Microsoft has shared details about the upcoming Windows 11 update to the Start menu, and also talked about concepts that ultimately didn’t materialise. According to Windows Central, the new version of the Launcher will merge the list of all apps with the main menu page, add more personalisation options including an increased number of pinned apps and the ability to disable the recommendations box. The update is expected to be released soon.
When working on the interface, various options were considered. In particular, there was an idea to combine the classic Windows 10 menu with the style of Windows 11: the list of applications was proposed to be placed on the left, and on the right – to display the latest files. Another concept resembled the full-screen mode of Windows 8, where selected applications and separate panels for quick access to services such as Designer or PowerPoint were highlighted.
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Other approaches were tried with “create” and “for you” blocks that were supposed to show tasks, events, and recent files. However, this idea was abandoned in the final version. Deeper integration with mobile devices was also considered, but it was decided to keep it within the Phone Link application.