- Microsoft has listed changes coming to Windows 11
- Reductions in AI 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 in 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, the president of Windows & Devices at Microsoft, has written a lengthy blog post that was also sent out via email to users in the Windows Insider program. In it, he shares some of the “initial changes” that will see versions of Windows over the next few months.
It sounds like a wish list put together by a disillusioned Windows 11 user: We get fewer “unnecessary Copilot entry points” (less AI slop), and that reduction in AI includes features pushed out to apps like Photos and Notepad. Desktop widgets are also being made “quiet” and less distracting with improved personalization controls.
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Another valuable change is more control over Windows updates. Davuluri says these will be less disruptive going forward, and users will have more choices when it comes to skipping updates (such as when setting up or restarting Windows). Updates may also be paused for longer periods of time.
Taskbar customization is coming back
File Explorer – the bane of many users – will become “faster and more reliable”, with performance improvements coming to the launch experience. The app will soon feature reduced flicker and smoother navigation and more reliable performance when it comes to day-to-day file management.
Then there’s more taskbar customization, which Davuluri says is one of the “top questions” he’s heard from users. You will be able to direct it to the side or top of the screen, without any third-party tool required, with an upcoming update. This is of course a feature that we had in Windows 10, but was cut for Windows 11.
What’s more, 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 how poorly) it’s doing with the upcoming changes.
Davuluri continues to highlight Microsoft’s recent commitment to increasing the performance, reliability and “craft” (user experience) of Windows 11 in the coming months, and it looks like there’s plenty to come. What the boss isn’t saying is how many of these upgrades will be coded by AI – perhaps best not to ask.
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