[FEATURE] Ctrl+V paste images from clipboard into chat (Windows desktop app) #26111

✅ I have verified this feature I'm about to request hasn't been suggested before.

(Relevant existing issue #906 is about a generic "paste to attach image" concept. This request focuses specifically on the Windows desktop app with Ctrl+V clipboard paste as the primary interaction model, which has distinct UX/implementation requirements not covered by #906 — see details below.)

Describe the enhancement you want to request

The Problem

Currently on the Windows desktop app, attaching an image requires:

1. Click the + button in the chat input
2. Navigate through the file picker
3. Select the image file
4. Click Open

This is 3-4 extra steps compared to every other modern chat application (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp Web, Slack, etc.), where you simply Ctrl+V to paste an image from clipboard.

This friction adds up significantly during active development sessions where users frequently paste screenshots, mockups, error screenshots, and diagrams.

Who this affects

This is especially impactful for Windows desktop users, who are a significant portion of the user base. Users on macOS and Linux with terminal/TUI setups can sometimes rely on terminal-level paste, but Windows desktop users have no workaround — they must use the file picker every single time.

Why now?

With OpenCode gaining traction as a daily driver for AI-assisted coding, image-based interaction (screenshots of UI bugs, error messages, architecture diagrams) is becoming a core workflow. Making image paste a single keystroke would significantly improve UX for thousands of users.

The Solution

Implement clipboard image paste (Ctrl+V) in the Windows desktop app's chat input area:

1. Intercept Ctrl+V when focus is in the chat input
2. Check clipboard for image data (DIB / PNG / JPEG formats)
3. Treat it the same as a file attachment — same encoding, same model-compatible format (base64 data URL or file upload)
4. Show inline thumbnail preview in the input area (optional but nice)

Bonus (stretch goal): Also support drag-and-drop image files directly into the chat input.

Technical Notes

• The Electron/Chromium clipboard API (navigator.clipboard.read()) supports reading image blobs
• For the legacy navigator.clipboard.readText() fallback, use clipboard.readImage() in the main process via IPC
• The existing file attachment pipeline already handles base64 image data — this is purely adding a new entry point

References

• Feature request: Paste to attach image #906: Original (generic) paste-to-attach-image request
• Image pasting has stopped working for me #21665: Image pasting regression bug (image paste was partially working before)
• Existing implementations: VS Code, Discord, Slack, Telegram Desktop — all support Ctrl+V image paste

@thdxr @adamdotdevin @kitlangton @jlongster @rekram1-node @iamdavidhill @Brendonovich @kujtimiihoxha @Hona @nexxeln — this is a highly requested UX improvement for Windows desktop users. Would love to hear your thoughts!