TL;DR
Jellyfin published its inaugural 'State of the Fin' update covering the project's seventh anniversary, a major database refactor shipped in 10.11, and ongoing client work across web, desktop, Android TV, Xbox, Roku and Swiftfin. The team is addressing migration and performance issues from 10.11 and is considering changes to the versioning scheme for the next major release.
What happened
The Jellyfin team opened a regular 'State of the Fin' update to summarize recent work. The project celebrated its seventh anniversary and recapped the 10.11 release, which consolidated legacy library.db into a single jellyfin.db via a substantial EF Core refactor after extended RC testing. Post-release, the team tracked bugs in three buckets (general, performance, migration) and has issued four point releases containing more than 100 changes focused largely on migration and general fixes. Web vNext (10.12/12.0) enabled a new 'Experimental' layout by default for non-TV devices and overhauled theming to use CSS variables. Client work touched multiple platforms: the desktop app was rebranded and moved to Qt 6, Android TV received music and codec improvements, the Xbox app gained full gamepad support and 4K/HDR handling, Roku had a maintenance release, and Swiftfin 1.4 shipped with navigation and media-player changes. A Tizen submission failed review and requires further fixes.
Why it matters
- The database refactor in 10.11 is a large internals change that affects migrations and compatibility for many users.
- Multiple client-side updates improve playback, UI theming and device support across platforms, impacting end-user experience.
- Ongoing point releases and bug-tracking show active maintenance but also indicate some isolated migration edge cases remain.
- Discussion of changing the versioning scheme could alter how future releases are numbered and perceived for stability.
Key facts
- Jellyfin marked its 7th anniversary in December.
- Version 10.11 consolidated legacy library.db into a unified jellyfin.db via an EF Core refactor.
- 10.11 underwent over six months of development and another six months of release-candidate testing before release.
- Since 10.11.0, the project shipped four additional point releases with more than 100 changes.
- Open GitHub tracking groups issues into general, performance, and migration/database categories.
- Web vNext (10.12/12.0) enables an 'Experimental' layout by default for non-TV devices and introduces easier runtime theming via CSS variables.
- Jellyfin Desktop was rebranded from Jellyfin Media Player and migrated from Qt 5 to Qt 6; saved servers and settings will not be migrated.
- Jellyfin for Android TV released versions 0.19.5 and 0.19.6 with music transcoding fixes and expanded AV1/VC-1 direct play support.
- Jellyfin for Xbox added default gamepad navigation (requires server 10.11+) and worked on 4K/HDR support; some compatibility and background-run trade-offs were noted.
- Swiftfin 1.4 was released with navigation and routing changes, Jellyfin 10.11 support, and a revamped media player manager.
What to watch next
- Whether the team will finalize changes to the versioning scheme (they have discussed dropping major version 10 but no decision is final).
- The next bug-fix release, expected to include fixes for music metadata display and preservation of watched status when media is replaced or renamed.
- The rollout and feedback on Web vNext's experimental layout and theming improvements.
- Timeline for stable Windows and macOS builds of Jellyfin Desktop is not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- EF Core: A data access technology for .NET used to interact with databases and perform object-relational mapping.
- Release candidate (RC): A near-final build of software released for wider testing to identify remaining bugs before the official release.
- Direct play: Playback mode where media is sent to a client without server-side transcoding when the client natively supports the codec and format.
- Theming (CSS variables): A method of customizing an application's look by defining reusable style variables that can be changed at runtime.
Reader FAQ
Will saved servers and settings migrate from Jellyfin Media Player to Jellyfin Desktop?
No. The update notes state that saved servers and settings will not be migrated.
Does the Xbox app require a specific server version for gamepad support?
Yes. Full gamepad navigation requires a server running version 10.11 or higher.
Is AV1 playback supported on older Fire TV devices via the Android TV app?
Yes. The update says AV1 support, previously limited to Android 10 and newer, now works on older Fire TV devices as well.
Has the team decided to change the versioning scheme for future releases?
Not confirmed in the source.
Are stable Windows and macOS builds of Jellyfin Desktop available now?
Stable builds for Windows and macOS are not currently available according to the update.
State of the Fin 2026-01-06 January 6, 2026 · 9 min read Bill Thornton Core Team, Web and iOS Lead Happy New Year and welcome to the State of the…
Sources
- State of the Fin 2026-01-06
- State of the Fin 2026-01-06 – Jellyfin
- Blog
- jellyfin/jellyfin: The Free Software Media System – Server …
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