Notch support, a screenshot editor and a more modern web browser engine are among changes arriving with the latest update to Ubuntu Touch, the community-run mobile operating system based on Ubuntu.
With many devices supported by Ubuntu Touch, like Fairphone and Volla handsets, using a notch cutout at the top of the display to house cameras, the new v24.04-2.0 update adds support for them, adapting the top panel indicators to cleanly space around them.
Ubuntu Touch 24.04-2.0 now supports printing documents from devices. Users can set it up via System Settings > Printing (it requires downloading a few extra pieces so internet connectivity is needed). A new Print app can then be used to print to wireless printers.
Web browsing is central to most mobile activities on Ubuntu Touch, so the leap in Chromium version – v87 to v131 – used in its default Morph Browser is arguably the big draw in this release. The update will drastically improve loading of modern websites and web apps.
But how was the browser so out of date? Ubports detailed the difficulties in updating the browser last year, the tl;dr of which was: the jump from Qt 5 to 6 wasn’t simple and the underlying Chromium engine takes up more room.
An easier way to install the Widevine DRM module is included, albeit unlicensed and unapproved. Morph lacks hardware acceleration so users shouldn’t expect miracles if they’re streaming high-definition content from the likes of Netflix et al.
Other notable improvements: a native screenshot editor in the Lomiri shell to crop, rotate or tweak colours after taking one; better support for legacy (X11-based) applications from the Open-Store; scores of new emojis and variants in the on-screen keyboard.
Meanwhile, the network indicator has been updated to convey wired connections (useful when a device is docked, for instance), and the team says, albeit doesn’t detail, ‘mobile data connection readability’ buffs, which should please those using their phone on the go.
Not every device will get this update
Not every device that currently runs Ubuntu Touch 24.04-1.3 can upgrade to the latest release due to ‘increased system storage space requirement’, per the release announcement.
Users with a Fairphone 4 or 5, Volla device or the Xiaomi Poco X are among those who can update, but those with a Pixel 3a and Nothing Phone (1) are among those who can’t for now; the team says it is working to bring the update ‘to as many devices as possible’.
UBports said in a forum post the transition to a Qt 6-based browser and its Chromium upgrade is, partly, why the storage requirements have increased.
A minor update, Ubuntu Touch 24.04-1.4, preceded this update to act as a ‘bridge’, enabling root system resizing to help, so if are able to update, ensure you have that installed.
In the longer-term, Ubuntu Touch is actively working to rebase atop of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.