elementary OS 7 Is Now Available: Here's What's New

After complete a twelvemonth since nan erstwhile release, simple OS 7 "Horus" has arrived. Much has changed successful that time, and nan Linux scenery looks rather a spot different.

On nan surface, type 7.0 isn't a important release. So let's dive into what's caller and spot what stands out.

1. New Tile-Shaped App Icons

simple OS began arsenic an icon theme, truthful it feels due to statesman by highlighting changes to nan measurement these look successful Horus. New app icons person a tile style that gives them much accordant height, truthful you will nary longer spot default apps of varying sizes.

This is peculiarly visible pinch nan "Tasks" app, which had a taller icon successful simple OS 6.1 than it does successful 7.0. Other icons that are noticeably different see nan Multitasking View, File Manager, and Photos app icons.

2. Redesigned and Adaptive AppCenter Interface

The latest type of AppCenter is adaptive. This intends nan personification interface elements accommodate to smaller model sizes arsenic you resize AppCenter. This tin beryllium adjuvant if you person aggregate windows unfastened but want to support tabs connected AppCenter downloads disconnected to nan broadside of your screen.

Making AppCenter adaptive introduces a fewer different tweaks. AppCenter now has a larger hunt barroom that stretches crossed astir of nan title bar. There is besides an ever-present update button. A numbered badge will look connected nan fastener to bespeak nan number of disposable updates.

3. Larger, Brightly Colored Screenshot Carousels

The caller touches widen to app pages arsenic well. Apps now person larger screenshots that capable nan width of nan window. Within these screenshot carousels, brightly colored backgrounds and titles thief item an app's compelling features.

Underneath screenshots and app descriptions, you will now find nan 5 astir caller updates and changelogs. This helps you find if an app is actively maintained.

4. Offline System Updates

elementary OS now prompts a restart earlier installing strategy updates. These instal offline truthful that you aren't near pinch mismatched strategy components active, starring to unexpected behaviour aliases bugs.

5. Overhauled Music App

elementary's Music app floated on virtually unchanged for galore releases. It was an iTunes-style app, pinch nan expertise to negociate your euphony library. The codebase grew old complete nan years, pinch bugs that went unfixed.

The caller Music app is simpler, pinch nary room guidance functionality. Instead, you resistance files from your record head into nan app model to adhd songs to nan queue. Each clip you commencement nan app, you create a caller queue.

This app technically launched successful AppCenter months earlier nan merchandise of Horus, but this is nan first type of simple to characteristic it out-of-the-box.

5. Redesigned Mail App

elementary Mail has received a ocular redesign that gives it a level creation much successful statement pinch elementary's existent ocular direction. It has a look akin to elementary's Tasks app introduced successful simple 6.0 and nan caller Music app. The merchandise besides comes pinch improved stableness and bug fixes.

6. Updated, More Accessible Feedback App

7.0 adds to your app drawer an app known arsenic Feedback. This is simply a instrumentality to thief you pass package issues straight pinch nan simple developers and petition caller features.

The functionality existed successful simple OS already, but not arsenic a standalone app. This re-imagining expands sum to much apps, settings, and desktop components.

7. Web Apps

elementary OS comes pinch GNOME Web 43, nan newest type disposable astatine nan clip of launch. Horus includes support for creating web apps from wrong nan browser. These apps past look successful nan app launcher arsenic standalone apps, whose contented is isolated from nan browser itself.

8. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Base

elementary OS 7 remains an Ubuntu-based operating system. This merchandise bumps simple OS up to nan latest Ubuntu LTS release.

A newer instauration intends simple OS now runs connected much modern hardware, though you whitethorn still brushwood issues pinch nan absolute latest devices. That's because Ubuntu 22.04 came retired successful April 2022 pinch Linux kernel type 5.15, but if you tin successfully footwear simple OS connected your machine, you person nan action to download a newer kernel from Ubuntu's hardware enablement stack.

9. Optional Double-Click to Open Folders

This is simply a insignificant alteration but a large 1 for galore people. In nan Files app, you now person nan action to double-click folders to unfastened them (the default behaviour is to unfastened folders pinch a azygous click). You tin alteration nan characteristic pinch Right-click > Select Folders pinch Single Click.

10. GTK4 and Updated Granite

This is much of a inheritance change, but it impacts newer simple OS apps. Granite is elementary's app framework, and it now supports GTK4. Not each app has made nan transition, but those that do thin to connection a much modern creation and adaptive surface elements.

A Minimal Update to a Minimalist Experience

elementary OS 7.0 is not a important upgrade from type 6.1. Most of these updates are quality-of-life improvements. They whitethorn not supply overmuch to make simple OS entreaty to Linux users who don't already for illustration nan experience, but they don't make nan desktop worse either.

If you for illustration simple OS, location is much present to like. The developers person continued to refine aliases re-imagine nan desktop and its apps. You tin still expect to brushwood bugs, but this whitethorn conscionable beryllium nan champion simple OS has ever looked aliases felt.