It looks like Microsoft wants to bring a new look to Windows 10 next year, a major OS update is on the way, according to sources, will bring a significant refresh of Windows UI design.
Microsoft intends to change the Windows 10 interface, from the Start menu, through the Action Center and even the File Explorer (so easier to call Explorer), with more modern and consistent designs, better animations and new features.
Windows 10 "Sun Valley" 2021
This UI project is codenamed "Sun Valley" internally and is expected to be released as part of the Windows 10 "Cobalt" release scheduled for early 2021.
Internal documentation describes the project as "refreshing", modernizing the Windows desktop experience to keep up with user expectations in a world powered by other modern, lightweight platforms.
Windows 10 October Update Brings Redesigned Start MenuWindows 10 hasn't changed in a long time, years to be honest, with little to no change to its design or feature set. Many other platforms on the market have gone through complete overhauls or UI updates over the past five years, and while Windows 10 has gone through minor design iterations with the introduction of Fluent Design, we haven't seen a significant refresh or rethink to its UI. .
The "Sun Valley" project appears to be in the hands of the Windows Devices and Experiences team, led by Product Director Panos Panay, who took charge of this division in February. Microsoft announced in May that the company would be "reinvesting" in Windows 10 in 2021.
What can we expect?
It's still too early to say exactly what will be updated with Sun Valley, but sources said they expect a new Start menu and Action Center experiences, likely based on the same experiences found in Windows 10X, but tailored for the desktop.
Microsoft is also working on an updated taskbar built with modern code and an improved user interface for File Explorer. For tablet users, I'm told that better animations and a "smoother experience" are available. We already know that Microsoft is redesigning the touch keyboard and emoji picker, as these changes are already live on the Windows Insider Dev Channel.
Windows 10: KB4580386 Update Fixes XBOX, Display, and Other IssuesSources also say they expect wider adoption of WinUI across the Windows Shell and in embedded apps, which should provide subtle but improved design changes. Additionally, more legacy UI areas are expected to support dark mode in an effort to make the Windows UI more consistent when using the Windows 10 dark theme.
When is the release date?
It's important to emphasize that Microsoft could cut or delay these plans at any time between now and when the update rolls out next year. It's likely that some of these plans won't make it to the final product, as that's just the nature of Windows OS development and the reason Microsoft doesn't announce these plans in advance. But, these are the things Microsoft wants to offer Windows 10 customers in the next year.
Windows 10 gains custom settings according to user activityMicrosoft expects to have most of this work done by the end of the Cobalt development semester, which ends in June 2021. Microsoft will then do an RTM, ship it to OEMs, and begin testing it in the Beta Channel as a release. designated.
If Microsoft is able to carry out its plans with Sun Valley, this will be the biggest Windows 10 UI update we've seen so far, coming after three long years of Windows 10 in the background. Panos Panay wants people to stop needing Windows and start loving Windows, and a modern, up-to-date, intuitive, design-oriented interface is a great start.
