Niri 26.04 introduces background blur, the most requested feature in the project's history. The scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor now supports both regular blur and efficient xray blur through the ext-background-effect protocol. Windows and layer-shell components can request blur without extra configuration, with many applications like terminals and launchers already supporting it.

Background blur required extensive refactoring of Smithay's rendering architecture. Xray blur is more efficient, computing the blurred wallpaper once and reusing it as a static image. The feature works with various applications and can be applied to pop-up menus through new configuration options. Both blur types integrate with niri's overview and screencasting features.

The release also adds optional includes to the configuration system and expands ~ paths to the home directory. With 20,000+ GitHub stars, niri continues to gain traction as a modern Wayland compositor offering innovative window management features that were previously unavailable in the Linux desktop ecosystem.