Windows 11 is on the way. Here's all you need to know about Microsoft's major upgrade, including new features and other details.
It's official: Windows 11 will be released very shortly. On June 24, Microsoft held a virtual event to reveal "the next generation of Windows," which includes significant changes to the long-running operating system, including its first name change in six years. The news comes only days after Microsoft released the newest version of Windows 10, the May 2021 upgrade (also known as version 21H1).
The ability to download and run Android applications on your Windows PC, as well as improvements to Microsoft Teams, the Start menu, and the general appearance of the programme, which is more sleek and Mac-like in design, are all included in Windows 11. (Here's a list of all of our favourite new Windows 11 features, along with instructions on how to use them.)
Here's everything we know about Windows 11 so far, including the price, compatibility, release date, beta download instructions, new features, and more.
What new features does Windows 11 include?
Here are a few of the standout new features in Windows 11:
A new, Mac-like user interface. The Start menu and Taskbar are centred in Windows 11, which has a clean appearance with rounded corners and pastel colours.
Android apps that are integrated. Android apps will be available in Windows 11 via the Amazon Appstore and will be installable from the new Microsoft Store. (You could get Android apps on Windows 10 in a variety of ways before, including if you had a Samsung Galaxy phone, but this will make it native.)
- Widgets. While they've been around for a while (remember desktop gadgets on Windows Vista?), including in a recent Windows 10 update, you can now access widgets directly from the Taskbar and personalize them to see whatever you'd like.
- Integration with Microsoft Teams. Teams will get a makeover and will be integrated right into the Windows 11 Taskbar, making it easier to use (and more similar to Apple's FaceTime). Teams will be available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
- Xbox technology improves games. To better gaming on your Windows PC, Windows 11 will include features similar to those present in Xbox consoles, such as Auto HDR and DirectStorage.
- Better support for virtual desktops. Windows 11 will allow users to set up virtual desktops in a manner more akin to MacOS, allowing you to switch between several desktops for personal, work, education, or gaming purposes.
- Better multitasking and a smoother transition from monitor to laptop. Snap Groups and Snap Layouts are new features in the new OS, which are groups of apps you're using at the same time that sit in the Taskbar and can show up or be dismissed at the same time for simpler job switching. They also make it easier to plug and unplug from a display without losing track of where your open windows are.
When is the Windows 11 release date?
For those in the Windows Insider Program, an Insider Preview build is now available for download, and a public beta will be available in July (here's how to get the Windows 11 beta). According to Microsoft, it will begin rolling out to all compatible PCs and new PCs during the holiday season of 2021, and will continue through 2022. Several signs, however, imply that Windows 11 could be released as early as October.
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