Zorin OS 18 Beta is Now Available

Zorin announced that a public beta of Zorin OS 18 is now available for those that want a peek at the next version of this user-friendly Linux distribution.

“Zorin OS 18 brings a refreshed design, powerful new features, and even more compatibility with the apps and services you rely on,” the announcement post explains. “With Windows 10 reaching its end of life on 14 October 2025, an estimated 240 million computers1 that don’t meet Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements will be left behind. Zorin OS is designed to be the perfect replacement for Windows, thanks to its ease of use and powerful features, earning critical acclaim throughout the years.”

Some key updates include:

Redesigned desktop. The Zorin OS desktop has been redesigned with more rounded UI elements that evoke Windows 11 more than a little, a lighter color palette with more tinting on translucent controls, a floating panel (taskbar), and dozens of app UI improvements.

Simpler multitasking. Zorin OS 18 has a new default window tiling manager that looks quite a bit like Snap in Windows 11, with a pop-up for dragging windows into specific layouts, and a tiling customization feature so you can make your own layouts.

Web app integration. Zorin OS 18 is “merging” Progressive Web Apps and native apps so that they can coexist more naturally. There’s a new Web Apps tool that can turn any website into a desktop app, and it works with any web browser.

OneDrive integration. To help with those switching from Windows, you can add your OneDrive account to Zorin OS and then access your OneDrive-based files directly from the Files app. (No word about files on demand.)

Theme improvements. Zorin OS offers two theme colors, Yellow and Brown, thanks to user feedback, and all of the themes support light and dark modes and an accent color.

There’s a lot more, but you can check out the original post for the full details. You can download Zorin OS 18 Core Beta from the Zorin website.