- Microsoft listed the changes coming to Windows 11
- AI reductions and more control over updates are included
- Taskbar repositioning also returns
You don’t have to look far on the internet to find complaints from Windows 11 users about the direction the desktop operating system has been heading lately, but it looks like Microsoft is now making good on its promises to fix some of the biggest problems with the software.
Pavan Davuluri, president of Windows and devices at Microsoft, wrote a lengthy blog post that was also emailed to users of the Windows Insider program. In it, he shares some of the “initial changes” that will be coming to pre-release versions of Windows over the coming months.
It sounds like a wish list put together by a disillusioned Windows 11 user: we get fewer “useless Copilot entry points” (less AI slope), and this AI reduction includes expanded functionality to apps like Photos and Notepad. Desktop widgets are also made “quieter” and less obtrusive, with improved customization controls.
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Another interesting change is better control over Windows updates. Davuluri says these will be less disruptive in the future and users will have more choice when it comes to ignoring updates (when setting up or restarting Windows, for example). Updates may also be suspended for longer.
Taskbar customization returns
File Explorer – the bane of many users – will become “faster and more reliable”, with performance improvements made to the launch experience. The app will soon feature reduced flicker, smoother navigation, and more reliable performance when it comes to day-to-day file management.
Then there’s more customization of the taskbar, which Davuluri says is one of the “top requests” he’s received from users. You will be able to fix it on the side or top of the screen, no third-party utility required, with a future update. This is of course a feature we had in Windows 10 but was removed for Windows 11.
Additionally, Microsoft is making the Windows Insider program “more transparent” – with clearer channel definitions and improved access to new features – and is also upgrading the Feedback Hub, so you can more easily tell Microsoft how well (or poorly) it’s doing with the upcoming changes.
Davuluri goes on to highlight Microsoft’s recent commitment to improving the performance, reliability, and crafting of Windows 11 in the coming months, and it looks like there’s a lot in store for us. What the executive isn’t saying is how many of these upgrades will be coded by AI – perhaps it’s best not to ask.
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