[Bug] Mode Switching Not Working in Mission Mode

[harrypham2000]

---

name: Bug report
about: Create a report to help us improve
title: '[Bug] Mode Switching Not Working in Mission Mode'
labels: bug
assignees: ''
Bug Report ID: d460c9f9-b831-4ce4-9671-921ced7e2e7f

Summary

Once entering Mission mode (/enter-mission), users cannot switch to Spec mode or Normal mode. Neither the keyboard shortcut (Shift+Tab) nor slash commands work to change the interaction mode. Users are locked into AGI mode with no way to switch.

Environment

• Terminal: Ghostty (macOS/iOS terminal emulator)
• OS: Fedora Workstation 43
• Factory CLI Version: latest (auto-updated)
• Session Type: Mission mode (orchestrator role)
• Installation: Direct binary from factory.ai

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start a new Factory session: factory
2. Enter Mission mode by typing /missions
3. Try to switch modes using any of these methods:
   • Pressing Shift+Tab (documented shortcut)
   • Typing /mode auto
   • Typing /mode spec
   • Typing /spec or /auto
   • Pressing Tab to cycle reasoning levels
4. Observe: None of these methods work to change the mode

Expected Behavior

• Shift+Tab should toggle between Auto and Spec modes (as shown in help dialog)
• Slash commands like /mode auto, /mode spec should be available
• Users should be able to exit Mission mode and return to normal interaction
• At minimum, /exit-mission should gracefully exit the Mission mode

Actual Behavior

• Shift+Tab does nothing in Mission mode
• No slash commands exist for mode switching
• No documented way to exit Mission mode without ending the entire session (/quit)
• Users are locked into AGI interaction mode with interactionMode: "agi" and autonomyMode: "auto-high"
• The system shows "mission-session" tag with role "orchestrator" but provides no way to change modes

Session Configuration in Mission Mode

{
  "model": "custom:Crof/Kimi-K2.5-0",
  "reasoningEffort": "none",
  "interactionMode": "agi",
  "autonomyLevel": "high",
  "autonomyMode": "auto-high",
  "specModeModel": "custom:Syn/GLM-5.1-0",
  "specModeReasoningEffort": "none",
  "tags": [
    {
      "name": "mission-session",
      "metadata": {
        "role": "orchestrator",
        "missionId": "e5b7bc03-a364-4f91-b7ac-0cbfb103969b"
      }
    }
  ],
  "providerLock": "generic-chat-completion-api"
}

Notice: specModeModel is configured (custom:Syn/GLM-5.1-0) but there's no way to activate it!

Help Dialog Reference

The in-app help shows mode switching should work:

╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│  Shortcuts                                           │
│  Change modes (Auto/Spec)                Shift + Tab │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

But this shortcut does not function in Mission mode.

Impact (High Severity)

• Blocked Workflow: Cannot use Specification mode for careful planning within Mission mode
• Security Concern: Cannot reduce autonomy level for sensitive tasks in Mission
• No Exit Path: No graceful way to "pause" Mission and return to normal mode
• Context Loss: Forces users to quit entirely (/quit) and restart with different flags, losing all session context
• Poor UX: Help dialog shows a shortcut that doesn't work, misleading users

Workarounds Attempted

1. /quit - Exits entire session (loses all context - not viable)
2. factory --use-spec - Requires starting fresh, loses context
3. Esc key - Only toggles Bash mode, not interaction mode
4. Ctrl+L - Cycles autonomy levels but NOT mode (Auto/Spec)
5. Tab key - Cycles reasoning effort, not mode

Suggested Fixes (Priority Order)

1. Enable Shift+Tab in Mission mode - Make the documented shortcut work
2. Add slash commands:
   • /mode auto - Switch to Auto mode
   • /mode spec - Switch to Spec mode
   • /exit-mission - Exit Mission mode gracefully while keeping session
3. Add Mission mode toggle in Ctrl+L menu - Allow switching modes from the autonomy selector
4. Show current mode in status line - So users know what mode they're in

Additional Context

• This appears to be a missing feature in Mission mode implementation
• The help dialog incorrectly suggests Shift+Tab works in all contexts
• Documentation at https://docs.factory.ai/reference/cli-reference does not list mode switching slash commands
• Mission mode is described as "research preview" but this is a critical UX gap
• The specModeModel is configured but never accessible to users in Mission mode

Related Issues

• Mode switching works in non-Mission sessions (Auto/Spec toggle via Shift+Tab)
• Mission mode is the only mode where this is broken
• This blocks the intended workflow of using Spec mode for planning within a Mission