Kitty Terminal 0.50 Released: New Features and Changelog

In early November 2026, the release of Kitty 0.50 took place, bringing a feature-rich, cross-platform GPU-accelerated terminal emulator to users. The project source code is written in Python, C, and Go, hosted on GitHub under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

• Kitty version 0.50 was released in early November 2026.
• Added automatic session restoration and dockable windows functionality.
• Expanded Wayland protocol support, including touchscreens and custom cursor shaders.
• Patched critical security vulnerabilities, including authentication bypass and buffer overflows.

Major Updates and Window Management

The new version focuses heavily on stability and fixes minor bugs discovered after the previous stable build. One of the standout features is the introduction of dockable windows, allowing users to pin terminal windows to the edges of other windows or tabs using launch commands.

Additionally, automated session restoration is now available via the restore_session_after_logout option. This feature saves the state of running instances upon system logout or reboot, protecting data using the system keychain on macOS and the desktop portal on Linux.

Interface, Tabs, and Wayland Support

Tab management has been significantly improved, allowing tabs to function as named workspaces. The new launch --focus-existing option enables users to switch to an already existing window or tab rather than creating duplicates.

For Wayland users, native touchscreen support has been added, bringing gestures such as tap-to-click, inertial scrolling, and text selection. Client-side decorations in desktop environments like GNOME now properly respect desktop theme settings.

Shaders, Graphics, and Security

User shaders have been expanded with three new particle trail effects for the cursor (cursor-trail-railgun, cursor-trail-torpedo, and cursor-trail-pixiedust). Support for indexed color image formats and the Program Status Protocol (PSP) has also been integrated.

Security fixes include resolving an authentication bypass issue in remote control features, as well as critical memory management vulnerabilities such as heap buffer overflow and use-after-free bugs.

Significance for Developers and Users

The Kitty 0.50 release delivers robust improvements for developers and power users who rely heavily on command-line tools. Enhanced session management and Wayland integration ensure a smoother and more reliable terminal workflow across supported platforms.