---
title: The Neon App for Slack, scheduled updates on the Free Plan starting soon, and more
---

### The Neon App for Slack is available for early access

![Neon App for Slack](/docs/changelog/slack_app.png)

The Neon App for Slack helps you stay connected to your Neon Serverless Postgres databases. Here's what you can do with it:

- 📈 Track compute and storage usage in real time
- 🔔 Get alerts when your database approaches its performance limits
- 🟢 Quickly check the Neon platform's status

We’d love to hear your feedback. Use the `/neon feedback` command in Slack to share your thoughts and feature requests.

👉 See the [documentation](/docs/manage/slack-app) for setup instructions.

## Scheduled updates on the Free Plan starting soon

Last week, we announced that Neon is introducing scheduled updates, starting with Free Plan accounts. These updates include Postgres version upgrades, security patches, and Neon feature enhancements. Your project's computes will be updated automatically at a scheduled date and time. While updates need a compute restart, it only takes a few seconds to complete.

Free Plan accounts will start seeing update notices in their projects' settings on a new **Updates** page in early February, at least 24 hours before any scheduled update.

Update notices for Neon's paid plans will start rolling out in the second week of February, with at least 7 days' notice before a planned update.

Stay tuned for more details.

### Protect sensitive data with schema-only branches

You can now create schema-only branches that copy just the database schema from a source branch — without any data. This is ideal for working with confidential information. Instead of copying sensitive data, create a branch with just the database structure and add your own randomized or anonymized test data. It's a secure and compliant way for your team to develop and test using Neon branches.

To learn more, see [Schema-only branches](/docs/guides/branching-schema-only).

Schema-only branches are currently available through our Early Access Program. [Learn how to join](/docs/introduction/early-access).

### Project-scoped API keys from the Console

Recently, we added support for project-scoped API keys for your Neon Organization. These keys provide member-level authorization, scoped to a particular project. First available only via API, you can now create them from the Neon Console as well, for better visibility and management.

![project-scoped API key from the Console](/docs/manage/project-scoped-from-console.png)

Learn more about [creating project-scoped API keys](/docs/manage/api-keys#create-project-scoped-organization-api-keys).

## Support for the postgres_fdw extension

Neon now supports the `postgres_fdw` (foreign data wrapper) extension. This extension lets you integrate with remote Postgres databases by defining foreign tables that map to tables in external databases. You can then query remote data as if it were stored locally. Check out our [guide](/docs/extensions/postgres_fdw) to learn more.

## pg_cron is now available for all users

The `pg_cron` extension is now available to everyone using Neon. Before, you needed a paid plan and help from Neon Support to use it. See [Enable the pg_cron extension](/docs/extensions/pg_cron#enable-the-pgcron-extension) to get started.

<details>

<summary>**Fixes & improvements**</summary>

- **Drizzle Studio update**

  We updated the Drizzle Studio integration that powers the **Tables** page in the Neon Console to version 1.0.12. For the latest improvements and fixes, see the [Neon Drizzle Studio Integration Changelog](https://github.com/neondatabase/neon-drizzle-studio-changelog/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md).

- **Console updates**

  Added a clear banner in the SQL Editor's results pane when running Time Travel queries to show that you're viewing historical data.

  ![time travel banner in SQL Editor](/docs/changelog/time_travel_banner.png)

- **Postgres extension updates**
  - Neon now lets you install the previous version of `pgvector`, which is one version behind the latest supported version.

    For example, if Neon’s latest supported `pgvector` version is 0.8.0, you can install the prior version, 0.7.4, by specifying the version number:

    ```sql
    CREATE EXTENSION vector VERSION '0.7.4';
    ```

    For more, see [Use a previous version of pgvector](/docs/extensions/pgvector#use-a-previous-version-of-pgvector).

  - The `pgx_ulid` extension (0.2.0) is now available for Postgres 17. To install it, run:

    ```sql
    CREATE EXTENSION pgx_ulid;`
    ```

- **Neon API**

  Newly created Neon API keys are now prefixed with `napi_`. This change improves security by making it possible to use secret scanning mechanisms that rely on identifiable markers.

  Existing API keys remain valid. If you want to use the new format, you can generate a new API key. For instructions, see [API keys](/docs/manage/api-keys#creating-api-keys).

- **Fixes**
  - Fixed a bug where you might see an empty error screen when changing your email or resetting your password.
  - Fixed an issue where the SQL Editor sometimes ran queries on the main branch instead of your selected branch.

</details>