OpenClaw Integrates GPT-5.5 and Forked-Context Subagents to Improve Task Delegation

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OpenClaw v2026.4.23 adds native support for GPT-5.5 and a forked-context feature that lets subagents inherit conversation history. This update shifts the self-hosted assistant toward more sophisticated orchestration by solving the context gaps that typically occur during agent delegation.

OpenClaw, an open-source self-hosted AI assistant framework, released version 2026.4.23 with immediate support for the newly launched gpt-5.5. The update introduces forked-context subagents—autonomous agents that plan and execute tasks—via sessions_spawn, enabling child agents to inherit the requester's transcript while maintaining isolated sessions.

This release addresses the context amnesia common in multi-agent systems by allowing delegated agents to understand the full conversation history. It builds on the Active Memory sub-agent and agentic routing fixes to create more reliable orchestration loops. By integrating gpt-5.5 quickly, the platform maintains its role as a bridge for frontier models.

You can now perform reference-image editing and generation using gpt-image-2 via Codex OAuth or OpenRouter, matching the broader industry shift toward gpt-5.5. The update also hardens security with a fail-closed policy for configuration edits and requires loopback-only connections for mobile cleartext routes. OpenClaw is available as a free repository on GitHub.

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OpenClaw 2026.4.23 🦞 🧠 GPT-5.5 lands 🎨 Image gen/editing: Codex OAuth + OpenRouter 🧵 Forked-context subagents 💬 Telegram, Slack + WhatsApp polish 🛠️ Install/update fixes Sharper models, smoother claws. https://t.co/9Ucwi3NMQI

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Still wondering? A few quick answers below.

Forked-context subagents allow a child agent to inherit the conversation history from the main requester while maintaining its own isolated session. This feature, introduced in version 2026.4.23, ensures that delegated agents have the necessary background knowledge to complete tasks without losing the security benefits of session isolation.

Yes, OpenClaw version 2026.4.23 adds native support for GPT-5.5. The update was released within 24 hours of the model's launch and includes updated metadata for OpenAI and OpenAI Codex providers. This allows users to run the latest frontier model through their self-hosted OpenClaw instances across various messaging platforms.

OpenClaw now supports image generation and reference-image editing through Codex OAuth. This allows the gpt-image-2 model to function without a direct OpenAI API key if a Codex profile is active. Additionally, the update adds support for image generation through OpenRouter using an OpenRouter API key for various image models.

This update implements a fail-closed policy for agent-driven configuration edits, restricting agents to a narrow set of tunable paths. It also enforces stricter rules for mobile connections, requiring loopback-only cleartext gateway connections on Android and private-IP hosts for mobile pairing to prevent insecure data transmission over public networks.

The update polishes messaging channels by parsing Telegram markdown images into outbound media payloads to prevent plain-text URL fallbacks. On Slack, it correctly classifies multi-person direct messages as group contexts and suppresses internal tool progress traces in non-DM surfaces to keep Working messages from leaking into public or shared rooms.

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