If you’re a KDE fan, you must have certainly come across or even used Falkon. So, you must be pleasantly surprised to find out that KDE has managed to release a new major upgrade of their web browser.
Unlike other mainstream web browsers, Falkon does not receive frequent updates. And, the latest release is an exciting update, after a gap of almost three years!
For those unaware, Falkon is a simple open-source web browser built upon the QtWebEngine. It was initially known as QupZilla, later rebranded to Falkon under KDE.
Although not new—being released way back in 2010—it offers a minimalistic browsing experience for the average user.
Falkon 3.2.0: What’s New?
Even though you have the latest version available now, Falkon does not offer regular security updates.
So, you might want to consider Falkon as a browser for specific requirements or as a secondary browser.
Here’s what’s new with this release:
Screen Capture and PDF Reader Support
The latest release brings in much-needed support for Screen Capture and an optional PDF reader based on PDFium. Both of these are based on Qt 5.13. version.
Themes and Plugins
Initial support for downloading themes and extensions has also been added, along with the Preferences menu that displays links to the KDE store. Additionally, users can now remove locally installed themes and plugins too.
Bookmarks
Users can now create folders and store bookmarks thanks to a context menu item. It has been noticed that the padding of the bar and the ability to create bookmarks without a parent has been taken away.
Other features
- A very common yet essential feature added to Falkon is the ability to pause or resume downloads.
- An updated CookieManager now allows the selection of more than one cookie at the same time.
- The Preferences extensions can now be filtered.
- Users can now detach tabs via the context menu
- NetworkManager integration is now included.
To know more about all the technical changes, you can refer to the official release notes.
Wrapping Up
The latest release of Falkon shows that KDE is still planning to continue support for it. This is a piece of good news for KDE lovers, especially for those who use Falkon. But, it’s too early to say if they plan to push regular updates, making it an ideal choice for everyday browsing.
If you’re okay with a simple and lightweight web browser with decent ad-blocking capabilities, one that blends in well with the KDE desktop, Falkon is a must-try.
Installation is very straightforward. You can find it in your repositories or install it using the Flatpak or Snap packages. It is also available for Windows users, if you are curious.
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