--- title: "SurfSense v0.0.12 - New Main UI, Real-time Collaboration and Comments" description: "SurfSense v0.0.12 transforms the platform with a redesigned chat-first interface, real-time collaboration features, comment threads with @mentions, and instant notifications powered by ElectricSQL + PGlite." date: "2026-01-26" tags: ["UX", "UI", "Real-time chat", "Collaboration", "Comments"] version: "0.0.12" --- SurfSense v0.0.12 - New Main UI, Real-time Collaboration and Comments ## What's New in v0.0.12 This release brings major improvements to **collaboration and user experience**. We've completely redesigned the main interface to be chat-first, introduced real-time notifications and live collaboration features, and added a powerful commenting system with @mentions. These changes make SurfSense faster, more intuitive, and better for team collaboration. ### Major UX/UI Overhaul #### New Chat-First Interface - **Dashboard Removed**: Users now land directly in a chat for faster access - **Redesigned Search Spaces**: Moved to a left column with color-coded icons and hover tooltips - **Collapsible Sidebar**: New sidebar design with collapsible sections for private and group chats - **Streamlined Settings**: Accessible through intuitive dropdown menus - **Mobile-Responsive Design**: Better experience on all devices - **Single-Click Google Login**: Replaces the old two-step process ### Real-Time Collaboration Features #### Live Shared Chats - **Multi-User Collaboration**: Multiple users can now collaborate in the same chat in real-time - **Status Indicators**: See when the AI is responding to another team member - **Instant Sync**: Changes sync instantly across all open tabs and users #### Chat Comments with @Mentions - **Comment on AI Responses**: Discuss responses directly with your team - **Single-Level Threading**: Reply to comments with organized threads - **@Mentions**: Tag teammates to get their attention - **Real-Time Notifications**: Receive instant alerts when someone mentions you #### Real-Time Notifications - **Instant Updates**: Replaced slow polling with instant notifications using ElectricSQL + PGlite - **New Inbox**: See connector indexing, document processing, and system events immediately - **Cross-Tab Sync**: Syncs across all your browser tabs in real-time ### Connector Enhancements #### OAuth Migration for Better Security - **New OAuth Connectors**: Migrated Linear, Slack, Notion, Discord, Confluence, and Jira to OAuth-based authentication - **Circleback Integration**: Connect your AI meeting notes from Circleback - **Future Date Indexing**: Index future dates for calendar-based connectors to plan ahead - **5-Minute Periodic Syncing**: Near-real-time updates option - **Real-Time UI Updates**: See connector indexing progress without page refreshes Bug Fixes
  • Syncs with no new content now show "Already up to date!" instead of falsely reporting failures
  • Restored missing indexing options page for Google Drive connector
  • File mention picker now handles large document counts with server-side search and pagination
  • Reasoning steps no longer overlap with chat input field
  • File upload modal is now scrollable when adding many files
  • OAuth connectors now display properly on mobile devices
Technical Improvements
  • Made Alembic migrations idempotent for safer deployments
  • Migrations now work on fresh databases from scratch
  • Major refactoring of chat components for better maintainability
  • Streamlined sidebar and connector page code
  • Fixed legacy route handling
  • Fixed hardcoded Docker values for complex deployments
This release transforms SurfSense into a truly collaborative, real-time platform with a redesigned interface that puts chat front and center. The addition of comments, @mentions, and live collaboration features makes it easier than ever for teams to work together without leaving the app. SurfSense is your AI-powered federated search solution, connecting all your knowledge sources in one place.