Windows 11 will receive its first major update in February: Android apps, interface improvements

Panos Panay, head of Windows at Microsoft, has announced the first major update to the Windows 11 operating system. . In addition to minor changes to the interface, Microsoft will release a public version of compatibility with Android applications.

Windows 11 will run Android applications

The Microsoft blog reveals that it will receive a new update of Windows 11 in February, which will implement some long-awaited news. First, a “mute” button will be integrated into the taskbar to quickly turn off or start the computer sound. Then the weather widget, which debuted a year ago on Windows 10 and was absent from the launch of Windows 11, returns.

Two applications integrated into Windows will receive interface changes: Notepad and Media Player, which will benefit from support for Dark Mode, a premiere for both, and new design elements to better integrate them into the new Windows 11 interface .

Android applications will be available in a public preview. Users get access to their installation through the Amazon AppStore partnership, which will list the applications through the Microsoft Store. These capabilities are already being tested in the Insider version since October.

The Teams application, now integrated into Windows, will also receive enhancements, and you can now view the contents of a window in a video conference with a single click. The preview in the windows taskbar will receive a “Share this window” button, but it’s not clear if it will be there permanently, or only when you’re on a call.

Panay revealed that video conferencing applications such as WebEx, Slack, Teams or Zoom have increased 6fold during the pandemic. At the same time, Windows 10 and 11 are the dominant versions of Windows currently in use, being installed together on 1.4 billion active PCs per month.

source: Microsoft via The Verge