Cline v3.31 brings voice interaction, a tidier task header, and a high-risk “YOLO” toggle
Cline’s v3.31 update emphasizes more natural interaction between engineers and the AI assistant. The release introduces an experimental Voice Mode aimed at conversational workflows, a redesigned task header that declutters the UI and adds a manual context-compression control, and a permissive YOLO Mode that disables safety prompts for fully autonomous execution.
Voice Mode (experimental): speak intent, keep the flow
Voice Mode is presented as the primary interaction model for engineers working with the assistant. The rationale is that spoken input more naturally captures full intent than typed snippets; the update leans into rapid back-and-forth planning and clarification, especially when paired with the app’s Plan mode.
To enable Voice Mode: navigate to Settings → Features → Dictation, sign into the Cline account when prompted, and a microphone button will appear in the chat. Press the button to start recording and press again to stop. Transcription is handled by OpenAI’s Whisper. The mode is intended for quick iterative exchanges—speak a series of thoughts, let the assistant ask clarifying questions, and iterate—reducing the friction introduced by typing during collaborative problem solving.
The feature is labeled experimental, reflecting that it prioritizes conversational fluency and speed over polished release stability. It’s especially useful when engineers need to preserve flow during planning and prefer a more spoken-dialogue approach to specifying tasks and intent.
A cleaner, more useful Task Header
The task header received a visual and layout overhaul:
- A darker theme that respects the host IDE’s VS Code theme settings
- The task timeline moved below the progress bar to improve visual hierarchy
- Token usage details hidden behind a hover tooltip to reduce clutter
The update adds a manual compact button in the header. When pressed at a natural breakpoint—such as after finishing a feature implementation—Cline compresses the conversation, preserving essential context while opening a fresh context window. This functions similarly to the /smol command but is available directly in the UI.
YOLO Mode: fully autonomous, no safety prompts
YOLO Mode auto-approves all actions: file changes, terminal commands, and transitions between Plan and Act modes. The mode disables all safety checks, allowing the assistant to execute decisions without confirmation. It was built with an upcoming scriptable CLI in mind—where fully autonomous execution can be desirable—but is available in the GUI for those who require minimal friction. The release notes include an explicit warning about the dangers of enabling this mode.
Links
Original source: https://cline.bot/blog/cline-v3-31
