Ubuntu 26.04: Enable Fractional Scaling on Wayland

Before starting, make sure you are logged into a standard Wayland desktop session on your Ubuntu system.

Method 1: The Quick Terminal Command (Recommended)

The fastest way to enable fractional scaling is through a terminal command. Open your terminal by pressing ctrl + alt + t and enter this command:

gsettings set org.gnome.mutter experimental-features "['scale-monitor-framebuffer']"

Press enter, and the new display settings will become available immediately.

Method 2: The Graphical Interface (GUI)

If you prefer a graphical interface, you can configure this using the dconf editor tool.

In your terminal, type:

sudo apt install dconf-editor

Enter your administrator password when prompted. Remember that no characters will appear on the screen as you type your password, which is normal Linux security behavior. Give the package manager a few seconds to complete the download and installation process.

Once installed, open dconf editor from your application launcher.

Navigate through org > gnome > mutter, scroll down to find experimental-features, turn off the default toggle switch, and add 'scale-monitor-framebuffer' to the custom value field before saving your changes.

To quickly test and confirm that it worked, open your system Settings app and select the Displays tab. You will now see intermediate fractional scale options, such as 125%, 150%, and 175%, alongside the standard options.

How to Undo

If you ever notice screen flickering or want to revert back to default scaling, you can easily undo the changes with this command:

gsettings reset org.gnome.mutter experimental-features

Thanks for watching, and enjoy your customized screen layout!