Open WebUI 0.12.3 adds temporary encrypted chats and workspace search

Open WebUI published v0.12.3 on October 16, 2026. This is an update to the existing self-hosted AI interface, not a new model.

What changed

• Temporary encrypted conversations can be started inside direct messages and private group channels. The maintainers describe browser-side MLS encryption and transient relay rather than server-side message storage. These conversations clear when a member leaves or reloads; membership changes end the session.
• A unified search covers chats, shared folders, channels and notes, with filters and previews.
• Google Drive selection requests access to chosen files rather than blanket read access. Review your deployment's existing grants separately; this release note is not proof that earlier grants were revoked.
• Shared chats gain collaborator presence and more flexible editing. Revision comparison adds whitespace controls and undo; Markdown previews gain richer rendering.

Before enabling encrypted chats

The feature is administrator-controlled and permissions are off by default. The release specifies WebSockets, disabled WebSocket server logging and HTTPS for production. This note does not certify the encryption implementation or claim all AI conversations are end-to-end encrypted. It describes the temporary member-chat feature in the release notes, not model inference privacy.

License and deployment

The release license includes branding-retention conditions and specified exceptions. Do not treat it as an unrestricted MIT/Apache license. Hosting and connected model services remain separate cost decisions.

See the Open WebUI hub and agent infrastructure.