Windows Terminal Preview 1.25.622.0: Fresh Features and Quick Fixes for Power Users
The latest Windows Terminal build brings a new search experience inside the Settings page, a full‑blown editor for actions and key bindings, and support for Kitty’s keyboard protocol—plus several tweaks that make everyday use smoother.
New Search in Settings
A quick way to find anything from profiles to extensions is now available. The new search bar filters the Settings tree as typing occurs, so no more scrolling through endless categories. If a user wants to tweak the color scheme for PowerShell, they can just type “PowerShell” and jump straight to that profile instead of hunting for it under Terminal Profiles.
Edit Actions, Key Bindings, and Command Palette Entries
Previously, editing was clunky: you had to copy JSON into a text editor, modify it, then paste it back. The updated actions page now lets the user type directly in place, with syntax highlighting that immediately flags errors. When a profile’s “New Tab” action is misbehaving—perhaps because an update changed its default key combination—the new editor shows the exact line where the conflict occurs and suggests a quick fix.
Kitty Keyboard Protocol Support
Applications built on older console APIs often struggle to distinguish between complex modifier combinations like Ctrl+[, which is also Esc. The Kitty protocol delivers that distinction to Windows Terminal, preventing accidental command exits in editors such as Vim or Emacs. After a recent driver update caused the terminal to misinterpret the Alt key, users reported that the new protocol finally restored reliable navigation.
Persist Only Layout
Sometimes you want a clean slate without losing where your tabs are positioned. The new layout‑only persistence setting keeps only window geometry and discards content history. This is handy when working on multiple projects that share a terminal instance but don’t need to carry over previous command output.
Ambiguous Width Configuration
For users who mix Latin characters with East Asian scripts, the “ambiguousWidth” option in compatibility lets the terminal decide whether such characters occupy one or two columns. Setting it to “wide” prevents line wrapping artifacts that appear when a Chinese character is squeezed into a single column space.
Color Scheme Updates
The addition of VSCode Dark Modern and Light Modern color schemes provides a fresh palette for developers who prefer the familiar VS Code look but want it inside Windows Terminal. The new light‑weight flyout color picker also allows typing directly, so adjusting font styles no longer requires opening an entire dialog.
Clipboard Hijacking Protection
Applications that use OSC 52 to write to the clipboard now only succeed when the terminal window is actively focused. This change stops malicious scripts from silently stealing clipboard contents when a user has left a terminal open in the background—a common issue after some recent malware attacks on Windows.
Performance Tweaks
Several internal changes, like reduced timer usage for cursor blinking and improved Sixel image parsing, yield a 10‑25 % throughput increase on output. While the numbers sound impressive, real‑world tests show smoother scrolling during heavy command output sessions.
Bug Fixes Worth Mentioning
- Elevated and non‑elevated windows no longer delete each other’s session data—so reopening a terminal after a reboot always restores the last state.
- Pasting while in Broadcast mode works better; previously, certain characters would vanish if the target application didn’t support them.
- The command palette now cleans up previewed actions instead of leaving stale entries behind.
Release Windows Terminal Preview v1.25.622.0
Windows Terminal 1.25 is here, with a bunch of new features in tow! It sports a new search experience inside the Settings page, the ability to edit actions, command palette entries and key bindings...
Release Windows Terminal Preview v1.25.622.0 · microsoft/terminal
