KDE Plasma 6.6 adds virtual keyboard, Spectacle text recognition & improved accessibility

KDE Plasma 6.6 is now available as the latest release of this popular desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like systems. While existing users can turn their entire configuration into a custom global theme, this feature also works with the desktop's day and night theme switching. Alongside these visual updates, workflows have been streamlined, such as the option to connect to Wi-Fi networks using QR code scanning if a camera is available.

Expanding on accessibility, this version introduces a grayscale filter that brings the total number of built-in colorblind and vision-assist filters to four. The Zoom and Magnifier feature now includes a mode to keep the pointer centered, and Wayland sessions support Slow Keys and the Reduced Motion accessibility standard.

Audio controls see refinement, allowing users to hover over sound-playing app icons in the task manager and adjust their volume with the scroll wheel. The Windows List widget now includes Open on hover and window filtering for focused navigation. Additional enhancements include a new on-screen keyboard, advanced screencast filtering through window title bar options, and the debut of the Plasma Setup wizard, which configures user accounts after installation. Rounding out the update, Spectacle can extract text from screenshots, and users have quicker access to file properties on the desktop and a new emoji skin tone selector in the emoji picker.