Volt v0.5.1

Volt v0.5.1 — Smarter Search. Better Insights. More Control.

October 27, 2026

Volt v0.5.1 is a substantial update focused on making your everyday desktop workflow more predictable, customizable, and reliable.

This release introduces a redesigned System Monitor, a unified search ranking engine, more powerful settings, smarter file indexing, and important improvements to security and cross-platform reliability.

What’s New

A completely redesigned System Monitor

A cleaner, more informative way to understand what’s happening on your computer.

• Live performance overview: Redesigned CPU, memory, storage, and network panels with clearer visual hierarchy.
• Synchronized sparklines: Explore performance history across multiple metrics at the same point in time.
• Improved charts: More consistent axes, spacing, legends, and panel layouts.
• Better process visibility: Clearer CPU and memory process views.

Smarter, more consistent search

Volt now uses a unified ranking system across applications, files, and commands.

• Consistent relevance: Exact matches, prefixes, fuzzy matches, and explicit commands follow one shared ranking model.
• Search that adapts: Frequently used applications and commands receive learned ranking signals.
• Better result ordering: Relevant exact matches are no longer unexpectedly displaced by unrelated scoring bonuses.
• Improved consistency: Search ranking rules are shared between the Rust backend and TypeScript frontend.

More control over your launcher

New settings give you more control over how Volt behaves.

• Custom keyboard navigation: Choose arrow keys, Emacs-style, or Vim-style navigation.
• Configurable Escape behavior: Close Volt, clear the current search, or return to the launcher.
• Pop to Root: Decide when Volt should reopen with a fresh search.
• Search scope controls: Choose whether files and games appear in root search.
• Custom fallback actions: Configure what Volt offers when no direct match is found.
• Searchable settings: Find settings directly from the launcher and navigate to the relevant option.
• Optional Settings shortcut: Open Settings through a configurable global hotkey.

More reliable file indexing

File discovery is now better suited to real-world directories and development environments.

• Respect .gitignore, .ignore, and .voltignore rules.
• Automatically exclude recognized generated directories when configured.
• Keep filesystem watcher updates and indexed results more consistent.
• Improve recovery and reconciliation when files or ignore rules change.
• Add optional local indexing diagnostics without automatically uploading file paths or contents.

Additional workflow improvements

• Improved Focus Timer session persistence and completion handling.
• Refreshed Settings interface and application iconography.
• Improved configuration interfaces for AI providers and quick actions.
• Additional Linux/Wayland compatibility and process-handling fixes.

Stability, Security & Release Fixes

This release also strengthens Volt’s foundations.

• Hardened extension archive extraction against unsafe paths, including Windows drive-prefix edge cases.
• Updated multiple Rust dependencies in response to security advisories and withdrawn package versions.
• Aligned Tauri’s JavaScript packages with their Rust counterparts to resolve cross-platform build failures.
• Fixed missing chart dependencies affecting frontend builds.
• Improved macOS test compatibility, including filesystem path handling and system Bash support.
• Updated the Linux release environment and Arch packaging metadata.
• Documented remaining upstream dependency advisories and their scoped exceptions.

Downloads

Platform	Installer
Windows 10/11	.exe (recommended) or .msi
macOS Apple Silicon	.dmg (ARM64)
Linux	.deb, .rpm, or .AppImage

macOS Intel: An Intel build is not included in this release because the required upstream ONNX Runtime binary is currently unavailable for that target.

Existing installations: Volt supports signed automatic updates where compatible updater artifacts are available.

Beta notice: Installer signing and notarization may vary by platform. Operating-system security warnings may still appear.

Built Open Source

Volt is built with Rust, Tauri 2, React, and TypeScript — no Electron runtime.

Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Everything on your computer. One shortcut.

Explore Volt: voltlaunchr.com

Full code changes: v0.5.0 → v0.5.1

Feedback and bug reports: GitHub Issues

Thank you to everyone contributing, testing, and helping improve Volt.

Volt v0.5.1 — Smarter Search. Better Insights. More Control.

October 27, 2026

Volt v0.5.1 is a substantial update focused on making your everyday desktop workflow more predictable, customizable, and reliable.

This release introduces a redesigned System Monitor, a unified search ranking engine, more powerful settings, smarter file indexing, and important improvements to security and cross-platform reliability.

What’s New

A completely redesigned System Monitor

A cleaner, more informative way to understand what’s happening on your computer.

• Live performance overview: Redesigned CPU, memory, storage, and network panels with clearer visual hierarchy.
• Synchronized sparklines: Explore performance history across multiple metrics at the same point in time.
• Improved charts: More consistent axes, spacing, legends, and panel layouts.
• Better process visibility: Clearer CPU and memory process views.

Smarter, more consistent search

Volt now uses a unified ranking system across applications, files, and commands.

• Consistent relevance: Exact matches, prefixes, fuzzy matches, and explicit commands follow one shared ranking model.
• Search that adapts: Frequently used applications and commands receive learned ranking signals.
• Better result ordering: Relevant exact matches are no longer unexpectedly displaced by unrelated scoring bonuses.
• Improved consistency: Search ranking rules are shared between the Rust backend and TypeScript frontend.

More control over your launcher

New settings give you more control over how Volt behaves.

• Custom keyboard navigation: Choose arrow keys, Emacs-style, or Vim-style navigation.
• Configurable Escape behavior: Close Volt, clear the current search, or return to the launcher.
• Pop to Root: Decide when Volt should reopen with a fresh search.
• Search scope controls: Choose whether files and games appear in root search.
• Custom fallback actions: Configure what Volt offers when no direct match is found.
• Searchable settings: Find settings directly from the launcher and navigate to the relevant option.
• Optional Settings shortcut: Open Settings through a configurable global hotkey.

More reliable file indexing

File discovery is now better suited to real-world directories and development environments.

• Respect .gitignore, .ignore, and .voltignore rules.
• Automatically exclude recognized generated directories when configured.
• Keep filesystem watcher updates and indexed results more consistent.
• Improve recovery and reconciliation when files or ignore rules change.
• Add optional local indexing diagnostics without automatically uploading file paths or contents.

Additional workflow improvements

• Improved Focus Timer session persistence and completion handling.
• Refreshed Settings interface and application iconography.
• Improved configuration interfaces for AI providers and quick actions.
• Additional Linux/Wayland compatibility and process-handling fixes.

Stability, Security & Release Fixes

This release also strengthens Volt’s foundations.

• Hardened extension archive extraction against unsafe paths, including Windows drive-prefix edge cases.
• Updated multiple Rust dependencies in response to security advisories and withdrawn package versions.
• Aligned Tauri’s JavaScript packages with their Rust counterparts to resolve cross-platform build failures.
• Fixed missing chart dependencies affecting frontend builds.
• Improved macOS test compatibility, including filesystem path handling and system Bash support.
• Updated the Linux release environment and Arch packaging metadata.
• Documented remaining upstream dependency advisories and their scoped exceptions.

Downloads

Platform Installer
Windows 10/11 .exe (recommended) or .msi
macOS Apple Silicon .dmg (ARM64)
Linux .deb, .rpm, or .AppImage

macOS Intel: An Intel build is not included in this release because the required upstream ONNX Runtime binary is currently unavailable for that target.

Existing installations: Volt supports signed automatic updates where compatible updater artifacts are available.

Beta notice: Installer signing and notarization may vary by platform. Operating-system security warnings may still appear.

Built Open Source

Volt is built with Rust, Tauri 2, React, and TypeScript — no Electron runtime.

Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Everything on your computer. One shortcut.

Explore Volt: voltlaunchr.com

Full code changes: v0.5.0 → v0.5.1

Feedback and bug reports: GitHub Issues

Thank you to everyone contributing, testing, and helping improve Volt.