How to Enable or Disable Animations in Ubuntu
Ubuntu animations are the visual effects that make windows fade, slide, and bounce across your screen. Turning off these extra effects makes older or slower computers feel much faster and more responsive.
You can switch desktop animations on or off in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and newer versions whenever you want to trade fancy visuals for extra speed.
Open Settings , navigate to Accessibility, and toggle the “Enable Animations” switch. Turn it on for visual effects or off for a snappier desktop.
Turn on or off desktop animations on Ubuntu Linux
You can disable animations Ubuntu users see by opening the main Settings app and adjusting the accessibility options. Turning off these visual effects makes older computers feel faster and more responsive, while keeping them on makes windows fade and slide smoothly as you open and close them.
In the Settings window, look at the menu on the left side. In 2026, the “Enable Animations” toggle is found under the Accessibility tab. Once you click Accessibility, look for the Seeing section.
Here, you will see a switch for Enable Animations. Toggle the switch to “On” if you want the visual effects. Toggle it to “Off” if you want to remove them for a faster feel.
Advanced: Managing specific animations
You can manage specific animations Ubuntu uses by installing the Extensions app or using dconf-editor for deeper control. These tools let you turn off individual visual effects, such as workspace switching fades or window minimizing transitions, without disabling every animation on your desktop system.
You can navigate to the GNOME interface settings to adjust individual animation speeds or behaviors. Be careful, as changing these settings can affect how your desktop windows behave.
Conclusion
Changing your animation settings is a simple way to make Ubuntu feel exactly how you want it, whether you prefer a flashy desktop or a faster, no-frills interface.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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