Windows 11 is ready to launch | Leak reveals amazing details, New UI, Startup and more.

Windows 11 Leak reveals amazing details, New UI, Startup and more.

 

 

Microsoft is expected to unveil its next generation of Windows on June 24, but with leaked details of an internal build, we are already learning a lot. It is going to be called Windows 11, and it brings many of the UI changes that we saw earlier with the now-defunct Windows 10X.

Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 operating system has online today. After screenshots were first published at Chinese site, the entire Windows 11 OS has appeared online, complete with a new user interface, Start menu, and lots more.

The new Windows 11 user interface and Start menu look very similar to what was originally found in Windows 10X. Microsoft had been simplifying Windows for dual-screen devices, before canceling this project in favor of Windows 11. Visually, the biggest changes you’ll notice can be found along the taskbar. Microsoft has centered the app icons here, cleaned up the tray area, and included a new Start button and menu.

This updated Start menu is a simplified version of what currently exists in Windows 10, without Live Tiles. It includes pinned apps, recent files, and the ability to quickly shut down or restart Windows 11 devices. It’s really a lot more simplified than what exists in Windows 10 today.

If you don’t want the app icons and Start menu centered, there’s an option to move them all back to the left-hand side. Coupled with the dark mode that’s also available, and Windows 11 starts to look like a more refined version of Windows 10 than something dramatically new.

        Windows 11’s search interface.

 

    The File Explorer in Windows 11.

There’s a new icon in the Windows 11 taskbar, and it’s labeled Widgets in the operating system. Rumors have suggested Microsoft is bringing back Windows Widgets, and this early version appears to include some.

        Early version of Windows Widgets in Windows 11.

While Microsoft canceled its Windows 10X operating system, the company is clearly reusing large parts of that work with Windows 11. Windows 10X was originally designed for dual-screen devices, before shifting toward traditional laptops and then being canceled. Windows 10X included a number of refined and simplified aspects to Windows, and most of that work is present in this leaked version of Windows 11.

Windows 11 also includes new snap controls that you can access from the maximize button on all apps. They’re modern equivalents of the cascade windows function that has existed in the operating system for years. You can quickly snap windows side by side, or arrange them in sections on your desktop.

 

        The existing Windows Store in Windows 11.

Microsoft has reportedly been working on a new app store for Windows in recent months, and rumors suggest it will be a big change from what exists today. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has promised to “unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators” with Windows, and that will likely come in the form of a new store.

Microsoft is reportedly overhauling its Windows app store to allow developers to submit any Windows application, including browsers like Chrome or Firefox. Microsoft may also be considering allowing third-party commerce platforms in apps, allowing developers to avoid the cut Microsoft usually takes from in-app purchase systems.

Microsoft has also included a new setup experience in Windows 11. It’s very similar to Windows 10X, walking users of new hardware or those upgrading to Windows 11 through a set of steps to configure Windows.

 Microsoft has been dropping hints that it’s ready to launch Windows 11. The software giant is holding a special Windows event to reveal its next OS on June 24th. The event starts at 11AM ET, and the event invite includes a window that creates a shadow with an outline that looks like the number 11. Microsoft execs have also been teasing a “next generation of Windows” announcement for months, and this leak now confirms that Windows 11 will be officially revealed later this month.