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KDE plans to enable Wayland picture-in-picture by default in Plasma 6.9, according to its development update. The release is still ahead, and the update also lists per-monitor-layout window memory, new XWayland permission controls and other features; a release date has not been provided.

KDE plans to enable Wayland picture-in-picture by default in Plasma 6.9, according to the project’s latest development update. The feature is described as working as intended, but Plasma 6.9 has not yet been released, so the plan and timing remain subject to development.

The update also describes a change intended to make switching between monitor setups less disruptive. Plasma 6.9 is expected to remember the sizes and positions of currently open windows for each screen arrangement. If a user disconnects a monitor and moves windows for a single-screen setup, reconnecting the second display should restore the windows to their previous positions for the two-screen arrangement.

KDE says this behavior initially applies to windows that remain open. Closing and reopening an application will still use the old behavior, while maintainers are working on a way to preserve placement for closed windows as well. The update does not say when that broader support will be ready.

Other planned changes include a setting to permanently deny XWayland applications requests for pointer and keyboard control, Brave support for Plasma Browser Integration, and a Task Switcher adjustment. Holding Ctrl or Shift while using the Task Switcher will stop items from bouncing around, making it easier to select multiple entries. KDE is also working through bug fixes for Plasma 6.8, which has just been released.

Wayland Picture-in-Picture Gets a Default

Enabling picture-in-picture by default would make the feature available without requiring users to find and turn on a setting, bringing a familiar desktop convenience to Plasma’s Wayland session. The practical value depends on how the feature behaves across applications and workflows; the development update says it is working as intended but does not provide compatibility details or a list of supported applications.

The monitor-layout change addresses another everyday desktop problem: windows can end up in inconvenient positions when a display is unplugged or reconnected. Remembering open-window layouts by screen arrangement could reduce repeated manual repositioning for people who move between docked and undocked setups. The planned XWayland permission control also gives users a more persistent way to block applications from requesting keyboard or pointer control.

Plasma 6.8 Has Just Shipped

The development update comes as KDE Plasma 6.8 has just been released. KDE is continuing to fix issues in that version while also describing features being prepared for Plasma 6.9. The update frames 6.9 as a future major release rather than a version that is ready for users now.

The window-placement feature is being developed around separate screen arrangements, such as a two-monitor desktop and a single-screen setup. Its initial scope is limited to windows that are still open during the change. KDE says maintainers are investigating whether closed applications can later regain their prior positions too.

“Wayland picture-in-picture is working as intended and will be enabled by default once 6.9 drops.”

— KDE’s This Week in Plasma development update

Release Timing and App Support

KDE has not provided a release date for Plasma 6.9 in the update, and the version remains in development. It is also unclear whether the picture-in-picture implementation will work with every relevant application or whether any limitations will apply. The update offers no compatibility list or technical detail about how the feature will be exposed to users.

The scope of window-layout restoration is clearer but still incomplete: it is described for windows that remain open, while a solution for closed and reopened windows is still being worked on. KDE has not stated when that work will be finished or whether all of the listed changes will make the final release.

More Testing Before Plasma 6.9

KDE’s next step is continued development and testing ahead of the Plasma 6.9 release. Users can expect further project updates to clarify whether the planned features are ready, how they behave in practice and when the version will arrive. In the meantime, maintainers are also addressing bugs in the newly released Plasma 6.8.

Source: XDA Developers

Key Questions

Will Wayland picture-in-picture be enabled by default in Plasma 6.9?

That is KDE’s current plan. Its development update says the feature is working as intended and will be enabled by default when Plasma 6.9 is released. The version is still in development.

When will KDE Plasma 6.9 be released?

The development update does not give a release date. It says Plasma 6.8 has just been released and that Plasma 6.9 is still ahead.

Will Plasma remember window positions after a monitor is disconnected?

The planned behavior remembers sizes and positions for currently open windows under each screen arrangement. Reopening a closed window is not covered by the initial behavior, and KDE says maintainers are working on that case.

What other changes are planned for Plasma 6.9?

KDE lists permanent denial of XWayland applications’ requests for pointer and keyboard control, Brave support for Plasma Browser Integration, and a Task Switcher change for selecting multiple items with Ctrl or Shift.

Source: XDA Developers