Hermes Agent 0.21.0 builds Bot Mode into the desktop app
TL;DR
On August 31, 2026 Nous Research released Hermes Agent v0.21.0, the Pantheon release, tagged v2026.8.31. Bot Mode is a default-on part of the desktop app, with named agents, avatar faces, and group chats. The notes also cover cron memory, steering subagents mid-run, and driving the desktop browser.
- Status
- Live
- Released
- Plans
- Hermes Agent
- Source
- —
What changed
The release named Hermes Agent v0.21.0 (v2026.8.31) is dated August 31, 2026. GitHub published that tag at 2026-08-31T19:29:49Z. The notes say it rolls up the v0.20.1 through v0.20.6 patch tags, and they count the window since v0.20.0 at about 5,800 commits, 2,475 merged pull requests, and 760+ contributors.
The headline is Bot Mode, built into the desktop app and on by default. Every agent profile gets a name and a deterministic avatar face, with randomize and lock controls, and a place in a shared roster. You can create group chats where several bots and you talk in one room, @-mention a bot from the composer, and give rooms names and pictures.
The release summary also says cron jobs gained memory and continuity so a scheduled agent can learn between runs, subagents can be steered while they are still running, the MCP surface became a command center, and the agent can drive the desktop app's own browser.
Why it matters
Multi-agent work in Hermes is no longer only a set of profiles you message one at a time. v0.21.0 puts those profiles in a room, with names and @-mentions, inside the desktop app, and it is on unless you turn it off.
Cron memory is the other operational change. A scheduled job that could not remember the last run was a script. The notes say those jobs now keep continuity between runs. Steering a subagent mid-flight means you do not have to wait for it to finish before you correct it.
The tag to install is v2026.8.31. The version name in the notes is v0.21.0.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bot Mode a separate download?
No. The v0.21.0 notes say it ships inside the desktop app and is on by default.
What can a group chat do?
The notes say several bots and you share a room, you can @-mention a bot from the composer, and rooms can have names and pictures. Each profile has a name and an avatar face.