The GNOME Project has unveiled the latest iteration of its open-source desktop environment—GNOME 49 "Brescia". This major release brings an array of exciting features and enhancements to users, promising a more refined and user-friendly experience.
One of the most significant additions in GNOME 49 is the introduction of a new video player, known as Showtime. Replacing Totem as the default video player app, Showtime offers a sleek and modern interface built on GTK 4 and Libadwaita. This distraction-free viewing experience boasts essential features such as adjustable playback speed, multiple audio and subtitle tracks, rotating video, and screenshot capture.
Another key component of GNOME 49 is the new document viewer, called Papers. Papers, which was originally based on Evince code, has undergone a modernization with a design utilizing GTK 4 and Libadwaita. This updated viewer offers improved performance and a refreshed user interface, featuring a streamlined PDF annotation feature as one of its highlights.
Apart from these significant updates, the desktop environment has undergone various other enhancements. For instance, the Calendar app has undergone significant changes, including a reorganized interface that allows for more flexibility and adaptability. Users can now export events as .ics files, enjoy improved accessibility features, and benefit from enhanced readability.
The web application in GNOME 49 has also received substantial enhancements, including better ad blocking support, site-specific menus, estimated reading times, and improved security features. These updates promise to provide users with a more seamless browsing experience.
Other notable improvements include the addition of HDR brightness controls, allowing for display brightness adjustments when HDR is enabled. The lock screen now displays media controls, making it possible to pause playback or skip tracks without unlocking the system. Furthermore, the Quick Settings have been updated to feature a Do Not Disturb toggle and an improved accessibility menu.
The Maps app has also received some useful enhancements, such as localized icons for metro and railway stations in certain regions and interactive labels that allow users to quickly learn more about locations or add them to their favorites.
GNOME 49 places significant emphasis on performance improvements, particularly with the Software app. Version 49 introduces optimizations that greatly reduce memory usage and speed up parsing processes when browsing and searching for apps. This results in a snappier and more responsive experience, especially on systems with limited resources.
Moreover, the desktop environment has been enhanced to support high-dynamic-range (HDR) displays and the Display P3 color space. The addition of vibrant new wallpapers specifically engineered for HDR displays provides an unprecedented range of colors and contrast.
The GNOME Circle initiative has also welcomed two new apps—Mahjongg, a take on the classic tile-based game, and Wordbook, a dictionary app powered by WordNet and eSpeak. These additions expand the ecosystem of curated, high-quality GNOME applications.
GNOME 49 will be available in many distributions soon, including Fedora 43 and Ubuntu 25.10, offering users an opportunity to experience these exciting new features and improvements firsthand.
For more details, visit the release announcement below:
GNOME 49 released
The GNOME Project is proud to announce the release of GNOME 49, ‘Brescia’. This release brings a new Video Player, a new Document Viewer, more colorful backgrounds, HDR brightness controls, enhancements of the remote desktop experience, Reboot and Shutdown options on the lock screen, and many other improvements.
