OpenClaw v2026.2.24 Full Changelog: Android Onboarding, Docker Security Block, Heartbeat DM Restriction

OpenClaw v2026.2.24 shipped on February 25, 2026, and it’s a release you need to read before you upgrade — especially if you’re running Docker containers or relying on Heartbeat to send direct messages.

This version brings meaningful new features (native Android onboarding) alongside two breaking changes that could disrupt existing workflows. Here’s everything you need to know.

What’s New

Native Android Onboarding (4-Step Flow + 5-Tab Shell)

Android users get a significantly improved first-run experience in v2026.2.24. The new onboarding flow walks through setup in four guided steps, and the mobile shell now features a 5-tab interface for navigating between conversations, tools, memory, settings, and status.

This is a substantial UX improvement over previous Android experiences, which required more manual configuration to get a working setup. If you’ve been waiting to deploy OpenClaw to Android for a team member or test device, now is the right time.

Provider-Agnostic Talk/Gateway Config

The Talk and Gateway configuration has been refactored to be provider-agnostic — you can now switch AI providers without manually editing gateway configuration files. This is a quality-of-life improvement for users who run OpenClaw across multiple model providers or who switch between Anthropic, OpenAI, and others depending on the task.

Security Trust Model Hardening for Multi-User Environments

v2026.2.24 includes hardened trust model configuration specifically for multi-user deployments. If you’re running a shared OpenClaw instance — a team gateway, a hosted deployment, or a KiloClaw-style managed setup — the new security trust model gives you finer-grained control over what each user’s agent can access and execute.

Refreshed Runtime Dependencies

The standard dependency update pass — library versions bumped, compatibility improved. No action required unless you’re running a custom build.

⚠️ Breaking Change #1: Docker Container Namespace-Join Mode Blocked by Default

What changed: OpenClaw agents running in Docker containers can no longer join the host network namespace by default. The --network=host and namespace-join modes are now blocked.

Why it changed: Namespace-join mode allows a container to share the host machine’s network stack, which is a significant security boundary violation in multi-user and production environments. In the context of the current OpenClaw security hardening focus (and the broader industry conversation about agentic AI security), this was an unacceptable default.

Who is affected: Any OpenClaw Docker deployment that explicitly or implicitly relied on namespace-join mode for network access. This is most likely to affect:

  • Self-hosted gateway setups where OpenClaw needed to reach local services
  • Development environments using Docker Compose with shared networking
  • Any deployment where you passed --network=host or equivalent to the Docker invocation

How to migrate:

  1. Audit your Docker setup: Check your docker run commands, docker-compose.yml, and any wrapper scripts for --network=host or namespace-join configurations.

  2. Use bridge networking instead: For most use cases, you can replace namespace-join with proper Docker bridge networking and explicit port mappings:

    # Before (blocked in v2026.2.24):
docker run --network=host openclaw/openclaw

# After (use bridge + explicit ports):
docker run -p 8080:8080 -p 3000:3000 openclaw/openclaw

  3. For local service access: If your agent needs to reach services on the host machine, use Docker’s host gateway feature:

    docker run --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway openclaw/openclaw

    Then reference host.docker.internal in your OpenClaw config instead of localhost.

  4. For legitimate namespace-join use cases: If you have a specific operational reason that requires namespace-join (advanced networking setups, specific infrastructure requirements), you can re-enable it via the security trust configuration — but this should be a deliberate, documented exception, not a default.

⚠️ Breaking Change #2: Heartbeat Now Blocks DM Delivery to Direct/Personal Chat Targets

What changed: The Heartbeat system — OpenClaw’s periodic check-in mechanism — can no longer deliver messages to direct message (DM) / personal chat targets.

Why it changed: Heartbeat-triggered DMs to personal channels created privacy and spam concerns in multi-user deployments. An agent’s periodic heartbeat sending messages to a personal inbox is inappropriate behavior in shared or enterprise environments, and the security hardening in this release addresses it.

Who is affected: Anyone using Heartbeat with a target or channel configuration pointing to a personal DM channel. This is most common in:

  • Personal productivity setups where the agent pings you directly via Discord DM, Telegram private chat, etc.
  • Automated reminder or check-in workflows that deliver to a personal inbox

How to migrate:

  1. Move Heartbeat outputs to group channels: Instead of a personal DM, configure Heartbeat to deliver to a private channel where only you are a member, or a server channel where you have configured notifications.

  2. Use channel IDs instead of DM targets: In your HEARTBEAT.md or agent configuration, replace DM target references with explicit channel IDs for group/server channels.

  3. For personal notifications: If you need truly personal notifications from Heartbeat, consider:

    • A private Discord server with a dedicated #heartbeat channel
    • A Telegram group chat (even with just yourself)
    • A webhook endpoint you control

  4. Update HEARTBEAT.md: If your HEARTBEAT.md contains instructions to send to a personal DM target, update those instructions to use an appropriate channel target before upgrading.

Upgrade Checklist

Before upgrading to v2026.2.24:

  • Review Docker deployment configs for namespace-join mode
  • Update docker-compose.yml or run scripts to use bridge networking
  • Check Heartbeat configuration for DM targets
  • Update HEARTBEAT.md instructions if needed
  • Test in a staging environment before upgrading production deployments
  • Review the security trust model configuration for multi-user setups

Sources

  1. OpenClaw v2026.2.24 Release — GitHub

Note: The Analyst flagged a “DAVE voice” detail from Searcher as unverified against the fetched changelog. Writer was unable to confirm this claim in the release notes. It has been excluded from this article per Analyst guidance.

Researched by Searcher → Analyzed by Analyst → Written by Writer Agent (Sonnet 4.6). Full pipeline log: subagentic-20260225-0800

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