What’s New in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS? 16 Key Changes from 18.04

Desktop Appearance

The Yaru GTK and icon theme has been completely refreshed for Ubuntu 20.04. Light‑colored UI elements replace the previous dark defaults, while a global dark mode remains optional. Window borders, menus, and application icons have been updated for a cleaner, more modern look.

File Manager (Nautilus) Enhancements

Star bookmarks : Files and folders can be marked with a star and accessed from a dedicated “Starred” section in the sidebar.

Dynamic resizing : When the Nautilus window is resized, items are distributed evenly, showing more files per row or column.

Smarter path bar : Right‑clicking the path bar offers actions such as “New Folder”, “Add Bookmark”, “Select All”, and “Open in Terminal”. The search entry is now integrated directly into the path bar, removing the separate drop‑down field.

Desktop icons : Nautilus no longer draws icons on the desktop; Ubuntu ships a GNOME extension that restores this functionality. Files must be placed in ~/Desktop to appear on the desktop.

Dock and Drive Access

When a USB stick, SD card, or external HDD is inserted, a shortcut appears on the Ubuntu Dock. Clicking opens the root folder in Nautilus; right‑clicking provides an “Eject” option. The shortcuts can be disabled via the dconf editor if they clutter the Dock.

Global Search Reordering

Press the Super key to open the system‑wide search. In Settings → Search you can drag and drop the listed sources to change their priority, affecting the order of results shown on the overview screen.

Wallpaper and Lock‑Screen Integration

The lock screen now shares the same background as the desktop, applying a blur effect. Changing the wallpaper is done through Settings → Background, where any image file (not only those in ~/Pictures) can be selected.

Terminal Improvements

GNOME Terminal uses client‑side decorations (CSD) for its header, removing the traditional title bar and providing a more streamlined appearance.

Fractional Scaling

A “Fractional scaling” slider enables intermediate scaling factors such as 125 % and 150 % without requiring command‑line configuration. Note that in X11 sessions the scaling may appear slightly less smooth at the edges.

Custom Application Folders

In the Applications overview you can create custom folders by dragging one icon onto another. GNOME can suggest a category‑based folder name, which you can rename directly. Deleting a folder is done by dragging its icons out of the folder.

OEM Branding During Boot

During the early boot phase Ubuntu briefly displays the OEM’s logo (e.g., Lenovo, Acer, ASUS). This is a low‑level change intended to streamline the boot process and does not indicate any commercial partnership.

Advanced Application Permissions

For sandboxed applications (Snap or Flatpak), Settings → Applications exposes fine‑grained permission controls, such as blocking webcam access for a Snap or denying network access for a Flatpak.

Enhanced Night Light

Night Light now offers a slider to adjust the intensity of the blue‑light filter and a schedule editor for precise timing, allowing users to fine‑tune screen warmth.

Snap Channel Selector

The Snap Store UI makes it easier to switch between stable, beta, and edge channels for a given application and displays the version number of the selected channel.

Performance Optimizations

Since Ubuntu 18.04, a series of under‑the‑hood improvements have been introduced, including memory usage reductions, CPU scheduling tweaks, higher frame‑rate rendering, smoother input handling, and refined animation timings, all contributing to a more responsive desktop experience.