Introducing FydeOS v21

We are delighted to announce the release of FydeOS v21: Sunlit Epiphany. This update introduces a host of new features, enhancements, and stability improvements — all designed to deliver a more refined and efficient experience for you. This version includes an upgrade of the underlying Chromium OS platform from r132 to r138, ensuring you have the latest performance and security updates.

Here are the key highlights of this release:

New Features and Enhancements

Enhanced Launcher Search with Filtering: Finding what you need is now faster and more intuitive. The Launcher search has been upgraded to include filters, allowing you to narrow down your search results by categories such as Apps, Files, and more, for a more precise and efficient search experience.

Quick Insert Panel: Express yourself more easily with the new Quick Insert feature. By simply pressing Windows/Command + f, you can now instantly bring up a panel to search for and insert emojis as well as other rich content into your documents and conversations.

Circle to Search & OCR for Screenshots: (Google Account Login Required) Your screenshots are now more powerful. After capturing an image, FydeOS will give you the option to copy text directly from the screenshot or search for the selected content on Google, seamlessly integrating screen capture with your workflow.

Isolated Web Apps in Kiosk Mode: For enterprise and public-facing deployments, FydeOS now supports Isolated Web Apps in Kiosk Mode. This enhances security by running applications in a sandboxed environment, protecting the system from potential vulnerabilities. Note: IWA must be provisioned and managed via the FydeOS Management Cloud.

Accessibility Improvements

Mouse Keys: This feature allows you to control the mouse pointer using your keyboard, providing an alternative for users who find it difficult to use a traditional mouse. You can enable and configure Mouse Keys in the Accessibility section of the Settings menu.

mouse_keys

Bounce Keys and Slow Keys: Bounce Keys prevents a single key press from being registered multiple times, which is beneficial for users with hand tremors. Slow Keys introduces a delay between a key being pressed and the character appearing on screen, reducing typos caused by accidental key presses.

bounce_keys

slow_keys

Additional Updates

Addressed an issue that caused screen discolouration on certain devices running the Intel Slim variant of FydeOS.
Resolved a bug that prevented Fydetab Duo from connecting to Wi-Fi networks using WPA3 encryption.
Optimised the touchpad experience on the Fydetab Duo.

📌 Important Notes

Intel Modern Variant: Android subsystem data restoration is currently not supported.
FydeOS v18+: "Developer mode" is disabled by default. For details on this and system integrity changes, see our FAQ and Knowledge Base.
FydeOS v17+: Introduced different editions; data exchange between them is not supported. Learn more here. See updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Laptop Sleep Issue: If your laptop doesn't wake after closing the lid (potential kernel issue), try disabling "Sleep when lid is closed" under Settings -> Device -> Power, or use this command-line solution.
OTA Updates & GApps: Updating FydeOS after installing GApps can cause issues (e.g., Play Store unusable, "Device not certified" errors, Android subsystem failure). Please uninstall GApps and reinstall it.

🍓 Raspberry Pi Notes

Boot Splash: The FydeOS splash animation is not visible in the default KMS display mode (full hardware acceleration). You'll see firmware text, a brief black screen, then the FydeOS setup/desktop.
4K Monitors: Output to 4K monitors is not yet supported in KMS mode.
Display Compatibility: If you see the Raspberry Pi boot logo but not FydeOS, your monitor might be incompatible with KMS mode. You can switch to fake-kms mode using this guide.
First Login Lag: Expect temporary slowness after the first login as the system performs initial setup (syncing, app installs). Performance will improve after a few minutes. This only happens once.
Android App Stability: Running multiple Android apps simultaneously might crash the Android subsystem. If this occurs, wait a few seconds and relaunch the apps.
Hibernation: System hibernation is not supported due to Raspberry Pi kernel limitations. Sleep is disabled by default to prevent issues.

💻 Surface Notes

Surface Go 3 Only: The commercially available Surface Go 3 comes in two main versions — one powered by a Pentium processor and the other by a Core i3 processor. The existing FydeOS for You: Surface Go 3 is optimised only for the Pentium version, so the Core i3 variant of the Microsoft Surface Go 3 may experience compatibility issues.
Touch Limitations: Touch functionality might be limited due to the experimental driver state, especially under high system load.
Known Limitations:
- Cameras: Partial support (only on Surface Pro 3, Go 1 & Go 2).
- PIN Login: Not available after a system reboot.
- Deep Sleep: Not supported (except for Surface Go).

We hope you enjoy the new features and improvements in FydeOS v21: Sunlit Epiphany. As always, we welcome your feedback as we continue to refine the FydeOS experience. If you like this update or have anything else that you wish to talk to us or other FydeOS users, please join our Telegram Group, Discord server or come by to the FydeOS Community.

We believe FydeOS will eventually become a prominent platform; all the digital tasks you ever need to accomplish could be done nicely and effectively with FydeOS. A thousand miles begins with a single step; we hope to see you with every other step in the future.