Microsoft has pushed Windows Terminal 1.25 (Build 1.25.2733.0) to the stable channel, bringing a mix of new capabilities and long-overdue stability fixes. The update adds support for the Kitty keyboard protocol, introduces window persistence options, speeds up app catalog queries, and closes several bugs that were causing crashes and memory leaks.
If you’ve been waiting to move off the preview track, this build is worth installing. Here’s everything that changed and what it means for your daily workflow.
#1 Kitty keyboard protocol support
The most notable addition is support for the Kitty keyboard protocol, an open standard originally developed for the Kitty terminal emulator for Unix-like systems. The protocol lets a terminal application send detailed information about which modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl, Alt, etc.) are held down when you press a key.
In practice, this matters a lot for power users running interactive command-line tools. Applications like fzf, tmux, and various Vim and Emacs configurations rely on precise key-press reporting to distinguish between combinations that older terminal protocols treat as identical. Without this support, some of those shortcuts simply don’t register or behave incorrectly.
By adopting the Kitty protocol, Windows Terminal 1.25 can now pass these finer-grained key events through to your shell and the programs running inside it, which should make advanced text-processing and terminal-based workflows feel more responsive and reliable.
#2 Window persistence options
The update also introduces window persistence options, a feature that lets Windows Terminal remember and restore the layout of your tabs and panes when you reopen it. Rather than starting from a blank slate each time, the app can pick up roughly where you left off.
This is especially useful if you regularly juggle multiple tabs across several panes for different tasks — say, a build log on one side and a shell on the other. With persistence enabled, you won’t have to manually rebuild your workspace after closing and reopening the terminal.
The exact behavior — such as whether it restores all windows or just the current one — is typically configurable, so you can tune it to match how you actually work. If you’ve been requesting this kind of session recovery for a while, it’s good to see it land in the stable release.
#3 Faster app catalog queries
Microsoft has also optimized how Windows Terminal queries its app catalog, the internal list of commands and actions available in the settings UI and command palette. Faster queries mean the search results should populate more quickly as you type, which reduces the noticeable lag when hunting for a specific command.
While this change won’t be obvious on a lightly configured terminal, users with large settings files or many installed commands will likely feel the difference. The improvement keeps the interface snappy even as your configuration grows, which is a common complaint as setups get more elaborate over time.
#4 Memory leak and Xbox controller crash fixes
Beyond the new features, this build addresses a couple of stability issues that were affecting users. Microsoft patched memory leaks that could gradually consume more system resources the longer Windows Terminal stayed open, potentially slowing down your machine or causing the app to behave erratically over time.
The update also resolves crashes tied to Xbox controllers. If you’ve ever had a controller plugged in while using the terminal and hit a crash, this fix should eliminate that specific trigger. These are the kinds of behind-the-scenes fixes that don’t make headlines but make the day-to-day experience noticeably more solid.
What This Means for You with Windows Terminal 1.25
For most users, the practical takeaway is simple: Windows Terminal 1.25 is a solid, recommended update. The Kitty protocol support and window persistence options add real value for power users, while the memory leak and crash fixes benefit everyone by keeping the app running smoothly.
If you’re currently on an older 1.25 build or still on the preview channel, this stable release gives you both the new features and the stability improvements in one install. The faster app catalog queries are a smaller win, but they add up over a long session.
How to Get It
If you installed Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store, updates arrive automatically. Open the Store and check for updates, or just relaunch the terminal — it will typically prompt you to install the new version on its own.
For those who installed it via the winget package manager, you can check for updates by running winget upgrade –id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal in a command prompt. If you’re still running the classic Windows Terminal app bundled with Windows 10, note that it has reached end of support, which is one more reason to migrate to the standalone Windows Terminal 1.25.
Source: Neowin
Over to you: Are you switching to the Kitty protocol for your favorite CLI tools, or is window persistence the feature you’ve been waiting for?
