Zorin OS 16 “beta”: What’s New and Easy-to-use Linux Download

One of the best distributions that users who take the first steps inside Linux can find is Zorin OS . This distro wants to become one of the best systems focused on beginner users, an easy-to-use Linux distro, with hardly any learning curve and with a very careful environment, similar in many ways to Windows, so that it is familiar to users. Its developers have been working for a long time on what will be the new version of this system, a version that, they promise, will be the most advanced release in the history of the distro, Zorin OS 16 . And we can already know everything about this new Linux that will be among us very soon.

Zorin OS 16 has just reached the “beta” version of development. From now on, its developers will stop including changes and new features and will focus on fixing bugs and debugging the distribution before the arrival of the final version.

Zorin OS 16 "beta": What's New

What’s new in Zorin OS 16

This new version of the Linux distro is based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and has completely changed many aspects of the system.

A much more cared and pampered appearance

The first of them, and surely the one that will attract our attention the most, is appearance . This new version of the Linux distro brings a totally renewed and refined look. It has a new default theme that makes it more pleasing to the eye, with different effects and animations that improve the user experience.

Zorin OS 16 beta - 1

The lock screen has also received changes, now being a blurred version of the background that we have activated on the PC.

Zorin OS 16 beta - 2

Regarding the appearance of Zorin, we will also find other interesting features, such as the Jelly Mode, a jelly effect when moving the windows and other elements of the system. Very typical of the distros of the 2000s that, now, we can activate with a simple switch. We are even going to find (although it is not yet available) a new look inspired by Windows 10X that mimics the look (start, taskbar, etc.) of the new Microsoft operating system.

Other aesthetic changes that we will find in this distro are:

  • Customizable task bar.
  • Ability to create folders in the grid views.
  • Improvements when scaling the desktop.
  • The entire settings section has been redesigned to be much easier.

Finally, its developers have included new wallpapers to this distro. And, in addition, we will have the possibility to activate a “dynamic wallpaper” that will change the desktop as the time of day changes.

Zorin OS 16 beta - 3

More configurable and faster than ever

Zorin’s appearance configuration options are now much simpler and more intuitive to use, being able to change the appearance of the system as we want without complications.

Performance is another of the elements that has been most cared for in this new version. The developers at Zorin have made sure that their system runs smoothly on all types of hardware. In addition, they have made changes and optimizations in practically every aspect of the system, from the kernel to the desktop layer, to offer the best possible experience in which applications open very quickly, animations are very light and load times have been reduced.

Software down a tube

Software installation has also been taken to a new level. If we have ever used Linux we will know that there are many ways to download and install software. Zorin OS wants that, as standard, your system allows you to find, download and install programs from all kinds of sources. For example, in addition to being able to install DEB packages by hand, as in other systems, we can also find the official Ubuntu and Zorin repositories included as standard. And, in addition, we will have the Flathub catalogs and the Snap Store loaded. The Zorin OS store has also changed, and now, in addition to being more complete and easy to use, it will allow us to choose from which source we want to download the program.

Zorin OS 16 beta - 4

Other news related to the software included in Zorin OS are:

  • New app to record sound, inspired by the Windows 10 recorder.
  • New faster and easier photo app.
  • Telemetry disabled by default in Firefox for more privacy.

Other changes

Other important changes that we will find in this new beta of Zorin OS 16 are:

  • New initial Tour that will teach us how to start using this distro.
  • If we have a trackpad, we can use the distro with manager more quickly.
  • Possibility of adding our programs as “favorites”.
  • Better fingerprint reader support.
  • Unread messages and notifications notifications.
  • QR to connect to a personal access point.
  • Improved support for new hardware.

Lastly, Zorin OS 16 will have software updates and security support until 2025.

Download and test the new Linux

At the moment, as we have said, the new Zorin OS 16 is still in beta. This means that, although it should be almost finished, there may still be many bugs, problems and errors. Therefore, it is not recommended to use this distro on a non-test computer.

We can download Zorin OS 16 Beta , in its Core edition, from this link . The Lite, Education, and Ultimate editions are not yet available in beta, and will arrive in the coming months.