Amp speeds up search with Haiku 4.5
On October 21, 2025, Amp upgraded the model powering its search subagent, moving the finder subagent to Haiku 4.5. In internal evaluations and regular usage this swap delivered an approximate 50% reduction in latency with no noticeable loss in quality. Operational cost for the search agent is reported to be roughly 3× lower after the change.
What changed under the hood
The key change was replacing the model behind the search subagent. The new model cut query time significantly, which reduces the time spent uncovering relevant context during multi-step workflows. The update targets scenarios where rapid retrieval of contextual information matters, making interactions with the search component noticeably snappier.
New CLI shortcuts for thread and message control
Alongside the model update, Amp announced new CLI features for managing conversation threads and messages. These additions streamline iterative editing and branching of conversations directly from the terminal:
- Press Tab to select a past message.
- Press e to edit the selected message.
- Press r to restore the thread up to the selected message.
- Press f to fork a new thread from the selected message.
These shortcuts enable quick experimentation with different conversation paths and make it simpler to revise or roll back context without leaving the CLI environment.
Developer impact
- Faster retrieval improves responsiveness in workflows that depend on contextual search, reducing wait times during multi-agent or multi-step tasks.
- Lower operating cost can make heavier use of the search agent more sustainable for teams and projects that query context frequently.
- The new CLI controls support iterative development and debugging of conversational flows by allowing direct edits, restores, and forks from any message in a thread.
For more details, see the original announcement: Amp — Faster search agent (October 21, 2025)
