Windows 11: Everything you need to know
Microsoft recently published the first preview of Windows 11 (Build 22000.51) for devices enrolled in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program, and with it, the company introduced a slew of significant interface changes, features, and updated apps coming this holiday season. Here’s a closer look at the new features and changes. We even show you many improvements that Microsoft didn’t mention.
In this flight, you will find the new Start menu and a taskbar that both now have a centred alignment and a fresh take on Action Center that includes two experiences: “Notification Center” and “Quick Settings.” In addition, there’s a preview of the updated version of File Explorer that no longer includes a ribbon menu.
Windows 11 is also introducing a new Widgets feature to consume news and other content, a bunch of multitasking features like Snap layouts and groups, a new Microsoft Store and Get Started apps, a redesigned Settings app with new features and improvements, and a lot more.
In this Windows 11 guide, we will dive deep into the new interface changes, improvements, and new features that Microsoft has made available with Build 22000.51. These are the most important features, improvements, and changes to the user interface that Microsoft has been working on for Windows 11 so far.
Start menu
Windows 11 Build 22000.51 introduces a new Start menu design similar to the one the company was building for Windows 10X. The new menu and the updated taskbar appear centred on the screen, and it ditches the Live Tiles for traditional icons. [1]
The Start menu has three sections. The “Pinned” section is at the top, and it includes quick access to your favourite apps. You can right-click any app to access the context menu with different options, including moving the item to the top, opening the file location, and uninstalling the app. It’s also possible to drag the icons around to change their position. [2]
The default layout includes three rows and eight columns, but you are not limited to only 24 items. You can pin as many apps as you want since you can scroll down to jump to different pages. You can also use the dots on the right side to jump between pages.
You will find the All apps button to access the list of all installed applications in the top-right corner. This part is where you will find the “most used” and “recently added” lists. Like in previous versions, you can use the dial to jump to different sections within the list. [3]
The Recommended section is where you will find cloud-powered recommendations to files you may want to pick up where you left off and apps.
You can right-click the header to refresh the content, and you can click the More button to access even more recommendations. However, during the time I spent with this build, these options appear and disappeared without warnings.
If you see an item, you don’t want. You can right-click and select the option to remove it from the page. [4]
In this version, it is no longer possible to resize the menu, use it in full-screen mode, or create groups. Also, the experience comes with many promoted apps, which you may not be able to differentiate between your own apps and may cause to install apps you don’t need.
Then at the bottom, you will find the section that includes the
