From 1 to 12 October, 21 versions of Task Manager were released, from 2.2.405 to 2.2.425. The biggest change is a new role in tasks - the observer, someone meant to stay in the loop without being responsible for getting the work done. On top of that, there's a licence with updates up to a specific date, encryption covering more content, and Automations that retry on their own when the AI provider briefly stops responding.
Task observer: in the loop, but not on the hook
Ola Nowak runs the "Website project" task in the New Website workspace, while Marek Wiśniewski carries it out. Adam Krawczyk, the sales manager, promised a deadline to the client, so he wants to see how the work is progressing. He doesn't do any of the work himself. Until now he had two options: add himself to the task and get notified about every single message, or ask Ola every few days.
From version 2.2.424 there's a third option. In the task window, in the "Assign users" field in "Selected" mode, each person now has three toggles next to their name: "Administrator", "Change status" and "Observer". Turning on "Observer" switches off and greys out the other two, and turning it off makes them editable again.
The observer sees the task and the conversation, and can write in the thread and react to messages. They don't change the task's status or content. They only get notified about mentions of themselves, and the unread message counter on the task works as usual. The observer can't be the task's author or the workspace administrator - they already have full rights by virtue of their role.
A task you observe doesn't pretend to be yours
On the list, on the Board, and in the Calendar's List panel, an observed task now has an eye icon. It doesn't count towards "Overdue", "Today" or "On time", and doesn't appear in due-date reminders or the daily task digest. The AI Assistant won't suggest it as something for you to do. So Adam only sees his own overdue items in the "Overdue" tile, not other people's.
The "Show only" menu has an "Observed tasks" option. From version 2.2.425 it's ticked by default, so observed tasks sit on the list alongside the rest. Unticking it hides only those - chats, mail and tasks you're carrying out yourself stay.
You can tell at a glance who's doing the work and who's just watching
The avatars in the task header now show only the people actually carrying it out. After clicking, the list starts with an "In this thread" section containing those people. Below it is a collapsed, greyed-out "Observing" section, and at the bottom, "Also have access" - administrators who see the task by virtue of their role. From 2.2.421, the list of people in an open thread refreshes itself, without reloading the page.
"All people in the Workspace" mode works as before, and you only set observers in "Selected" mode. You can change a role at any time while editing the task. Roles within a task are described on the Tasks page.
The licence shows validity and updates separately
Task Manager's most common licence is perpetual and includes updates up to a specific date - usually 12 months from purchase, with the option to renew. From version 2.2.419, Settings → Advanced → Licence shows two separate rows: "Valid until: perpetual" and "Updates until" with a date. That second date never switches the program into read-only mode. After it, the program keeps working - you simply won't be able to install versions released later.
Next to each version on the Updates tab you can see its release date, and the reason for any block appears right under the version number, on mobile too. When the entitlement has expired, the message says so plainly: "Your update entitlement expired on DD.MM.YYYY - renew it to install this version."
A new key, for example after renewal, unlocks the program straight away, with no need to log in again. An old, revoked key can't be entered by mistake - the program will reject it and keep the current one. A yearly update renewal costs, for example, PLN 447 excl. VAT for the Classic plan in the Standard variant. More on the Perpetual licence page.
Encryption now covers more content
Data encryption protects content stored in the database: someone who gets hold of a copy of the database alone, for example from a hosting backup, won't be able to read messages or task descriptions. The key sits in a file on the server, outside the database. Encryption works in both the Standard and Pro variants.
From version 2.2.419, AI Assistant replies in threads, AI Agent and Automation messages, tasks created by Automations and the n8n integration, and absence auto-replies are also encrypted. The absence message is no longer stored in plain text alongside the user account. The "Encrypt existing data" tool and key rotation cover Mail and items added to to-do lists, and during rotation all content remains readable.
If you have encryption switched on, after updating click "Encrypt existing data" once in Settings → Advanced → Data encryption. The toggle only encrypts what's created from that moment on, and the tool covers content saved earlier. Not everything is encrypted: task subjects, chat names, notes and files remain in plain text in the database. The full list and the next steps are given in the new instruction chapter Data encryption.
Automations don't get lost when AI is briefly unavailable
A Recipe that starts with AI - for example analysing a new email and creating a note about a lead - depends on the model provider responding. Until now, a single brief outage would end the run permanently and the note would never be created.
From version 2.2.423, when the first step gets no response for a temporary reason - no connection, timeout, provider overload - the Recipe retries on its own after 2, 10 and 30 minutes. The error notification only arrives after the fourth, final attempt. It only retries on its own when nothing has executed yet, so steps aren't duplicated. An exhausted account budget with the AI provider is not retried, because that's not a temporary outage.
In History, a run that ended with an error has a "Retry" button. The Recipe runs again for the same event within a minute and executes all steps from the start. History also shows the subject of the email the run concerned, and a failed connection to the provider has its own message: "Could not connect to the AI provider". Automations are in the Pro variant, described on the Automations page.
You edit the to-do list in one place
A pencil icon now sits next to the bin by each to-do list item (2.2.408). Click it, edit the text and press Enter - ticks and order stay as they are. From 2.2.413, the "Edit message" and "Edit task" windows show the list exactly as it appears in the thread, and items added with the "+ Add item" button appear as ordinary items, in their own places.
Ticks follow their items (2.2.410). When you add, remove or reorder an item in the edit window, the ticks - along with the name of the person who ticked them - stay with the same items. When you delete an item added by someone else, the program asks for confirmation and shows who added it. Clicking a list that someone has changed in the meantime no longer hits the wrong item - the program shows the current list and asks you to click again (2.2.412).
On your phone, you drag with your finger
In version 2.2.411, dragging on the phone works in Files and in Notes. You hold a file for a moment and move it - a badge with the name appears above your finger, and the folder underneath it lights up. You move a note to a folder the same way. A to-do list item follows your finger exactly, and the ⋮ menu next to files, folders and notes is now also visible on the phone.
Mail doesn't give away that a message has been opened
From version 2.2.419, until you click "Show images", the email doesn't fetch anything from the internet - including backgrounds, stylesheets and images hidden in newsletter styles. A tracking pixel can therefore no longer tell the sender that the message has been opened. Images pasted directly into the email body are still shown straight away. From 2.2.422, clicking a mail notification switches the view to Mail and highlights the thread in the list. Mail is in the Pro variant.
AI Assistant reads Google documents
AI Assistant reads links to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, as well as Dropbox links (2.2.406). When a document isn't shared with "anyone with the link", it says so directly and suggests what to change. The Assistant's access to the internet is a separate permission in Settings → Users, switched off by default.
In version 2.2.415, the program automatically switched from the deprecated default Gemini and Grok models to their successors. The Assistant is responding again with these providers, with no changes needed in Settings. The model runs on your own API key, so you pay the provider directly for requests, with no Task Manager markup.
Smaller fixes you'll notice
- Adding a user now tells the truth about the activation email (2.2.417). When the email fails to send, the Users window shows a warning with the reason instead of a message saying it was sent.
- The Board remembers settings separately for each account (2.2.419). The "Archived" filter shows the archive, and the "Chat first" grouping puts chats ahead of tasks.
- Notification cards now sit together (2.2.422). In Settings → Profile, the notification cards for the app, browser and email are stacked one below the other, with "Install as app" right after them.
- Read notifications don't come back (2.2.406), even with two tabs of the program open at once.
Tidier permissions
- System entries in a thread - the trace of a change to a due date, status or the list of people involved - can't be edited or deleted; the server refuses this too (2.2.409). You can only attach a file to your own message.
- A blocked account doesn't receive notifications about new mail or personal reminders (2.2.407). "Assign everyone" when editing a task or chat now skips accounts without access.
- A person with the right to create workspaces can once again see the list of people when setting up a workspace "for selected people" (2.2.405).
- The server error log no longer records the content of AI Assistant replies, and email addresses in it are now shortened (2.2.418). The program doesn't send emails to example addresses such as example.com.
If you're running version 2.2.405 or 2.2.406, update the program to at least 2.2.407. In these two versions, a workspace administrator who wasn't an administrator of the whole program couldn't see the list of people to add in "Edit workspace".
Run updates from Settings
The update is carried out by the administrator in Settings → Updates. The program checks on its own whether a new version is available, but it doesn't install anything without the administrator's decision. When a new release appears, the administrator sees a dot next to the gear icon and a short notification.
- Click the gear icon and open the Updates tab.
- Next to the latest version, click "Download". Before installing, back up the database and the
uploads/folder. - Once downloaded, click "Install". The package with the auto-installer installs without FTP.
Details, including messages about the licence key, are described in the Updates instructions.
For a company that keeps its data on its own server and pays for the licence once, October's versions tidy up two matters: who actually works on a task and who's just watching, and how long the licence covers new versions. See how a task observer works in Demo.
Frequently asked questions
Can the observer see the whole conversation in a task?
Yes. The observer sees the task and the whole thread, and can write messages and react. They don't change the task's status or content, and only get notified about mentions of themselves.
What happens to the program after the "Updates until" date?
The program keeps working, with no read-only mode. You simply won't be able to install versions released after that date until you renew the entitlement with a new key from the vendor.
Do I need to do anything with encryption after an update?
If encryption is enabled, click "Encrypt existing data" once in Settings → Advanced → Data Encryption. The tool covers content saved before the update, and new content is encrypted straight away.
Can the "Retry" button in Automations duplicate anything?
Yes, if some of the steps succeeded the first time. "Retry" runs all the steps from the start, so retrying on its own only makes sense when nothing has run yet.
Do I have to pay for every new version?
No. The licence includes 12 months of updates in the price. After that you can renew the entitlement for another year, or keep working on the version you've already installed.
Sources
- Task Manager, changelog for versions 2.2.405-2.2.425 - in the app: Settings → Updates → Changelog (accessed: 12 October 2026)
- Task Manager, "Tasks" instructions, Task observer section
- Task Manager, "Licence" instructions
- Task Manager, "Data encryption" instructions
- Task Manager, "Automations" instructions
- Task Manager, “Updates” guide
The Task Manager Team - we write about teamwork, AI in business and keeping tasks organised, using examples from Task Manager, software installed on your own server. Task Manager has been developed by Blue Creation Group (Piotr Łącz) since 2013 and is used by organisations including Neonet, the Military University of Technology and Polpharma - read customer reviews. We check our articles against the user guide and the latest version of the software.
