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Windows 10 Start menu gets a new, streamlined design

Microsoft is testing a number of quality-of-life updates, including changes to the Alt-Tab function.

David Priest Former editor
David Priest is an award-winning writer and editor who formerly covered home security for CNET.
David Priest
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Microsoft

Microsoft has announced that it is rolling out a handful of Windows 10 upgrades to a small number of testers. These features are not tied to any scheduled update to the operating system, as the announcement made clear, but they do give a window into changes Microsoft may consider adopting in the future.

The new menu features a more subdued design: the panels have lost their solid-color backgrounds and are now partially transparent. This visually de-emphasizes the panels and makes quick scanning a little easier.

Microsoft

Another feature being tested is an updated Alt-Tab function, which not only calls up active Microsoft Edge tabs (as Alt-Tab currently does), but all current tabs.

Microsoft

Whether these features make it into future Windows 10 updates remains to be seen, and Microsoft did not immediately respond to questions about what sort of feedback they expect to receive on these changes. The most recent major Windows 10 update was the May 2020 update, which includes changes to Cortana and Search, among other features. 

Do you have opinions about the changes? Share them in the comments below.

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