Valence 1.4.2 - A Kids Mode safety fix, and a tidier first launch
A maintenance release. One item matters more than the rest.
Kids Mode crisis detection is back at full strength
Valence uses a calibration file to recognise when a child may be in distress. That file was being left out of the installer, so installed copies quietly fell back to simpler keyword matching instead of the full check - while development builds, and the 1,000-conversation safety testing we published, ran with it present.
Nothing was disabled and no alert was suppressed, but installed copies were doing less than they should have been. They aren’t any more. If you use Kids Mode, this is the update to take. We have also added a build check so this specific gap cannot reappear unnoticed.
What’s new
- A better first launch. Valence now opens maximised the first time you run it, so nothing is cramped or cut off before you have had a chance to arrange things - resize it however you like and it remembers. Window sizing is also fixed on scaled displays, where Valence could open too small to show its own content.
- Updates download in the background. Start an update and carry on working. Collapse the download card, keep chatting, even minimise to the tray - it keeps going and tells you when it is ready to install.
Fixes
- The trial notice no longer sits on top of the chat box where you type.
- In the parent console, Escape now closes it from anywhere, and the parent password prompt works properly when opened over it.
- Starter suggestions that are the beginning of a question - “I have a quick question:” - now wait for you to finish the sentence instead of sending it half-written.
- The welcome screen no longer flashes an empty “Recent” panel on a brand-new install.
- Deleting a local model now works while that model is loaded, instead of failing with a misleading message about administrator rights.
Download
Two installers - both ship every release:
Valence 1.4.2 - All-in-one (.msi) · 809 MB · CUDA + Vulkan bundled, fully offline.
Valence 1.4.2 - Slim (.msi) · 303 MB · your GPU pack is fetched on first run.
Windows 10/11 (64-bit) · 7-day free trial, then $59.95 once.
All-in-one SHA-256:
4DCED64E359C3AE7EABDB7FED8EA2B03EF971A0424203EEF497BE917680D8E4ASlim SHA-256:B5D55A15C09F8B8EF8FE53487FA4C2EBF581D06AC9938982ED4EB2FE351D20F1Unsigned installer - SmartScreen may warn: More info → Run anyway. Existing installs upgrade in place.