Microsoft Reportedly Readying Several New Windows 11 Features for Insider Testing

As Windows 11’s first big update is now available in preview ahead of its public release later this month, Microsoft is reportedly planning to roll out several new Windows 11 features to Windows Insiders. Indeed, Windows Central is reporting today that Dev Channel Insiders may soon start testing Start Menu improvements, new Windows 11 gestures, and more.

According to the report, some of the incoming new features Microsoft is currently working on were planned for the initial release of Windows 11, but they didn’t make the cut. Anyway, the software giant is now said to have started a new development cycle for the new Windows 11 update coming later this year, which is reportedly codenamed “Sun Valley 2” internally.

One of the new Windows 11 features that Windows Insiders may soon be able to test is App Folders in the Start Menu. This was a popular Windows 10 feature that disappear in the first version of Windows 11, but it’s apparently coming back.

Microsoft may also introduce new gestures allowing tablet users to access the Start Menu and the Quick Settings panel by swiping up from the bottom of the display. “Swiping up from the System Tray will open Quick Settings, and swiping up anywhere else will pull up the Start menu, just like on Windows 10X,” the report says.

The report also reveals that the Windows 11 taskbar could add support for file drag and drop, which has been another popular request from users. Other improvements have already been spotted by Windows Insiders in recent Insider builds, including a new overflow flyout for app icons in the taskbar, as well as a new setting for automatically hiding the taskbar when using a device in tablet mode.

The list of other new Windows 11 features mentioned in the report include a new snapping UX called “Snap Bar,” a new live captions feature, the ability to pin files in File Explorer, as well as a new “Acrylic” blur effects in legacy title bars.

:story: Thurrott