Microsoft is redesigning the start menu and taskbar

Microsoft has released the preview of the optional Windows 11 update for November. It brings innovations to the start menu, the taskbar and other areas of the operating system. Users can look forward to improved touchscreen operation and mouse control.

New features for Windows 11

Microsoft has made the preview of the upcoming optional update for Windows 11 available as part of the Insider Program. The update, called KB5046732, brings the version number to 22631.4534 and contains a number of new features and improvements.

The most noticeable changes include new features in the start menu and taskbar. In the future, when you right-click on pinned apps in the start menu, so-called jump lists will be displayed – provided the respective application supports this function. By default, Windows 11 now displays a shortened date and time in the taskbar. However, users can switch this back to the detailed display in the settings.

How Microsoft reported in the Windows blog there are also improvements to the touchscreen operation. In the settings you can now specify whether the touch gestures on the left or right edge of the screen should be deactivated. For mouse users, the option to disable enhanced pointer precision has been added to the settings. The scrolling direction of the mouse can also be adjusted.

Explorer and Task Manager

Other innovations affect the file explorer, the task manager and the speech output. In the future, content can be sent directly from the file explorer to connected Android devices. The Task Manager now supports dark mode in additional dialogs. New navigation functions in scan mode have been added for voice output.

Security improvements

Microsoft has also been working on security. Windows Search now runs “IFilters” in so-called “Less Privileged App Containers”. This is intended to reduce the potential damage caused by compromised processes.

New features:

• Start Menu: Apps pinned to the Start Menu now display their jump lists when right-clicked.
• Taskbar: The system tray now shows a shortened date and time. Additionally, the notification bell icon will be hidden when Do Not Disturb mode is enabled. These settings can be adjusted via the context menu or system options.
• Touchscreen: A new option allows you to disable touchscreen gestures on the left or right edge of the screen.
• Mouse: Settings have been expanded to allow users to disable improved mouse pointer precision and change the scrolling direction.
• Task Manager: The Task Manager now supports dark mode and displays the type of hard drives in the performance area.
• File Explorer: Files can now be sent directly from Explorer or Desktop to an Android device if the Phone Link app is configured.
• Narrator: New features such as skipping links (“N”) and quickly jumping to lists (“L”) make it easier to navigate web pages and documents.

Bug fixes:

• Motherboard replacement: Problems with activating Windows after a motherboard replacement have been resolved.
• Taskbar: When the “Automatically hide taskbar” option is active, the search field now appears as an icon instead of a bar.
• File Explorer: Fixed placement issues in left navigation and a truncated search field in resized windows.

Optional update as part of the B release cycle

The optional update KB5046732 is part of Microsoft’s monthly B release cycle. These updates are typically released in the third or fourth week of each month and often contain new features or improvements that have not yet been fully tested.

They serve as a preview of the changes included in the next monthly security update.