Microsoft is preparing to push a batch of new features for Insider testers on the Dev Channel, including the Apps folder in Start, new gestures, and a new Snap Bar experience. Given that it’s been two weeks since the last Dev Channel release, we speculate that the aforementioned improvements will come around the same time.
Windows Central has learned from people familiar with the matter that Microsoft introduced a series of features and changes to the public preview branch (rs_prerelease) of Windows 11 last week.
The ability to create application folders in the Start menu is expected to be available to Insider testers on the Dev Channel in the next few weeks.
There’s also support for dragging and dropping files on the taskbar, introducing a new acrylic/blur effect for the old-style title bar, a new experience called ‘Snap Bar’, and a new gesture to open the ‘Start’ and ‘Quick Settings’ panels with a touch.
First, the Apps folder in Start, a feature that Insider testers have been asking for. And the upcoming experience is completely in line with everyone’s expectations.
You can drag an application icon over another to create a clickable-to-folder for better organization of the Start menu layout.
Second, the “Snap Bar” is said to introduce another way to snap, snap, and place multiple application windows into Windows 11’s built-in grid system.
Currently we have two ways to do this on the screen – (1) via the drop-down menu that appears when you hover over the window space; (2) by dragging the application window to the top or side of the screen.
As for the third UX solution brought by the Snap Bar, there is a ‘panel bar’ that pulls down from the top of the screen when never grabbing or moving a window around the monitor.
Other UI improvements include the introduction of a washed-out acrylic/blur effect for the title bar, which will replace the white title bar design seen in most Win32 desktop applications today.
Friends who are familiar with the Windows Aero experience in the Windows 7 / Vista era will definitely not be unfamiliar with it.
At the same time, Microsoft has incorporated a new Fluent design style for it, similar to other vaguely translucent interfaces on Windows 11.
In terms of tablet experience, Windows 11 will also usher in a major improvement in gesture control. For example, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the Start menu and the Quick Settings pane.
Swiping up from the system tray will open the ‘Quick Settings’, while swiping up anywhere else will bring up the ‘Start’ menu (just like on Windows 10X).
Finally, the Windows 11 taskbar will also make up for some features that were missing at launch, such as support for drag-and-drop operations, and attaching files to specific applications to open.
In addition, Microsoft will also bring a more user-friendly interface for overflowing application icons, and can automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode.