Home windows 11 is Microsoft’s newest desktop working system. Few had been predicting its arrival simply a few years in the past, with Home windows 10 beforehand described as “the final model of Home windows”.
However Microsoft’s angle appeared to alter in the course of the pandemic, which left folks world wide counting on its software program for all the pieces from distant working to holding in contact with family and friends. A few of these tendencies are extra everlasting, so the corporate determined it was time for one thing new.
Enter Home windows 11. The brand new OS represents a major design shift, aiming to simplify the consumer expertise and scale back muddle. Many components are impressed by Home windows 10X, the cancelled Home windows 10 spin-off that was designed for touchscreen units.
Each suitable laptop computer has been supplied a free improve, however you don’t must replace till Home windows 10 assist ends in 2025. Nevertheless, virtually each new laptop computer that’s not a Mac or Chromebook runs Home windows 11 nowadays.
Right here’s all the pieces you’ll want to know the the working system, together with hyperlinks to all of our Home windows 11 protection on the backside of the web page.
What’s Home windows 11 like?
Clearly desirous to keep away from upsetting tens of millions by making radical adjustments (because it finally did with Home windows 8), Microsoft has saved the identical primary format, albeit with a major redesign. You’ll discover rounded corners all over the place you look and a brand new centrally positioned Begin Menu, though you’ll be able to return the latter to the facet in the event you’d want.
There’s a brand new widgets panel which may present the climate, shares, information and extra, changing the outdated Begin Menu’s Reside Tiles. You additionally get improved grouping and snapping of open home windows, permitting you to multitask extra successfully.
Home windows 11 on tablets is far improved because of the introduction of gestures and a brand new on-screen keyboard that rather more just like the one in your cellphone. You may even set up and use Android apps through the Amazon Appstore, though a workaround that allows you to use the Google Play Retailer as a substitute is now not practical.
Nevertheless, whereas there are many visible adjustments, Home windows 11 needs to be a straightforward transition from Home windows 10 for most individuals.
When did Home windows 11 come out?
- Preliminary launch date: 5 October 2021
- Greatest replace to date (22H2): 20 September 2022
Home windows 11 was formally launched on 5 October 2021. However actually, that was simply the date that OEMs (authentic gear producers) may start to launch {hardware} working Home windows 11.
The rollout was gradual, however all suitable units can have been supplied choice to improve from Home windows 10. If that’s not the case for some motive, you’ll be able to obtain Home windows 11 manually or set up it utilizing a USB.
New options have been added frequently, however essentially the most important new options to date arrived on 20 September 2022. That’s when the massive 22H2 replace arrived earlier than much more new options a month later.
It’s set to be the same story all through 2023, with a important February replace anticipated to be joined by model 23H2 later within the yr.
How a lot does Home windows 11 value?
- Free improve for eligible PCs
- New {hardware} pricing depending on producer
- USB and obtain hyperlink variations obtainable
Pricing was all the time more likely to be one of many large questions, however the excellent news is that it’s free for eligible PCs. This can doubtless proceed for nonetheless lengthy Home windows 11 is supported.
Nevertheless, it’s not so simple as all Home windows 10 units getting Home windows 11. As is defined beneath, Microsoft has up to date the {hardware} necessities for its new OS.
Naturally, upgrading from Home windows 10 isn’t the one option to get Home windows 11. Loads of new laptops and PCs are already working the working system out of the field, with extra anticipated for some time. It doesn’t seem to be having Home windows 11 pre-installed has had any impact on the pricing of those units.
Nevertheless, you too can now purchase Home windows 11 as a standalone working system. The best methodology is through a obtain hyperlink, which will probably be despatched to you when you full the acquisition:
You should buy it pre-loaded on a USB stick in the event you’d want – that is at the moment obtainable for Home windows 11 Residence ($139/£115.99), however not Professional. At Amazon UK, you’ll be able to even get a disc model for £99.
Wasn’t Home windows 10 the final ever model of Home windows?
That’s what Microsoft stated when it introduced Home windows 10, sure. However apparently it modified its thoughts about that. The corporate may have rolled out these adjustments in a Home windows 10 replace, however it selected to not refer again to this assertion in the course of the launch occasion and could be hoping its prospects have brief recollections.
Curiously, Microsoft did finally reference this at its April 2022 hybrid work occasion. Nevertheless, the corporate described the pandemic as the important thing driver of this transformation in technique, including that “how, when and the place we work basically modified in a single day”.
However after spending a couple of months with Home windows 11, it’s clear not a lot has actually modified below the floor.
Will my Home windows 10 PC or laptop computer run Home windows 11?
The minimal {hardware} necessities for Home windows 11 are as follows:
- 1GHz dual-core processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB of storage
- UEFI, Safe Boot succesful
- Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0
- Graphics card suitable with DirectX 12
- Show bigger than 9in with 720p or larger decision
- Microsoft account + web connection
Unsure in case your machine is suitable? Microsoft has a free ‘PC Well being Test’ app, designed that will help you do exactly that. It’s obtainable to obtain from the underside of the predominant Home windows 11 web page.
That storage requirement could be SSD-only from 2023, if knowledge storage analysts Trendfocus (through Tom’s {Hardware}) are to be believed. Nevertheless, current Home windows 11 units utilizing HDDs or eMMC storage aren’t anticipated to be affected.
For extra data, take a look at our separate information: Will my PC run Home windows 11?
Microsoft doesn’t encourage it, however there may be nonetheless a option to set up Home windows 11 on unsupported PCs. Certainly, you’ll most likely see messages inside Settings and on the desktop warning you that your machine isn’t suitable. It doesn’t appear to have an effect on efficiency and app compatibility, although.
For any subsequent Home windows 11 updates, no adjustments to machine compatibility are anticipated.
Home windows 11 trailer
When you’ve got a spare three minutes, it’s price watching this official introduction video to get a way of what Home windows 11 is all about:
What options does Home windows 11 have?
There are too many to enter a lot of element right here, however listed below are the primary ones you’ll want to learn about.
First, there’s a major visible overhaul. Home windows 10 has maintained the same feel and appear all through its lifespan, however that’s all modified with Home windows 11.
A brand new taskbar strikes icons to the centre, though this will simply be reverted to a extra conventional format. What can’t be modified is a number of the Home windows 10 options that Microsoft eliminated in Home windows 11, however the firm is slowly including again many of those.
The brand-new Begin Menu isn’t significantly missing, though its brand-new design actually isn’t for everybody. In actual fact, this aesthetic is just like what Microsoft teased for the now-cancelled Home windows 10X. Right here’s what it seems to be like with darkish mode enabled:
It encompasses a grid of customisable ‘Pinned’ icons, with separate ‘All apps’ part for all the pieces else you might have put in. The ‘Beneficial’ heading beneath shows not too long ago used information, apps and folders – together with from cloud providers resembling OneDrive and Microsoft 365 – enabling you to rapidly choose up the place you left off, even in the event you final used a special machine.
Nevertheless, many individuals have been disenchanted by this, particularly the dearth of customisation means. You may create folders or select the cut up between Pinned and Beneficial sections, however that’s about it:
One new function that has gone down properly is the brand new Snap Layouts multitasking performance. Hovering over the maximise button lets you select the association of apps on the display, as you’ll be able to see beneath.
Widgets haven’t been a significant function of current variations of Home windows, however that’s modified now. The panel slides in from the left, however might be customised to fill the entire display in the event you’d want. It’s designed for fast glances at essential data with out distracting you from what you had been doing earlier than you opened it.
Widgets for the climate and shares are additionally constructed into the taskbar, however these can now be used to set off notifications on the taskbar. The static icon might be changed with a dwell model that makes it clear when the native climate adjustments or how shares you comply with have been buying and selling. However there’s no option to flip these off until you don’t need the shortcut to Widgets in any respect.
Elsewhere, Microsoft Groups’ chat perform is now straight built-in into Home windows 11, with future updates permitting you to share home windows and toggle mute straight from the taskbar:
The Groups integration extends to the Edge browser, which means particular person tabs now present up inside Process Supervisor. Edge tabs on the taskbar will even embrace the positioning, icon and subject identify, though that is changed by a generic icon throughout non-public searching periods.
Many inventory apps have been redesigned, together with File Explorer and the Microsoft Retailer. The latter consists of Android app assist through the Amazon Appstore, however you too can use the Epic Video games Retailer in the event you’d want.
Home windows 11 additionally has a brand new Motion Middle, splitting Fast Settings, Notifications and a music controller into separate sections. Its design is impressed by Home windows 10X, making it straightforward to navigate utilizing touchpad, mouse, pen or finger.
Loads of inventory apps have additionally been redesigned to be extra in line with Home windows 11’s new design. They embrace Calculator, Clock, Notepad, Media Participant and File Explorer.
Home windows 11 is only one a part of Microsoft’s prioritisation of accessibility. The Floor Adaptive Package makes any laptop computer simpler to make use of, whereas Adaptive Equipment assist people who find themselves unable to make use of a standard mouse and keyboard. Mixed, these instruments could make an enormous distinction.
The Microsoft Groups integration has acquired combined critiques, however it additionally applies to the Edge browser. It means particular person tabs now present up inside Process Supervisor, with GPU and crash stories proven too. Tabs on the taskbar will even embrace the positioning, icon and subject identify, though that is changed by a generic icon throughout non-public searching periods.
Within the Process Supervisor, variations obtainable since February 2022 assist an ‘Eco mode’. This can be utilized to allocate extra sources to particular apps by setting the precedence of others to ‘low’. This stops resource-intensive apps from consuming an excessive amount of of the CPU or GPU energy, which ought to assist enhance efficiency and battery life.
Microsoft made it a lot more durable to change the default browser when it launched Home windows 11, however the firm principally reversed that call in March 2022. Beginning with model KB50011563, there’ll be an possibility inside Settings to set a browser as your default for HTTP, HTTPS, .HTML and .HTM information. Nevertheless, you’ll nonetheless want to alter the place PDFs open individually.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The primary important replace for Home windows 11 arrived in February 2022, including a number of new options. They embrace redesigned Notepad and Media Participant apps, new taskbar performance and a public preview of native Android app assist. Nevertheless, the latter requires not less than 8GB of RAM and an SSD – that’s stricter than Home windows 11 itself.
Then, in September 2022, Microsoft formally launched Home windows 11’s largest replace to date. Identified merely because the ‘2022 Replace’, it provides new performance to the Begin menu, Widgets panel and the taskbar. There’s additionally a brand new Reside Captions accessibility function, higher multitasking through Snap Layouts and new touchscreen gestures. However there are lots extra options that it’s price being conscious of – be taught extra in our full information to the 2022 Replace.
In October 2022, much more new options had been added. The long-awaited introduction of tabs in File Explorer was the spotlight, however there are additionally enhancements to the taskbar and new ‘Prompt Actions’ if you spotlight related textual content.
Typically, Home windows and Apple units don’t play properly collectively, however Microsoft is taking steps to enhance it. In November 2022, the corporate confirmed that Home windows 11’s Images app now gives direct integration with iCloud Images – which means all the photographs out of your iPhone are simply accessible.
Microsoft
Microsoft launched one other important replace in February 2023 – this has doubtless been often known as ‘Second 2’ internally, with the corporate considered transferring away from releasing new options solely a few times per yr.
As an official weblog submit explains, some new options are associated to Microsoft’s heavy funding in AI.
They embrace including a Bing AI button to the search bar on the taskbar, though in actuality this solely acts as a shortcut to the web site. Home windows Studio Results (which helps you to keep eye contact, add background blur, preserve you centred within the body and isolate your voice) will now be accessible straight from fast settings menu, however solely a handful of units assist them.
Third-party Widgets will even lastly be supported (albeit simply from Meta and Spotify initially), whereas an official display recording software will keep away from the necessity to go through the Xbox Sport Bar.
Microsoft
Then there’s enhancements to the Home windows 11 pill expertise, which was already ok to switch your iPad. Detaching the keyboard from a 2-in-1 machine will see an automated shift to a simplified taskbar that’s designed for contact enter.
Elsewhere, Microsoft has created a model of its Cellphone Hyperlink companion app that works with iOS, plus straightforward hotspot and up to date web site entry if in case you have a Samsung cellphone. The Microsoft Groups shortcut within the taskbar has additionally been revamped.
Microsoft
What new options are coming to Home windows 11?
It now seems to be like Home windows 11 will probably be getting a 23H2 function replace in late 2023 – it beforehand wasn’t clear. However Zac Bowden at Home windows Central says 23H2 “gained’t be a significant platform launch, with Microsoft shifting to ‘Second’ updates a number of instances a yr.
Second 2 has now arrived, however Bowden says Second 3 ought to arrive in Could/June earlier than Second 4 (doubtless the 23H2 replace) in September/October.
Bowden believes we’ll see Second 2 in February/March, Second 3 in Could/June and Second 4 (23H2) in September/October.
All the following options are nonetheless anticipated in 2023:
- Pill-mode Taskbar
- System Tray updates
- Extra search bar choices
- Search in Process Supervisor
A January 2023 Home windows Central article additionally suggests File Explorer will probably be getting an overhaul quickly, constructing on the tabs that had been added in 2022. Home windows Newest believes we’ll see app folders on the desktop – just like what you’ll discover within the Begin menu – reasonably than simply ones from File Explorer sooner or later.
Home windows 11’s wonderful Reside Captions function, which may captain any audio enjoying on any Home windows 11 app, is testing new languages. It initially solely supported English, however a February 2023 check construct suggests Chinese language (Simplified and Conventional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish and different English dialects are on the way in which too.
In one other check construct, the choice to finish a particular process by right-clicking the icon within the taskbar is outwardly being examined. This would supply Process Supervisor-like performance, avoiding the necessity to open the software every time.
In Home windows 11 preview builds, two Home windows 10 taskbar options look set for a return. The flexibility to ungroup app icons (generally often known as ‘by no means mix’) and add app labels to the taskbar have each been noticed:
Elsewhere, Microsoft’s partnership with ChatGPT homeowners OpenAI and inclusion of the tech in its Bing search engine and Edge browser has acquired lots of consideration. There are a number of methods AI may change the subsequent model of Home windows, however it seems to be like new AI-based options will even be coming to Home windows 11 quickly.
In keeping with one other Zac Bowden Home windows Central article, Home windows 11’s Snap Layouts multitasking function may very well be up to date with saved layouts, offering an overlay of apps every time you hover over the maximise (or minimise) button. This is able to considerably scale back the time it duties to start out utilizing apps facet by facet.
Home windows Central
The identical article additionally suggests OCR (Optical Character Recognition) know-how will probably be added to Home windows 11, permitting you to seek out phrases, phrases or photos (from the online or a particular app) with out it being talked about in its title. Nevertheless, as is usually the case, it’s not clear when these options will arrive and there’s no assure they ever will.
Wanting additional forward, Home windows 12 could also be launched as quickly as 2024.
We mentioned Home windows 11 at launch on episode 86 of Quick Cost, our podcast:
Tech Advisor’s information to Home windows 11
We’ve got loads of Home windows 11 protection on the positioning, answering all the important thing questions on Microsoft’s newest working system.
The fundamentals
Tutorials
Information
Look out for lots extra Home windows 11 protection within the coming weeks and months.
