Over two months after the previous 8.1 release, built on Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS, elementary OS 8.1.1 is now available, delivering its first post-release update. Here are the highlights.
The Dock has been improved with more helpful tooltips that show keyboard shortcuts for the first nine pinned apps and extra details for background apps. Workspaces now have an animated pressed state and can expand to accept drops in multitasking view. You can also uninstall apps or open them in AppCenter right from the Dock’s secondary-click menu.
AppCenter now keeps update badges in sync, even if you update apps through another store or the Terminal. This release also fixes slow feedback when you press “Cancel” and adds notifications if apps are uninstalled while AppCenter is closed.
The window manager has been updated for a smoother look and improved reliability. System dialogs, such as password prompts, now use a blur effect along with background dimming, and hot corners are disabled while these dialogs are open.
The update also fixes problems with the window switcher, missed keypresses during shortcut sequences, fullscreen window handling in multitasking view, workspace reordering animations, and missing icons in the overview.
System Settings come with several new defaults. Automatic updates are turned on by default, and you won’t see intrusive Wi-Fi notifications anymore. The Multitasking View and System Settings launchers have been removed from the Dock, but you can still access them through Quick Settings and workspace controls.
There’s also a new option to choose your default PDF viewer under Applications > Defaults. Plus, Mouse & Touchpad settings now support Pointing Stick devices like ThinkPad TrackPoint, and there’s a new drag lock option for touchpads.
Apart from that, screen reader accessibility has been improved, notifications about already installed drivers have been removed, Bluetooth state is saved more reliably between sessions, and “Wacom” settings are now called “Pen & Drawing” to support more digitizer devices.
Behind the scenes, elementary OS 8.1.1 uses the latest Ubuntu LTS Hardware Enablement stack with Linux kernel 6.17. This means you get updated Intel graphics drivers, better power management for AMD hybrid GPUs, improved gaming performance, and broader support for ARM devices.
For more information, see the announcement. elementary OS 8.1.1 is available immediately as a pay-what-you-can download from the project’s website, with localized images and torrent options provided.
