Windows 11 is getting some much-needed taskbar and Start menu enhancements

Windows 11’s taskbar is a huge step again in usability in comparison with Windows 10, and now Microsoft is beginning to make enhancements. A brand new replace that’s at the moment being examined by Windows Insiders brings the clock and date again to the taskbar on secondary or a number of screens. It’s a change that a number of monitor customers will respect, as many have needed to set up third-party apps like ElevenClock simply to get this primary performance in Windows 11.

I’ve not been shy about criticizing the modifications made to the taskbar in Windows 11. I hate the brand new taskbar, so I’m completely satisfied to see Microsoft make this preliminary change. There’s nonetheless rather more to be improved, and hopefully we see the return of with the ability to drag and drop recordsdata onto taskbar apps and the final customization choices.

Elsewhere, Microsoft can also be making some enhancements to the Start menu in Windows 11. The newest 22509 Insider construct contains the flexibility to configure the Start menu to indicate extra pins or extra suggestions as a substitute. That makes the Start menu slightly extra customizable, though many Windows 11 customers are additionally choosing third-party apps right here, too.

This newest Windows 11 construct additionally contains extra enhancements to the Settings app as a part of Microsoft’s ongoing effort to incorporate extra Control Panel settings in the primary Settings app. “We have moved the advanced sharing settings (such as Network discovery, File and printer sharing, and public folder sharing) to a new page in Settings app under Advanced Network Settings,” explains Amanda Langowski, head of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program.

There are additionally enhancements to the pages within the Printers & Scanners part, and a few components of the Control Panel will now redirect Windows 11 customers to the primary Settings app as a substitute. It looks like Microsoft is shifting ever nearer to lastly eradicating the Control Panel in favor of its trendy Settings app.

All of those options received’t be out there for some months but, although. These are a part of the Dev Channel spherical of updates to Windows 11, and a few might debut as cumulative updates within the month-to-month modifications Microsoft makes to the OS. Others could also be included within the bigger annual replace that Microsoft is planning for Windows 11.