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The desktop is the main graphical workspace you see after signing in. It holds the controls for opening applications, checking the computer’s status, and moving between open work.
You can explore this screen without changing a setting. Start by looking, then move the pointer over a few controls and read the labels that appear.
Start with four areas
The default Ubuntu 26.04 desktop has four areas worth recognizing first.
The top bar
The narrow bar across the top stays available while you work. Its exact contents can vary, but it normally provides access to:
- Activities at the left, which opens an overview of applications and windows.
- The clock near the center, which also opens the calendar and notification list.
- The system area at the right, where sound, networking, battery, and power controls are grouped.
If a laptop has no battery or a computer has no Bluetooth adapter, the matching indicator may be absent. That does not mean the top bar is broken.
The Ubuntu Dock
The row of application icons on the left is the Ubuntu Dock.
You can use it for two things immediately: open an application and return to an application that is already running. Ubuntu’s Dock fills some of the role of the Windows taskbar, but the two are not identical.
The Dock can be moved or set to hide, so another Ubuntu computer may place it differently. Pressing the Super key still gives you a way to reach applications. Super is usually the key carrying a Windows logo on a PC keyboard.
The desktop background
The large area behind your windows is the desktop background. Ubuntu can show files or mounted devices there, depending on its settings.
The background is not the same as your Home folder. A file placed on the desktop may be stored in a Desktop folder, while most personal folders live elsewhere. Ubuntu Files Explained will make that distinction visible.
Application windows
An application is a program, such as Files or Firefox. A window is one visible workspace belonging to that program.
One application can have several windows. Closing one browser window therefore does not always mean the whole browser has stopped running.
Open the application overview
Select Activities, or press Super once.
The screen changes to an overview. You should see open windows, a search field, and a way to show installed applications. Start typing Files; you do not need to select a search box first.
Select Files from the results. A Files window should open, and its icon should appear active in the Dock.
Read the system area before changing it
Select the cluster of status icons at the top right. This opens Quick Settings.
The panel may show Wi-Fi, wired networking, Bluetooth, sound, brightness, power mode, dark style, or airplane mode. Only controls supported by this computer need to appear.
For now, press Esc or select outside the panel to close it. A later lesson explains what each control changes.
Notice notifications
Select the clock in the top bar. Ubuntu shows a calendar and recent notifications.
A notification is a short message from the system or an application. It may report that an update is ready, a file finished copying, or a device connected. Reading a notification does not normally perform the action it describes.
If there are no notifications, an empty list is a valid result.
Understand keyboard focus
Keyboard focus identifies the control that will respond when you press a key. A focused button or link normally gains a visible outline or highlight.
Press Tab several times inside a window. Watch the highlight move. Press Shift + Tab to move backward. When a button has focus, Enter or Space usually activates it.
This matters even if you normally use a mouse. Focus tells you where keyboard input will go, and it gives people who cannot use a pointer a way to operate the desktop.
Useful Windows comparisons
Comparisons can give you a starting point, but they are not exact translations.
- Ubuntu Dock is roughly comparable to the Windows taskbar for opening and switching applications.
- Ubuntu Files is roughly comparable to File Explorer.
- Ubuntu Settings is roughly comparable to Windows Settings.
- Ubuntu System Monitor handles some of the same work as Task Manager.
Learn the Ubuntu names as you use them. That will make help pages and search results easier to understand.
Common first-day confusion
The Dock disappeared. It may be set to hide until the pointer touches its screen edge. Press Super to reach the overview.
Pressing a key types into the wrong place. Look for the focus highlight or text cursor. Select the intended window, then try again.
The screen does not match a guide exactly. Ubuntu version, extensions, screen size, and settings can change placement. Match visible labels and purpose instead of relying only on position.
Closing a window did not stop an application. Some applications keep another window or a background process open. The next lesson explains the running indicators.
Practice
Knowledge check
Identify the parts of the desktop.
Point to the top bar, Dock, desktop background, and one application window. Then explain which area you would open to check Wi-Fi without changing it.
What to learn next
Continue to Ubuntu Dock and Applications Explained to learn how favorites, running applications, and application windows differ.