What's New in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS: 26 Major Changes

As an LTS-to-LTS jump, you benefit from what’s new in Ubuntu 26.04 as well as everything else that got added in the 3 interim releases prior: Ubuntu 24.10, 25.04, and 25.10.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS does plenty of things that 24.04 didn’t, but drops several features too. It adds up to a huge set of changes across the full stack – from the lower-level foundations up to the apps and desktop environment that sit on top.

Plus, some components have been removed or changed. Ubuntu 26.04 no longer includes an X11/Xorg desktop session, and ditches several apps and utilities you may have come to rely on.

Recommended system requirements were raised, with this release asking for 6GB of RAM (higher than Windows 11). It’s not a hard limit; this release will run on devices with only 4GB RAM.

In this post, I run-through the highlights of the cumulative changelog. If you’re coming from the Ubuntu 25.10 interim release and prefer to swot over a list of things only added since October 2025, I have a separate post for that.

26 Changes in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

1. No more X11/Xorg desktop session

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS no longer includes an X11/Xorg desktop session as GNOME removed support for running on the legacy display server earlier this year (so Ubuntu can’t offer it, even if it wanted to).

The impact of this won’t be felt. Ubuntu has used Wayland by default since 2021 (it became default for NVIDIA users in 2024 to allow for testing ahead of this LTS). Plus, most software that does require X11 will happily run on a Wayland desktop using XWayland.

And contrary to Linux YouTubers who talk in clickbait, XWayland is included by default. Ubuntu not supporting X11 does not directly affect other flavours/desktops, some of which (like Lubuntu) continue to use it, and xserver packages are available in the Ubuntu repositories for you to install – you just can’t run the GNOME desktop on it.

2. Dracut is now the boot init

On new installs, Ubuntu now uses Dracut to generate the initial RAM filesystem (initramfs) during boot. You are unlikely to notice anything meaningfully different with this change, but under-the-hood it offers a predictable, future-proof, and event-driven boot process.

3. Improved TPM-backed disk encryption

If you “upgrade” by way of a clean install, the enhanced OS installer experience has a couple of new options, the more notable of which is support for installing Ubuntu using TPM‑backed full‑disk encryption (FDE).

This is compatible with select TPM 2 chips and requires Secure Boot enabled. It’s not perfect; TPM/FDE uses a kernel snap that may not include certain kernel modules necessary for certain hardware features. Plus, the feature doesn’t support all TPM chips, though the OS installer will let you know if your TPM could work but can’t, and explain why. If it can’t use it at all, it won’t surface an option (greyed out or otherwise).

The setup process underscores the importance of generating and saving a recovery key, and new recovery keys can be generated from the Security Center app. Plus, the Firmware Updater tool notifies you if an available update would affect TPM state.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS still supports disk-encryption using a LUKS passphrase so if you don’t have TPM, you don’t need to forgo disk-level security. The Ubuntu OS installer has improved its handling of dual-boot setups too, notably when a BitLocker-protected Windows system is present. You can install Ubuntu with encryption alongside Windows via the Advanced Options section.

4. Rust-based sudo & coreutils

Ubuntu has spent the past few releases replacing some key system components with versions written in Rust, a memory-safe programming language. sudo is now provided by sudo-rs (the command itself has not changed) and password feedback has been enabled by default. You’ll see asterisks every time you enter your sudo password in the terminal – hit tab to temporarily mask it.

sudo-rs is not 100% compatible with the original sudo implementation, but unless you run handwritten scripts or rely on niche tools, chances are this won’t be an issue. The old version of sudo is available to install from the repos (package name sudo-ws).

In addition to sudo, most of the distro’s core command-line tools (like ls, grep, and cat) are Rust-based versions from the rust-coreutils package, but cp, mv, and rm are provided by GNU coreutils due to ongoing issues with the Rust versions.

5. Various theme/design changes

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS looks similar enough to 24.04 at first glance, but on closer inspection you’ll notice that a fair bit has changed. The new folder icons adopt a vivid new look that inherits the desktop accent colour (orange by default). They pop against light and dark backgrounds and use a subtle engraved effect for folder emblems.

Other visual upgrades include:

Optically resized icons in the Yaru theme.
New icons for the LibreOffice suite, the Snapshot webcam app, and the trash can.
A new animated, less blurry loading spinner.
A darker login screen background and tweaked modal dialogs with consistent radius values.
A new boot animation featuring the Raccoon mascot.
Subtle GNOME Shell animation tweaks (menus and notifications scale/spring rather than fade).
Media controller accessible directly on the Lock Screen.

6. Seven new default apps

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS delivers a refreshed set of default apps:

Papers: Replaces Evince as the default document viewer. Rebuilt with Rust and GTK4/libadwaita, adding ink annotation, markup tools, freeform text boxes, and digital signatures.
Loupe: Supplants Eye of GNOME. Uses Glycin for improved image rendering, supports multi-touch gestures, and offers basic editing tools.
Ptyxis: Ubuntu’s new default terminal. Features a slick tab overview, profile switching, container support, and a headerbar that turns red if sudo is active.
Resources: Assumes the role of system monitor with engaging big graphs and extensive hardware info.
Showtime: Replaces Totem as the default video player (extended install only). Distraction-free UI with on-canvas controls.
Security Center: A one-stop hub to enable Ubuntu Pro, manage encryption keys, and opt-in for snap app prompting.
Sysprof: A developer tool for capturing performance data on software and system processes.

Note: If you upgrade in-place from 24.04, the new apps are installed alongside the old ones.

7. File manager feature-fest

Nautilus has gained up to 5x faster directory loading and 10x faster thumbnail generation (prioritising files in view). There’s a new thumbnailer powered by glycin. A dashed border is shown around icons when cut, and hidden dot files render with a slight transparency.

Other Nautilus changes include:

Improved search UI with pill-shaped filter buttons and a calendar widget.
File properties can open as a floating window.
Ctrl + . shortcut opens the current folder in the terminal.
Long drive/mount names are shortened in the middle.
Smoother browsing of phone files via incremental loading.
Sidebar reorganized: bookmarks moved lower, Trash moved up. "Other Locations" is removed; internal drives are now shown in the sidebar by default.

8. Notification groups deal with the deluge

Notifications are now grouped by source in the message tray. When an app sends multiple notifications, they stack together into a collapsed group. Expand the stack with a click to view or dismiss them individually, or dismiss the whole stack at once.

9. App Center lets you manage Deb software

In 26.04 LTS, the Manage section of the App Center has gained a filter to see installed Deb software individually or alongside snaps. The App Center can also update some Deb apps, though you’ll still need the Software Updater for the rest.

10. Software Updater indicator

The Software Updater will now show an indicator icon in the panel if there are pending updates, preventing the update window from randomly stealing focus. You can hide the icon via a simple right-click toggle if preferred.

11. Ubuntu Dock differences

The Ubuntu Dock is no longer transparent, switching to an opaque background to match the top panel (transparency can be re-enabled via terminal). Background effects behind hovered icons match the dock edge radius, and right-click menus now link directly to the app's details in the App Center.

12. Desktop Icons NG improvements

You can now resize desktop icons using Ctrl + +/-, select multiple icons with Shift + arrow keys, and use Home/End keys to navigate. The right-click context menu styling is now consistent with the rest of the desktop.

13. Snap & web search in Overview

Searching in the GNOME Overview now pulls Snap app results alongside installed apps. There’s also a web search shortcut—type your query and click the Firefox result to launch a pre-filled search. Both can be disabled in Settings.

14. APT got a glow-up

The apt command-line tool now features improved output formatting with colours, columns, and padding. App removals are listed last in red. It includes a new package solver and commands like apt why, apt why-not, history-info, and history-list.

15. Do Not Disturb moved

The Do Not Disturb toggle has been relocated to the Quick Settings menu in the top-right corner.

16. HDR, VRR & smarter scaling

Out-of-the-box support for advanced display features has arrived:

HDR: Available in Settings > Displays for compatible monitors (app support on Linux remains limited).
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR): Enabled for everyone where supported.
Fractional Scaling: Now uses exact quotients for sharper rendering, offering values like 133% and 166%.
Legacy Scaling: A toggle is included to control whether legacy X11 apps are scaled to match the rest of the system.

17. Remote desktop buffs

Remote sessions now persist between service restarts. You can connect to a headless system, add a virtual monitor, and use touch input forwarding. Streaming is now offloaded to the GPU via Vulkan and VA-API for lower latency, and NVIDIA users get explicit sync support.

18. Wellbeing controls

A new Wellbeing panel in Settings brings screen time tracking to Ubuntu. You can view daily usage, set limits (with an optional greyscale screen tint), and configure break reminders. Parental controls can be added via the malcontent-gui package.

19. Software & Updates app dropped

The legacy Software & Updates tool is no longer included on new installs, meaning the "Additional Drivers" shortcut is gone at launch. Managing PPAs and specific update behaviors requires installing the tool manually from the repos.

20. Startup Applications also removed

The old GUI tool for configuring autostart apps has been replaced by autostart toggles directly within Settings > Applications. To run custom scripts on login, you must now use an autostart folder and custom text file.

21. Firmware split

The massive linux-firmware package has been split into 18 vendor-specific sub-packages. This saves massive amounts of bandwidth during system updates, as only the specific firmware affecting your hardware needs to be downloaded.

22. Accessibility buffs

The accessibility menu at the login screen has moved to the lower-right corner. A new "reduce motion" setting is available to dial down UI animations and effects.

23. Power charging limits

Compatible laptops now have a battery health charging option in Settings > Power, capping the charge at 80% to preserve lithium battery lifespans. A new power mode indicator also shows in the top bar when the Balanced profile isn't active.

24. Control Ubuntu telemetry collection

Telemetry collection is now more visible. You can view and toggle system profiling directly from Settings > Privacy & Security > Telemetry.

25. AMD & NVIDIA AI stacks

NVIDIA CUDA and AMD ROCm—popular GPU computing stacks for AI and machine-learning—are now available directly in the Ubuntu repositories, installable easily via apt.

26. Linux 7.0 & Mesa 26.0.x

Ubuntu 26.04 runs on Linux kernel 7.0. The linux-lowlatency package has been retired in favor of lowlatency-kernel, a userspace tuning package. Graphics are handled by Mesa 26.0.3 open-source drivers, with NVIDIA’s proprietary driver at 590.x by default.

Other Changes Worth Knowing

New app windows are centred by default.
Text Editor gains a streamlined header bar.
GNOME Shell fits on low-resolution displays better.
Chrony + NTS is now the default time server.
Option to replace existing Linux installs in OS installer.
Raspberry Pi uses a new setup wizard and A/B boot process.
JPEG-XL (.jxl) files work out-of-the-box.
OpenJDK 26 is the default version (not preinstalled).

Removed Apps & Integrations

A quick reminder of applications no longer included out of the box:

Software & Updates / Additional Drivers
Startup Applications
Totem (replaced with Showtime)
Evince (replaced with Papers)
GNOME Terminal (replaced with Ptyxis)
Eye of GNOME (replaced with Loupe)
System Monitor (replaced with Resources)

Google Drive Nautilus Integration: You can no longer access files from your Google Drive via Nautilus out of the box. Third-party options like InSync and rclone are required.

Worth Upgrading To?

If you currently use Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, will any of the features mentioned above have you reaching to hit the upgrade or download button to make the jump? Let me know what you think about the latest long-term support release by leaving a comment below.

Release Comparison

Feature	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS	Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
Default Display Server	Wayland (X11 available)	Wayland (X11 Session removed)
Init System	Initramfs-tools	Dracut
Default Terminal	GNOME Terminal	Ptyxis
Kernel	Linux 6.8	Linux 7.0

Tech