Microsoft announces new features for Windows 11, including tabs in File Explorer

Microsoft announced some big features during its Windows 11 event. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect in the near future.

Tabs in File Explorer are official

The tabs in File Explorer, which we reported about a month ago, have been confirmed by Microsoft. The Redmond company started toying with the idea of ​​Windows 10, but then scrapped Sets. It’s good to see the feature finally become a reality.

Users will be able to use tabs in the built-in file manager to access multiple directories, from a single instance of the program. It works similarly to tabs in a web browser. File Explorer is getting other improvements, like contextual suggestions powered by Context IQ, to find files faster.

File Explorer will display an optimized home page with your favorite files and folders and recently accessed content.

Start menu folders

The Windows 11 Start Menu will let users create folders to store shortcuts to their favorite apps, to keep things clean. You can rename the folders to organize them according to your requirements.

Touch Plugin Layouts

Windows 11 has many Snap layouts that help users multitask, this feature has been extended for touch screen devices. Microsoft calls this enhancement Touch Snap Layouts.

Microsoft Defender Smart Screen

Windows 11 will integrate Microsoft Defender SmartScreen as an additional layer of security, to protect users from potentially malicious apps, phishing attacks, and more. Recent Insider Preview Build 22581 has an issue related to SmartScreen, it slows down the process of loading video files.

Smart app control

Microsoft brings Smart App Control to Windows 11. It’s a more advanced version of Defender, which runs in evaluation mode, to learn how to protect your computer without interfering with your use. It will automatically block harmful apps, untrusted programs, and potentially unwanted apps that Microsoft flags. The capture? Smart App Control is only available for new Windows installations or if you reboot the operating system.

Focus Timer and Do Not Disturb

Users who want to work without distractions can toggle Focus mode from Notification Center. It will display a timer and toggle Do Not Disturb to mute notifications, badges, and flashing icons on the taskbar, to let you focus on the task at hand.

Do Not Disturb can also be enabled separately and integrated with the Clock app for alarms. These features were first seen in Insider Preview Build 22557.

live subtitles

Windows 11 gets a new accessibility feature called Live Captions, to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The option, when enabled, will display subtitles, also known as subtitles, in all applications, including audio from streaming websites, videos, web audio (calls, video calls), etc.

Microsoft has not confirmed when it will bring these features to Windows 11, we believe they could be implemented this summer with the Sun Valley 2 update.

AI-powered meeting experiences for video calls

Windows 11 will deliver new meeting experiences for video calls, to support voice clarity by suppressing background conversations and voice focus to highlight the speaker. Users can toggle background blur to reduce distractions in the background.

The Eye Contact feature will provide a natural eye contact experience, making it appear as if you are facing the camera during calls, in scenes where your computer camera is off to the side or on the table at an odd angle.

Here is a video highlighting the upcoming features in Windows 11. You can refer to the official announcement for more details. Microsoft has also announced some improvements for Windows 365, you can read about it in our previous article.

Which of these features are you looking forward to trying?

advertising