KDE Plasma 6.5 Desktop Environment Officially Released, This Is What’s New

posted by Marius Nestor on Oct 21, 2025,
updated Oct 25, 2025

Highlights of KDE Plasma 6.5 include rounded bottom corners for Breeze-decorated windows, the ability to display ink levels on supported printers, improved tone mapping curve when displaying HDR content, and a grayscale mode to colorblindness correction filters to desaturate all the colors on the screen.

This release also introduces the KDE Initial System Setup feature, a tool designed for OEM installations when you buy a laptop that ships with the KDE Plasma desktop environment, so you can configure Plasma the way you want when starting up a brand-new computer.

Read on

OMG Ubuntu:

• KDE Plasma 6.5 Released with Rounded Corners, Clipboard Pinning + More - OMG! Ubuntu

  This is the sixth major update in the KDE Plasma 6 series, and continues to add to the many (many) new features and foundational improvements that have been introduced since 2024.

  For regular users, the “immediate wins” are largely through smaller, subtle changes that reduce friction, smooth out inconsistencies and extend functionality.

  For a closer look, read on.

How-To Geek:

• KDE Plasma 6.5 Is Here With New Linux Desktop Features

  KDE announced the full release of Plasma 6.5 on Monday night. This major update to the desktop environment for Linux distributions and BSDs comes with several new features and improvements, including fuzzy search functions and programmable theme transitions.

  When I wrote about the Plasma 6.5 beta back in September, one of my favorite new features was the fuzzy application search. Now, when you type a search term in KRunner, you'll see apps that are close in spelling even if they're off by a character or two. That makes the search more resilient against typos, and more useful if you don't remember precisely how to spell an app's name.

  There are some big visual updates coming too. Namely, Plasma can now transition between light and dark versions of a desktop theme automatically. You can set the time at which you want these transitions to happen. Wallpapers that have light and dark versions are included in this function too, so the change will feel very immersive.

Linuxiac:

• KDE Plasma 6.5 Desktop Environment Released, This Is What’s New

  Over four months after its previous major Plasma 6.4 release, followed by five maintenance updates, the last one being Plasma 6.4.5, the KDE desktop environment has just rolled out the much-anticipated Plasma 6.5.

  One of the most noticeable visual tweaks this time around is that Breeze-themed windows now have rounded corners on all sides. If you prefer the old squared-off look, you can easily switch that off in settings.

Also in GoL:

• KDE Plasma 6.5 is out now with a number of highly-requested features | GamingOnLinux

  The next big KDE Plasma release is here with Plasma 6.5 delivering a number of major new features, as the KDE team begin to show a lot more confidence. So much confidence in fact, the update page notes how they're "on the verge of making it big for the general public".

Original:

• Plasma 6.5

  We’ve transformed the Flatpak Permissions page into a general Application Permissions page, where you can configure apps’ ability to do things like take screenshots and accept remote control requests.

  Plasma’s built in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) server now lets you share the clipboard. You’re also no longer required to manually create separate remote desktop accounts; now the system’s existing user accounts work as expected, and you can just supply their credentials to the RDP client app.

  The utility that reads the level of ink or toner from your printer now informs you when it’s running low or empty.

  And finally, you can now hibernate your system from the login screen.

LWN:

• KDE Plasma 6.5 released

  KDE Plasma 6.5 has been released. Notable new features include automatic light-to-dark theme switching based on time of day, support for the experimental Wayland picture-in-picture protocol, as well as a number of usability and accessibility improvements. See the complete changelog for a list of the new features, enhancements, and bug fixes.

UbuntuHandbook:

• KDE Plasma 6.5 Released! How to Install it in KUbuntu 25.10 | UbuntuHandbook

  KDE announced the Plasma desktop 6.5 yesterday. See what’s new and how to install guide for (K)Ubuntu 25.10.

  Plasma 6.5 introduced an Automatic theme selection in settings, allowing to automatically switch between light and dark themes according to the time of day.

  In the Automatic mode, it uses the light theme for panels, menus, app windows, and wallpaper during the day, and automatically switch them to dark at night. While, user has the choice to set which light or dark theme, and which wallpapers to use.

It's FOSS News:

• KDE Plasma 6.5 Released: Let Me Walk You Through What's New

  KDE Plasma remains one of the most customizable desktop environments for Linux. It strikes a nice balance between power-user features and everyday usability. Its developers make it a point to offer a polished experience while tackling any unforeseen challenges.

  And now, after weeks of development, KDE Plasma 6.5 is here with many useful changes.

Linux Magazine:

• KDE Unleashes Plasma 6.5

  The Plasma 6.5 desktop environment is now available with new features, improvements, and the usual bug fixes.

Linux Magazine:

• KDE Unleashes Plasma 6.5 » Linux Magazine

  There's a new version of KDE’s Plasma in town, and it's got plenty to offer. Even before you see the latest version of the desktop, Plasma is already improving user experience. The new KDE Initial System Setup (KISS) tool, designed specifically for OEM installations, lets you configure the Plasma Desktop to your specifications on first boot.

  While the new rounded window corners using the Breeze decoration might not be a game-changer, they certainly add a bit more polish to an already beautiful desktop environment. Other enhancements include the new ink-level display for supported printers, improved tone mapping for HDR content, a grayscale mode that desaturates all colors, support for the XDG Wallpaper portal, and improved Wayland support (such as activating/raising windows, improved screenreader, and the ability to activate Sleep, Shutdown, and Restart functions from within the Kickoff app menu with the Enter key).

  Plasma also no longer requires a separate account for remote connection. With version 6.5, you can use your standard user account to connect.