Windows 10 has witnessed the release of a brand new preview build which showcases an enormous change that we’ve heard about previously; particularly a new search for the Start menu, alongside another tweaks like altering the best way Alt-Tabbing works in sure cases.
Windows 10 build 20161 has been released to testers within the ‘dev channel’ (the new title for the quick ring), though these new options won’t come to every Windows Insider straightaway, and it’ll be a gradual rollout with solely a small variety of testers concerned at first – so it’s possible you’ll have to attend a short while to see this in your preview construct.
The centerpiece right here is the brand new Start menu which has previously been teased, and as you’ll be able to see from the images Microsoft provided, it’s not a large change initially – though more work is likely within the pipeline – but it surely does make the interface look cleaner and more uniform.
Live tiles have been altered in order that they aren’t such a hotchpotch of various colors, they usually now all carry the identical color background for a uniform appearance which matches whether or not you’re operating a light or dark theme (in the blog post describing the changes, Microsoft notes that you’ll be able to apply an accent coloration if you want).
The backgrounds of the icons on the Begin menu’s app record have additionally been eliminated for a cleaner overall look. The modifications are good, we predict, and former suggestions online has been positive about them too, however as we already talked about, there’s possible additional work to be finished – and will probably be fascinating to see precisely what else Microsoft has deliberate.
Note that the brand new Start menu in build 20161 isn’t tied to any specific version of Windows 10; as Microsoft clarifies, this is a build from its Active Development Branch.
In other words, we don’t know when or with which replace we’ll witness the debut of the new Start menu, however the smart money is on H1 2021 (given that the update due for later in 2020 is a minor one with no big introductions, identical to the November 2019 Update was on the end of last year).
Tabs aplenty
Build 20161 additionally modifications the best way Alt-Tab works, the operate which lets you rapidly change between the windows you have open, however the tweak only relates to Microsoft Edge.
Instead of an Edge window being thought of one activity for switching functions, now every tab open in Edge is displayed individually and might be Alt-Tabbed between; so in case you’ve obtained a number of tabs open, you’ll simply be capable to change between them using Alt-Tab.
If you have a lot of tabs open, thoughts, then issues will likely turn out to be moderately cluttered and confusing – however fortunately, Microsoft has included the choice to show this function off (or restrict the quantity of tabs displayed when Alt-Tabbing).
Just like the Start menu, this performance is additionally solely rolling out to a small subset of testers initially, so once more it’s possible you’ll not see it straightaway. Further note that you might want to be operating the Dev or Canary construct of Microsoft Edge to have the ability to use this, in addition to preview build 20161.
Microsoft guarantees that extra ‘productiveness enhancements’ will probably be coming to Edge, so that appears like we are able to count on the browser to be additional pushed inside Windows 10, which is no great surprise. Keep in mind that Microsoft is at present within the midst of a wide-reaching marketing campaign to steer people to modify their browser to Edge, with all method of advertisements popping up right here and there, together with with Windows 10 search (and Microsoft is frankly operating the chance of this getting pretty annoying).
Anyhow, a number of different extra minor modifications arrived with build 20161. They include a extra personalised taskbar for these organising Windows 10 utilizing their Microsoft account, whereby the OS will, for instance, put the Your Phone app on the taskbar by default for those who have a linked Android smartphone.
Notifications have additionally been tweaked to point out the related app icon alongside the highest, together with an ‘x’ icon top-right to make dismissing the notification a simple course of.