Shotwell releases version 33.0 with GTK4 port

Shotwell, the digital photo organizer for GNOME desktops, has released version 33.0, marking its first major toolkit migration since moving to GTK3 in 2012. This update ports the application to GTK4, enabling GPU-accelerated rendering and improved support for Wayland and HiDPI displays.

While the underlying technology has been modernized, the user interface remains visually similar to previous versions, as the port does not currently utilize Libadwaita. Notable functional improvements include a native file chooser, improved drag-and-drop behavior that automatically groups images by metadata, and a more streamlined authentication process for online services like Google Photos and Flickr.

Other technical updates include memory leak patches, bug fixes for toolbars and dialog spacing, and the introduction of ‘Toasts’ to replace simple dialogs. Shotwell remains a default photo management tool for Ubuntu extended installations. Users can access the update via Flatpak, Flathub, or the Snap Store.