backchannel
Windows x64
For Windows 10 or later on 64-bit Intel or AMD processors.
- Download
Backchannel-windows-x64-v0.5.4.zip. - Unzip it and run
Backchannel.exe. - If SmartScreen appears, choose More info, then Run anyway.
Release v0.5.4
Open a finished call and read the whole picture.
A completed session now opens on an Overview: the briefing's top outcome, counts for commitments, open loops, opportunities, risks and spend, who spoke how much, and when the insights arrived - each number a link to the rows behind it. The session sidebar was rebuilt with search and a quiet row menu, the briefing reads as a one-page brief, live-gateway token totals are counted the way they are billed, and provider keys are kept out of reach of other websites, error messages and copied data folders.
Download Backchannel v0.5.4
These unsigned open-source builds are delivered through the Backchannel download portal. Downloads are open to everyone; no account or GitHub sign-in is required.
The Windows and Linux bundles include ffmpeg. On macOS, voice calibration and compressed audio imports still need ffmpeg on PATH.
macOS Apple Silicon
For Apple Silicon Macs. Intel macOS builds are not included in this release.
- Download
Backchannel-macos-arm64-v0.5.4.zip. - Unzip it and move
Backchannel.appwherever you keep apps. - Right-click
Backchannel.appand choose Open the first time.
Linux x64
A portable bundle for 64-bit Intel or AMD Linux systems.
- Download
Backchannel-linux-x64-v0.5.4.tar.gz. - Extract it with
tar -xzf Backchannel-linux-x64-v0.5.4.tar.gz. - Run
Backchannel/Backchannel.
What changed
v0.5.4 reworks the post-call review and the session sidebar, and closes two audits: one on token spend, one on how provider keys are kept.
A completed session opens on an Overview
It leads with the briefing's top outcome, then a row of counts - commitments, open loops, opportunities, risks and estimated spend - a two-column digest of those lists with owners and status, who spoke how much, and when in the call the insights arrived (a resumed call is drawn as call time, with a seam at each resume). Every count links to the tab that holds the rows behind it; when a briefing exists the counts follow it, and the live insight totals are stated alongside. The Insights tab is unchanged and remains the raw record.
The twin "Action Cue" groups are gone
Every strategic signal carries its section badge (Signal, Risk, Next Question, Opportunity, Action Cue), and the Insights group headings were borrowing the most common badge, so both the current and the retired signals read "Action Cue". They now read "Strategic Signals" and "Signal History"; the badges on the cards and the live-call chips are as they were.
The session sidebar was rebuilt
Sessions come first, the tools moved to a compact footer, the whole list scrolls as one, and with six or more sessions a find box filters by session or group name. Each row shows its state as a small dot, the active session is marked, and a quiet menu on each row covers Rename, Move to a group and Delete. Collapsing to the icon rail is smooth and remembers your choice, and the sidebar now opens expanded by default. Everything works by keyboard and on touch screens.
The Briefing tab reads like a one-page brief
Numbered top outcomes, plain section headings with counts, the action plan beside the risks, and each item's reasoning behind a single "Why this matters" toggle. Empty sections are left out and named once at the foot of the page.
Live-gateway token totals were far too low
Each usage report from the live model was treated as a running total and only the increase was kept, which on a talking call dropped most of what was billed. Usage is now recorded once per turn. Audio tokens and cached prompt tokens are priced at their own published rates rather than the text rate, and the Tokens tab shows cached and audio columns when a session has them. New sessions show higher, truer live totals; sessions recorded before this release keep the figures they had.
Provider keys are harder to reach
The local API now refuses requests from other websites and from hostnames it does not recognize, so a page open in your browser cannot read transcripts or spend your provider budget through it. Provider error messages and logs are scrubbed of anything key-shaped, and a saved key is shown as its last four characters only. On Windows the desktop app protects its key file with your Windows account, so a copied data folder cannot be read elsewhere. The Docker stack binds its database and API ports to the local machine only.
Smaller things
The post-call Export menu and tab strip work by keyboard, the completion banners and the logo read correctly in dark mode, and small teal text meets the contrast bar in both themes.
First-run notes
| Need | What to do |
|---|---|
| Release access | Nothing - downloads are open to everyone; no account or sign-in is required. |
| Provider key | Follow the guided setup on first launch, or add a key later in Admin -> Connections. Calls will not start until the transcription model has a usable credential; local ONNX transcription needs none. |
| Voice calibration | Works out of the box on Windows and Linux. On macOS, install ffmpeg and make sure it is on PATH before enrolling your voice. |
| Upgrading | An install on v0.5.3 updates itself in place: it verifies the new build's signature first and waits for recording and post-processing to finish before restarting. An install on v0.5.2 or earlier will not see this release from inside the app: download the bundle above, quit the old version from the tray, and run the new one. Session data is stored per-user and shared by every version; the database gains three token-accounting columns automatically at startup. On Windows the app wraps its existing key file with your Windows account on first launch; an administrator-forced password reset means re-entering provider keys once. The Admin About tab shows a what's-new notice after upgrading. |
| Desktop launch | Backchannel opens a dedicated local app window in your default browser when it supports app windows, otherwise it uses a standard browser tab. It remains available from the system tray or menu bar. |
| Docker | Check out the v0.5.4 source tag and rebuild Compose to run the same release through containers. If you reach the stack by a DNS hostname rather than an IP address or localhost, set BACKCHANNEL_ALLOWED_HOSTS to that name in .env first. |
Start with the desktop app or self-host the stack
Both paths run Backchannel on your machine. Choose the desktop bundle for the fastest start, or Compose for maximum control.