning" title="Not available to customers yet">
+The feature is built, but **File ▸ New Temporary Chat** is greyed out in the released Windows app. A temporary chat cannot start while Projects are on, and Projects are on for everyone. Do not offer this to customers. The in-app User Guide still describes it as if it worked.
+</Callout>
+
+A temporary chat is a conversation that Haruno does not keep. It is the same assistant, with the same tools and the same permission rules. What changes is what stays on the PC afterwards.
+
+## What it looks like
+
+While a temporary chat is open, a banner sits above the message box. It cannot be dismissed. Its only button is **End chat**, which does what **New Chat** does.
+
+<Shot src="/m/a1a95fc1639b-windows-chat-temporary-light.png" dark="/m/dfb301d51c53-windows-chat-temporary-dark.png" alt="An empty chat with a banner above the message box that says Temporary chat, not saved to History, with an End chat button." caption="The banner, as it looks in the build that has the feature switched on." />
+
+The banner says the chat is not saved to History and does not use or update memory. It also says that ending it does not delete files you exported or files the assistant wrote, and does not undo actions taken through connectors.
+
+## How to start and end one
+
+- Choose **File ▸ New Temporary Chat**. The default shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+T. It replaces the chat on screen, the way **New Chat** does.
+- End it with **End chat**, or by starting another chat. When it is gone, the status line says: "Temporary chat ended. Nothing from it was saved to History."
+- Quitting Haruno ends it too.
+- If Haruno is still working on a reply, ending the chat asks first: **End temporary chat?** The reply will be stopped and the conversation discarded. Choose **Stop and end** or **Keep chatting**. An idle temporary chat ends without asking.
+
+## What is not kept
+
+- The chat is not listed in History, does not show up in search and is not reopened the next time Haruno starts.
+- It does not use memory and does not add to it.
+- Up does not bring back its messages in the message box.
+- Unsent attachment chips and the unsent draft are not saved.
+- When it ends, Haruno deletes the conversation and the files made for it on this PC.
+
+Playbooks and the instruction files in your project folder still apply. They are not memory.
+
+## What changes while it is open
+
+- **Branching** is not offered, and `/branch` is refused.
+- **Regenerate answer** replaces the answer and keeps no copy. The status line says: "Regenerating the answer. A temporary chat doesn’t keep the previous one."
+- Notifications about it are generic: "A temporary chat is waiting for you. Open Haruno to see it." They never name the tool or the question.
+
+<Callout variant="info" title="What it does not promise">
+Your messages are still sent to Haruno's service to get answers, as in any chat. A temporary chat changes what this computer keeps. It is not a promise of anonymity. Windows may also keep a notification that already appeared in Action Center.
+</Callout>
+
+## What ending it does not undo
+
+Ending a temporary chat does not delete files you exported, or files the assistant wrote or changed. It does not undo anything done through a connector, such as a sent email or a calendar change.