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UBports has released Ubuntu Touch 24.04-1.3 as a maintenance update for the 24.04-1.x series, delivering a range of fixes covering desktop applications, docking support, multimedia playback, interface scaling, shutdown behavior, and security patches.
A major focus of the update is improved desktop application support. Ubuntu Touch 24.04-1.3 now allows X11 applications to launch outside the Lomiri environment, including apps installed through OpenStore and Snapz0r. The update also resolves issues involving leftover placeholder windows and stale launcher entries when opening X11 apps, while additionally fixing startup problems affecting GTK4-based applications.
Docking functionality has also been refined, particularly for setups using external input devices such as NexDock hardware. According to UBports, the release fixes NexDock trackpad detection within Mir and includes a snapd patch that enables USB device enumeration for Fairphone 5 and NexDock combinations.
The update further addresses several multimedia and user interface issues. AMR voice messages received through MMS now play correctly, and a scaling-factor bug affecting certain applications has been fixed. The issue primarily impacted apps using Qt automatic scaling or embedded web views.
Current Ubuntu Touch users can install the update through System Settings > Updates. Devices already running Ubuntu Touch 24.04-1.2 will upgrade directly to version 24.04-1.3. Meanwhile, devices still on Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-11 or older must first upgrade to 20.04 OTA-12 before transitioning to the 24.04 branch.
Alongside the release, UBports also provided fresh information about the upcoming Ubuntu Touch 24.04-2.0 update, which is primarily focused on delivering a more modern web browsing experience.
At present, Morph Browser—the default browser included with Ubuntu Touch—uses QtWebEngine 5.15.19, which is based on Chromium 87. Because this Chromium version is significantly outdated, users increasingly encounter compatibility issues with modern websites and web applications.
UBports also pointed out that support for Qt 5.15 has officially ended, although Qt had previously continued to backport security fixes for the Chromium version used in QtWebEngine 5.15.
To address these limitations long term, UBports plans to migrate Morph Browser to Qt 6 along with a newer QtWebEngine release. However, Ubuntu Touch still relies extensively on Qt 5 components throughout the operating system, making the transition far more complex than simply replacing the browser package itself.
Another challenge involves storage space. Since many applications and system services still depend on Qt 5, Ubuntu Touch images may temporarily need to ship with both Qt 5 and Qt 6 simultaneously. Some supported devices lack sufficient reserved OS storage for both frameworks, so UBports is currently exploring ways to deliver the updated browser stack to as many devices as possible.
For more information, see the release announcement.
