Ghostty 1.4 renders animated GIFs via the Kitty graphics protocol, a first for non‑Kitty terminals.
GHOSTTY 1.4 RELEASE BOOSTS PERFORMANCE, COMPLETES KITTY GRAPHICS
*Ghostty 1.4 dropped on Oct 27 2026. Seven months of work, 172 contributors, and 2,889 commits deliver speed, memory gains and the first full Kitty graphics stack outside Kitty. Security patches close dozens of remote‑code vectors.*
Ghostty 1.4 landed on Oct 27 2026, marking the most ambitious update in the terminal's history. Seven months of development, 172 contributors, and 2,889 commits culminated in a release that promises both raw speed and visual parity with Kitty. The maintainers spent over 16 hours writing the notes, a testament to the breadth of changes. Beyond performance, the update finally closes the graphics gap, delivering full Kitty protocol support—including animation and relative placements—while shoring up a raft of security flaws that could have led to remote code execution. The non‑profit project also reiterates its funding model: donations flow directly to contributors.
What performance and memory gains does Ghostty 1.4 claim?
The release notes label Ghostty 1.4 a "major release" with "large performance and memory improvements" across all platforms. The developers spent over 16 hours hand‑crafting the notes, underscoring the depth of the changes. SIMD‑based bulk parsing of image payloads replaces byte‑by‑byte handling, shaving latency in graphics‑heavy sessions. Memory usage drops as the new bulk parser reduces allocation churn. Together, these tweaks translate into snappier cursor response and smoother scrolling, especially on lower‑end hardware.
How does Ghostty finally implement Kitty graphics?
Ghostty 1.4 delivers a 100% complete Kitty graphics implementation, the first non‑Kitty terminal to do so. Animation and relative placements now work: animated GIFs shown with kitten icat play instead of freezing on a single frame. Relative placement lets a child image track its parent, enabling complex UI overlays. A full conformance pass fixed dozens of behavioral gaps: images now scroll with text inside scroll regions, retransmitted IDs replace prior images, and malformed data returns explicit errors. Bulk SIMD parsing also speeds image payload handling.
Which macOS versions gain new compatibility?
Ghostty 1.4 adds official support for macOS 27 (Golden Gate). Compatibility fixes restore proper tab layout in the title bar, eliminate the solid gray bar, and let the glass style blend with the terminal background. Hidden title‑bar mode no longer obscures top lines when Reduce Transparency is active, and the app icon lost its thin border. The Shortcuts "New Window" action now opens a single window. Backward compatibility remains intact through macOS 13 (Ventura). Ghostty 1.3.1 runs on macOS 27 but still shows the gray tab bar.
What security vulnerabilities were patched in 1.4?
The release addresses nine GitHub‑reported advisories. Paste protection now respects carriage returns, preventing silent command execution. Kitty graphics commands can no longer force huge allocations, crash the terminal, or read/delete files outside temporary directories. Malicious tmux control‑mode output that could close every window is blocked, even without tmux installed. Scrollback corruption on zero‑limit pages is mitigated. Crafted directory names no longer trigger arbitrary escape sequences in zsh (bash limited). On macOS, unsafe OSC 8 hyperlinks, drag‑and‑drop text, and control‑character file names are now sandboxed behind user confirmation dialogs.
Frequently asked questions
When was Ghostty 1.4 released?
Ghostty 1.4 was released on October 27, 2026.
How many contributors worked on Ghostty 1.4?
The release reflects work from 172 contributors across 2,889 commits over seven months.
Does Ghostty 1.4 support macOS 27?
Yes, Ghostty 1.4 fully supports macOS 27 and remains compatible back to macOS 13.
Ghostty 1.4 sets a new benchmark for open‑source terminals: speed, visual fidelity, and hardened security in a single package. With macOS 27 support and a full Kitty graphics stack, developers can finally rely on a free terminal that matches proprietary rivals. The community‑driven model shows no sign of slowing, and the disclosed advisories suggest a proactive stance on future threats. Expect the next iteration to build on this foundation, not merely patch it.
Sources: Ghostty 1.4 release notes (https://ghostty.org/docs/install/release-notes/1-4-0)