Microsoft has started rolling out a number of updates to existing apps that will feature in Windows 11 when it launches later this year.
These are hardly massive updates that will change how folks use Windows 11, but these are quality of life changes that we feel are a long time coming.
First up is the death of the Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch, sorta. The Snipping Tool will still be in Windows 11, but it will combine the best bits of both tools. The tool is now accessed through a keyboard shortcut – Windows Key + Shift + S – and you have a variety of snipping options including a free form option.
The Calculator app is perhaps the most interesting, and yes, we know how that sounds.
We say this because not only has it been improved in certain areas, it’s built in C# and Microsoft is calling on developers to play around with the app via GitHub. We’re excited to see what else the community can add to the burgeoning features the app has already.
Microsoft’s Calculator currently features modes for graphing, programming, and unit or currency conversion. Like the Snipping Tool, the Calculator will also obey your system’s theme.
Finally the Mail and Calendar apps have been given a new lick of paint and will now sport Microsoft’s rounded corner aesthetic present throughout Windows 11.
The above changes are being rolled out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Dev Channel at the moment.
Beta Channel Chatter
There is a singular update headed to the Beta Channel of the Windows 11 Insider programme this week, but it’s one we’re sure some will find useful.
Chat For Microsoft Teams aims to unify communication on Windows. Users can sync existing contacts from Skype and Outlook as well as send invites to Teams meetings at the click of a button.
You can read more about Chat for Microsoft Teams here.
While these aren’t massive changes as somebody using Windows 11 the quality of life improvements are fantastic. Having switched to the Beta Channel when it launched we’re getting fewer updates now – which is to be expected – and our experience has been a lot more stable since moving from the Dev Channel.
We still wouldn’t recommend using Windows 11 as a daily driver unless you are capable of diagnosing issues easily and without years of support articles to fall back on.
Things are looking good for the launch later this year and with a few more tweaks we think that Windows 11 might be a worthwhile upgrade after all.
One last thing, with this update Microsoft has also updated its list of known issues. We recommend acquainting yourself with this list if you’re considering testing Windows 11 ahead of release.
