Looker release notes

This page documents production updates for Looker (original) and Looker (Google Cloud core). Check the page for announcements about new, updated, and deprecated features, bug fixes, and known issues. You may also be interested in the Data Studio release notes.

You can see the latest product updates for all of Google Cloud on the Google Cloud page, browse and filter all release notes in the Google Cloud console, or programmatically access release notes in BigQuery.

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September 10, 2026

Looker (Google Cloud core) and Looker (original) changes
Feature

The Looker extension for VS Code is now generally available, enabling local LookML development and AI-assisted "vibe coding" using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This update introduces an interactive onboarding walkthrough, support for populating workspaces from bare repositories, and enhanced synchronization between local Git branches and Looker Development Mode. Additional improvements include support for OAuth with the Kiro IDE and more secure storage of API client secrets.

September 09, 2026

Looker (Google Cloud core) and Looker (original) changes
Deprecated

The deprecation of the Looker Mobile (Legacy) application has been postponed to January 31, 2027. Starting on January 31, 2027, support for the Looker Mobile (Legacy) app will be discontinued and the app will be unavailable for download from the App Store or Play Store. Although users will still be able to use the Looker Mobile (Legacy) app if they already have it installed, we recommend that you install the non-legacy Looker mobile app.

September 04, 2026

Announcement

Looker 26.16 will roll out to Looker (original) instances on the following schedule:

  • Expected deployment start: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
  • Expected final deployment and download available: Sunday, September 20, 2026

Looker 26.16 is expected to include the following changes, features, and fixes.

Looker (Google Cloud core) only changes
Fixed

An issue has been fixed where IAM administrators on Looker (Google Cloud core) instances failed authentication when the auth_requires_role and strict Group Role Mapping were enabled. This feature now performs as expected.

Fixed

An issue has been fixed where logging in with a Google Cloud Workforce Identity within an embedded iframe could fail as a result of frame restrictions or because the authentication popup closed before session cookies were established. This feature now performs as expected.

Looker (original) only changes
Feature

Now available in preview, the Admin Assistant helps you use natural language to manage Looker roles.

Looker (Google Cloud core) and Looker (original) changes
Feature

The Semantic Search feature is now generally available.

Fixed

An issue has been fixed where switching to a histogram visualization in an Explore could fail or revert unexpectedly. Additionally, stack resolution on pivoted histograms has been improved. This feature now performs as expected.

Fixed

An issue has been fixed where the alert creation and edit modal displayed Method instead of defaulting to Email as the notification method. This feature now performs as expected.