Surfaces
Expanding the Island opens one Surface: the full interactive content of an Activity or control domain. At most one island is Expanded at a time. Which Surface opens depends on what is shown, where the pointer is and what you asked for; no last-used Surface is remembered.
| Surface | Opens from | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Media | The Media Activity or verb | Media |
| Notifications | The notification list or verb | Notifications |
| Controls | A click at Rest or verb | Controls |
| Launcher | A verb or keybind | Launcher |
| Tray | Tray items at Rest or verb | Tray |
| Clipboard | A verb or the Launcher’s > |
Clipboard |
| Calendar | A Reminder or verb | Calendar |
| Weather | A verb or Launcher destination | Weather |
| Wallpapers | A verb or the Launcher’s @ |
Wallpapers |
| Keys | A verb or Launcher destination | Keys |
| Session | A countdown or session menu |
Session |
| Timer | A verb or Launcher destination | Timer |
| Capture | A verb or Launcher destination | Capture |
| Window | A verb or Launcher destination | Window |
| Strip | A verb or Launcher destination | Strip |
| Emoji | A verb or the Launcher’s : |
Emoji |
| Screen time | A verb or Launcher destination, once enabled | Screen time |
| Files | A verb or Launcher destination | Files |
| Auth | A request from polkit under niri or Umbriel | Auth |
Media, Notifications and Session are also Activity Kinds. Compact and Peek are the Activity’s own small forms; Expanded is its Surface. Screen time’s Activity is its limit notice, not the Surface. Most other Surfaces open only by user action; Auth opens only for polkit and holds the keyboard until answered, cancelled or locked.
Each Surface belongs to a Module. If that Module is off, the Surface is withheld: a click, verb, Launcher prefix or AutoExpand cannot open it. Screen time is off by default.
Sub-surfaces
Section titled “Sub-surfaces”A Sub-surface is a level inside a Surface, entered from a target and left by a back control or Escape. Controls has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Audio, a network’s password entry and tile arrangement; a Tray item’s menu and its nested menus are also Sub-surfaces. Each opening starts at the Surface’s top level.
Every target in a Surface and its Sub-surfaces is a key away. On a Surface opened by pointer, the first key that would act or move reveals the hidden ring without acting. Text-search Surfaces accept typing. Escape goes back a level before collapsing the Island. The Desk is separate and has its own pointer-based keyboard focus rules.
See also
Section titled “See also”The Island, Modules, keyboard, and CLI surfaces.