Windows 11 desktop is getting an iOS and Android-style makeover
Say goodbye to desktop clutter in Windows 11
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Microsofthas quietly teased an upcoming feature forWindows 11that will give users a new way to organize the desktop.
As revealed recently in a promo video presented during a Microsoft event, the company is working to bring app folders to theWindows 11desktop, after rolling out asimilar featurefor the Start Menu earlier this year.
App folders have been a mainstay on iOS and Android for years and will presumably work in an identical fashion in this context, allowing Windows 11 users to declutter their desktop by collecting app shortcuts into thematic groups.
Windows 11 app folders
Unfortunately, according toWindows Latest, users may have to wait some time before the new desktop organization feature becomes widely available.
Currently, feature previews for members of the Windows Insider early-access program have been suspended ahead of the highly-anticipated launch of the Windows 11 22H2 update, codenamedSun Valley 2.
Rumors suggest 22H2 is practically ready to ship, with Microsoft now running through the release with a fine-tooth comb to identify any bugs orcybersecurityvulnerabilities.
The suggestion is that the new app folders for desktop will arrive with a subsequent update, after the dust has settled on this next major build, first in preview for members of the early-access scheme and later to the general public.
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When the new functionality does eventually go live, however, it could be a boon for a large section of users whose desktops are effectively unusable, jammed up with a mess of files, applications and other assets.
In all likelihood, creating new folders will be as simple as dragging an application over the top of another, just as you might on iOS or Android.
Although the new functionality will benefit consumers and businesses alike, it could be especially useful in a professional context, in whichproductivityhinges on the ability to surface files and applications quickly.
Currently, only a portion ofworkstationsandbusiness computershave been upgraded to Windows 11 (in part due tocompatibility issues), but the new feature could help give IT departments the excuse they need to pull the trigger on the new OS.
ViaWindows Latest
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
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