Windows Central has published mockups of what should be the future design of File Explorer. A really welcome and very attractive redesign.
For several months now, we have been regularly hearing about a redesign of the Windows 11 file explorer. This redesign was also seen in the Dev channel for system updates last June and brought in tabs to simplify navigation.
According to Windows Central, Microsoft still plans to make a number of improvements to this design, integrating new features at the same time.
A more modern look
Over the models shared by the specialized site, we obviously see the tabs, but also a redesign of the header. The navigation buttons are better highlighted there and a “Home” button appears in addition to the one that allows you to return to the desktop screen. This home page highlights “recommended files” since “pinned files” and the “recent files“. A way to facilitate access to content above all else.
The existing buttons (copy, cut, paste, sort, show, etc.) go down one level to get closer to the folder content. A position that seems much more coherent. The navigation menu, on the left, also gains in readability and modernity with clear separators and greater highlighting.
According to Windows Central, one of the goals of this new design is to make everything easier to use with a touch screen.
New functions
In addition to this change in appearance, this update to File Explorer should also bring some new features. Windows Central, for example, evokes a “richer photo viewing experience through a new galleryHovering your mouse over an image would allow you to have a larger view of it.
It would also be possible to better organize files by assigning labels and color codes, as Apple already does in macOS.
Finally, a more complete integration of Microsoft 365 would allow quick access to email conversations to accentuate the collaborative side.
All of these new features should arrive sometime in 2023. Therefore, we should test them this summer or during the 23H2 update this fall.
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