Windows 11 gives Microsoft’s venerable OS a new look and adds a few features you’ll want to tweak or customize.
Realign Start Button
The first thing that will jump out at you is the placement of the Start button. Long located in the lower-left corner of the screen, it’s now centered with the rest of the icons on the taskbar. But don’t worry, you can change it back. Right-click the taskbar and open Taskbar Settings. Select the Taskbar behaviors drop-down and change Taskbar alignment to Left. This will move all your taskbar icons to the left and put the Start button back where it belongs. For more on personalizing the Windows 11 taskbar, check out our guide.
A Simplified Right-Click Menu
The right-click menu now focuses only on the most important settings. Should you need more settings—print, set a new background, or view the full file location, for instance—select Show more options to open a spill-over menu.
Customize the Quicks Setting Panel
Windows 11 separates the Quick Settings that appear in the Action Center in Windows 10 from that panel’s notifications. Click the area of the taskbar that has Wi-Fi, speaker, and, battery icons to open a settings menu that lets you control Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, airplane mode, battery saver mode, and more. To add or remove settings buttons here, click the pencil-shaped Edit quick settings button. Unpin what you don’t want or click Add to make new features accessible from the Quick Settings menu.
Easier Desktop Management
Microsoft replaces the old Task View button with a redesigned icon on the taskbar, which makes it easier to create and manage multiple desktops. Just hover over the icon to see any open virtual desktops or create a new desktop. These desktops can then be rearranged as needed, and apps that are in one desktop can be dragged into another.