digiKam 8.5.0 brings over 160 fixes, Apple Silicon support, and enhanced face detection

digiKam 8.5.0 is out with 160+ fixes supporting 61 interface languages and 16 for documentation inviting user translations. The RAW decoder, LibRaw, has been updated, enhancing RAW file processing. Metadata management benefits from ExifTool and Exiv2 library updates, improving metadata support.

A native Apple Silicon package has also been introduced, utilizing Qt6, KDE, and FFmpeg, eliminating the need for Rosetta 2, and optimizing performance for Apple Silicon devices, while still supporting Intel-based macOS with Qt5. Face management sees improvements with new deep-learning models, YuNet and SFace, enhancing detection and recognition speed and accuracy. Usability is enhanced with a linear gradient color bar for better visual clarity.

The release completes the transition to the Qt6 framework across all platforms, ensuring modernized performance. Community engagement remains pivotal, with active collaboration during pre-release testing and invitations for contributions to translations and documentation.