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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteelementary OS 7, codenamed Horus, launched on January 31, 2023. It is no longer an upcoming release: elementary announced that it was available to download that day and was shipping soon on selected computers. The release centered on better app discovery and installation, new user settings and accessibility work, and improvements to the developer platform. This guide explains what the original release included, what changed in OS 7.1, and how the project later described the series’ support outlook.
Is elementary OS 7 out yet?
Yes. elementary founder and CEO Danielle Foré announced OS 7 on January 31, 2023, writing that “OS 7, codenamed Horus, is available to download now.” The announcement is available at elementary OS 7 Available Now. The release was also described as shipping soon on several computers, although that announcement did not provide a current vendor list, model list, or regional availability details.
The three goals stated for OS 7 were helping people get the applications they need, giving users new features and settings, and evolving the developer platform.
What was new in the original OS 7 release?
AppCenter became more informative and flexible
AppCenter received the largest set of user-facing changes. App pages gained fuller descriptions, screenshots, recent-release information, release notes, and links to resolved issue-tracker tickets. The interface was also tuned to behave better in small or tiled windows.
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Updates could be handled more automatically: Flatpak applications could update automatically, while operating-system updates were prepared during a normal session and installed offline when the computer restarted. That separation lets a user continue working while the system prepares the update.
Apps installed by sideloading or from alternative stores such as Flathub were presented more consistently in AppCenter. An indicator explained when an app came from an alternative store and had not been reviewed by elementary, rather than making it appear as though elementary had vetted it.
Web apps arrived through GNOME Web 43
OS 7 added a way to create web apps using GNOME Web 43. This is useful for turning a frequently used website into an app-like launcher entry without installing a separate native desktop program.
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Feedback reporting was made easier to use
The Feedback app was redesigned with accessibility in mind, making it easier to report problems and provide information the project can use to investigate them.
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The installer combined the “Before You Install” information into a single screen and fixed issues affecting installation in virtual machines. Initial setup gained options for left-handed clicking and help with connecting to a network. Onboarding could also offer scheduled dark appearance and automatic-update settings.
The official material refers to booting installation media. A USB flash drive is therefore a practical way to install OS 7, but the announcement does not specify a required capacity, model, or purchase.
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Accessibility and convenience settings expanded
OS 7 included broader settings and workflow improvements rather than presenting every item as a brand-new application. The release covered mouse and clicking preferences, appearance scheduling, automatic updates, and other setup choices that reduce the need to change settings manually after installation.
Mail, Tasks, Files, and printer workflows changed
- Mail: the unified inbox added support for Microsoft 365 accounts.
- Tasks: task lists could be used offline.
- Files: users gained click-mode options, including a choice of how items are opened.
- Printers: printer settings improved queue management and ink-level reporting.
Music was rewritten around local playback
The Music app was rewritten with a focus on playing individual audio files and maintaining a local music collection. The announcement describes this as a new direction for the existing app, not evidence that every media feature was an entirely separate product.
What did elementary OS 7.1 add?
OS 7.1 was announced on October 3, 2023. It was a later point release, not a replacement for the January 2023 OS 7 launch. Its scope emphasized accessibility, installation hardware support, and maintenance. The details are in elementary OS 7.1 Available Now.
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| Area | OS 7 (January 31, 2023) | OS 7.1 (October 3, 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Release role | Major release, codenamed Horus | Point release for the OS 7 series |
| Accessibility | Accessibility and convenience settings in setup and daily workflows | Audio prompt for enabling the screen reader during installation and setup; five display filters for color-perception deficiency; improved screen-reader behavior |
| Applications and updates | AppCenter redesign, automatic Flatpak updates, offline OS-update installation, and updated core apps | Flatpak Repair and fixes delivered through the continuing update stream |
| Hardware and drivers | Installer and virtual-machine improvements | Optional proprietary-driver installation, firmware-update notifications, and Linux 6.2 through the Ubuntu LTS Hardware Enablement stack then in use |
The 7.1 announcement also reported that more than 200 reports had been addressed through free updates since OS 7 launched. That is a project-reported count, not an independent performance or reliability benchmark.
What happened after OS 7.1?
Later OS 7 application work
An August 8, 2024 update described additional app and platform work for OS 7, including GTK 4 updates to Videos and Camera, developer-tool improvements, new Files preferences, and Color Picker, Screenshot, and Screencast portals. These changes show that applications and shared platform components continued to receive updates; they do not mean OS 7 had regained the project’s primary development focus. See Surprise! Big Updates for OS 7 Are Here!.
Development focus moved to OS 8
In a November 3, 2023 development update, Foré said people running OS 7 should expect fewer updates and that the series should largely be considered complete. The same post said Flatpak applications would continue receiving updates and that Canonical was expected to provide security and bug-fix updates from Ubuntu LTS repositories until 2027. Those were statements and expectations published in November 2023, not a freshly verified support guarantee for every installation in 2026. For current support status, consult elementary’s latest announcements and your installed system’s update information. The original statement is documented in Let’s Talk OS 8.
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Can you install elementary OS 7 on any computer?
The cited release announcements do not publish a complete hardware-compatibility matrix or minimum system requirements, so “any computer” would be too broad. They do establish that OS 7 was distributed as install media and that OS 7.1 included installer fixes, an option for proprietary drivers, firmware notifications, and the Ubuntu LTS Hardware Enablement stack. Check your computer’s hardware—especially graphics, Wi-Fi, storage, and printer support—against current elementary documentation before replacing an existing operating system.
If you are testing in a virtual machine, the OS 7 announcement specifically mentions fixes for virtual-machine installation. For a physical installation, back up personal data first and prepare external installation media; neither announcement specifies a required USB size.
What elementary OS 7 is—and is not
- It is a January 2023 major release with the Horus codename, not a future product announcement.
- Its most visible change is the app workflow: richer AppCenter pages, clearer provenance for alternative-store apps, Flatpak automation, and offline operating-system updates.
- It includes many updates to existing applications and settings, including Mail, Tasks, Files, printer controls, Music, onboarding, and Feedback.
- OS 7.1 adds targeted improvements for accessibility, Flatpak repair, proprietary drivers, firmware, and hardware enablement rather than redefining the release.
- No cited source supplies comparative performance benchmarks. Qualitative descriptions of speed or stability should not be treated as measured results.
The Bottom Line
elementary OS 7 (Horus) is a completed January 2023 release whose defining work was a more capable AppCenter, smoother Flatpak and update handling, improved setup and accessibility, and refreshed core apps. OS 7.1 followed in October 2023 with additional accessibility and hardware-support improvements. By November 2023, elementary had shifted its main development effort to OS 8, so treat OS 7 as a maintained legacy series and verify present-day support before installing it on new hardware.
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