Microsoft is rolling out a few welcome changes to Windows 10 testers, including a refreshed ‘Start menu,’ ‘Alt + Tab’ menu and more.
The update is arriving for Insiders running on the ‘Dev Channel’ and ditches the solid colour squares that resided behind app icons. Instead, the Start menu will now have either a light or dark colour depending on the Windows theme.
Additionally, the Start menu will have a partially transparent background that allows some of the wallpaper colour to shine through.
As for the new Alt + Tab feature, this one will primarily benefit Microsoft Edge users. Essentially, the Alt + Tab menu — which is a useful keyboard shortcut for cycling through open windows — will now show all open tabs in one panel. The change could be a helpful addition, but I also imagine it will prove frustrating, especially for those who keep a large number of tabs open at once.
Along with these changes, Microsoft also introduced some smaller tweaks. For one, 2-in-1 devices will now automatically change to tablet mode when users detach the keyboard. Previously, Windows 10 will prompt users to switch to tablet mode.
Microsoft added a graphing mode for the Windows Calculator app as well. Engadget reports that a graphing mode has long been requested by users.
With the exception of the graphing mode, which is rolling out as an app update via the Microsoft Store, all these other changes are part of the Insider Preview build. As such, it likely means they won’t show up on your PC for a little while yet.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft has replaced its ‘Insider Rings’ with ‘Channels,’ which should make it easier for testers to choose the group they want to join. These features are part of the Dev Channel, which gets first access to everyone but also may be unstable or buggy.
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