If the effect stops working after a system upgrade, you will need to rebuild it or reinstall the package. The effect only works for the exact KWin version it was built for. Additionally, KWin needs to be restarted (e.g., via logout+login) to load an updated version of the effect.
Enable Better Blur DX
Open System Settings
Navigate to System Settings from your application launcher or by pressing
Alt + F2 and typing “System Settings”.Disable conflicting blur effects
Better Blur DX conflicts with the default KWin blur effect and other effects that replace it.Search for “blur” in the effects list and disable any existing blur effects, particularly:
- Blur (the default KWin blur effect)
- Any other third-party blur effects
Make Windows Transparent
The blur effect only appears on transparent or translucent windows. If you don’t see any blur after enabling the effect, it’s because your windows are fully opaque. There are several ways to make windows transparent:Use transparent themes
Use transparent themes
Many applications support transparent themes. For example:
- Konsole: Settings → Edit Current Profile → Appearance → Choose a transparent color scheme
- Dolphin: Use a transparent color scheme if supported by your theme
- VS Code/Electron apps: Some have built-in transparency settings
Use a transparent color scheme
Use a transparent color scheme
Apply a system-wide transparent color scheme like Alpha to make all KDE applications semi-transparent automatically.
- Download and install a transparent color scheme
- Go to System Settings → Colors & Themes → Colors
- Select the transparent color scheme
Create window rules for opacity
Create window rules for opacity
You can create window-specific rules to reduce opacity:
- Right-click on a window’s titlebar
- Go to More Actions → Configure Special Window Settings
- Click Add Property → Appearance & Fixes → Active opacity or Inactive opacity
- Set the desired opacity percentage (e.g., 90%)
- Click OK to apply
Basic Configuration
Once the effect is enabled, you can adjust basic settings:Access effect settings
In the Desktop Effects page, click the settings icon (gear/wrench) next to Better Blur DX.
Adjust blur strength
The Blur Strength slider controls how blurry the background appears. Higher values create a stronger blur effect.Default: 15
Recommended range: 10-20 for balanced visual appeal
Recommended range: 10-20 for balanced visual appeal
Adjust noise strength
The Noise Strength setting adds grain to the blur, which helps hide banding artifacts in smooth gradients.Default: 5
Tip: Increase this if you notice color banding on gradients
Tip: Increase this if you notice color banding on gradients
Known Compatibility Issues
Wobbly Windows: The blur region is square and will either bleed outside the deformed window or KWin will skip the blur entirely during the wobble animation. It’s recommended to disable this effect if you use Better Blur DX.Performance Considerations
Better Blur DX can be resource-intensive, especially with many windows open.High cursor latency on Wayland (GPU-intensive scenarios)
High cursor latency on Wayland (GPU-intensive scenarios)
If you experience high cursor latency or stuttering on Wayland:
- Set the environment variable:
KWIN_DRM_NO_AMS=1 - If that’s not enough, try enabling or disabling the software cursor:
KWIN_FORCE_SW_CURSOR=0(hardware cursor)KWIN_FORCE_SW_CURSOR=1(software cursor)
Intel GPUs use software cursor by default due to a known bug, though it doesn’t affect all GPUs.
Next Steps
Configuration
Explore all configuration options including force blur and refraction
Window Transparency
Learn detailed methods for making windows transparent
Window Classes
Understand how to target specific applications with blur