Forum Discussion
7 General suggestions to Windows and its Apps
During my experience on Windows I’ve been thinking about how it could improve, especially around Fluent Design. I wrote down seven ideas that I’d love to hear opinions on. I will be sharing them here:
#1: Two branches for Windows and content updates;
Trying to please everyone with a single version of Windows is difficult, so Microsoft could maintain two official branches of the system: a “Vintage Windows” (like Windows 10), for those who prefer the classic interface and a more traditional look, with extended support indefinitely and security updates. And a “Modern Windows” (Windows 11), consistent with Fluent Design, constantly updated, and focused on introducing new features. Both would use the same kernel and APIs for developer compatibility. This approach would offer users greater freedom of choice and demonstrate that a trillion-dollar company is dedicating teams to simultaneously deliver traditional features and modernity. I’ve seen many people complain about the lack of consistency and lack of content. Additionally, I miss feature updates for Windows and hope that Microsoft brings more flexibility, apps, and Fluent 2-style fixes in future updates.
And, yes, this would increase the efforts and costs, but it's a cost that a trillion-dollar company could take.
#2: Modern Flyouts and Windows' limitation with volume mixer;
In Windows 11, the multimedia controls displayed by apps like Fluent Flyouts are very limited; they only allow you to pause or skip tracks, with no option to adjust the volume or use repeat or shuffle buttons. This makes the experience less convenient compared to Android, where users can control the app’s volume or the music’s volume separately, and the operating system allows third-party apps to do so. My suggestion is that Microsoft should be more flexible and give apps like Modern Flyout the ability to adjust the volume, so you could turn the music up or down without affecting the overall system volume. Honestly, it’s surprising that something as basic as this hasn’t been implemented yet in the most widely used operating system.
#3: Lack of flexibility in the Windows 11 search bar;
Windows 11 still limits users and developers to a rigid and impractical search bar. Apps like Fluent Search, Flow Search, and Everything Toolbar are much faster and more powerful, but they’re confined to taskbar icons or floating search bars, while the native search bar takes up space without offering the same efficiency. Microsoft needs to be more flexible and release an API that allows third-party apps to appear as a search bar directly on the taskbar. This isn’t a complex feature; it’s something simple and obvious that should already exist. If the official search bar itself isn’t improved, the least they could do is give other apps the freedom to offer a superior experience. It’s frustrating to see Windows remain limited in such basic aspects, while other systems offer more modern and practical solutions. Microsoft needs to listen to users and stop holding Windows back with an outdated model.
#4: Windows Task Scheduler and other menus and tools need to be updated
The native Windows Task Scheduler is completely outdated and inconsistent with the Fluent 2 style. Independent projects like the Fluent Task Scheduler show that it’s possible to have a modern, organized, and much more user-friendly interface. It’s frustrating that these apps have to coexist with outdated system tools, without being able to replace them or integrate with the system. Microsoft, as a trillion-dollar company, should invest in modernizing its own utilities or hire independent developers who have already proven capable of creating superior solutions, such as the Fluent Task Scheduler. The lack of visual and functional consistency in Windows is glaring and needs to be addressed
#5: Lack of flexibility in naming user folders Compared to the Android system;
Windows is very inflexible and lacks practicality in many ways. For example, if my folder is C:\Users\eagl, I cannot simply correct it to eagle without creating an entirely new user profile. This lack of flexibility is a major hurdle for personalization on what could be a basic and simple fix. On Android, I was already so used to the system’s practicality that when I switched to Windows—which was supposed to be a more robust and powerful system—I was surprised to find it lacks even such a basic feature.
#6: Differences in user experience between home and business users, and inconsistencies in Fluent 2;
Microsoft seems to be focusing more and more on businesses, consistently applying Fluent 2 to apps like Teams, Outlook, and Office, while everyday users are left with a Windows full of outdated and inconsistent menus. This contradicts the marketing that promotes Fluent 2 as the standard, yet is frequently violated by the official apps themselves. It’s frustrating to see that Microsoft can’t deliver on its promises. If it really wants to preserve old elements for the sake of businesses, then it should separate the systems, as in point #1: a legacy one for compatibility and a modern one for home users. Or, at the very least, adhere to the Fluent 2 style across all of Windows. I love Fluent 2 and really want to see significant progress in this area, but seeing that Microsoft itself hasn’t made much effort in this regard has been a disappointment. The trillion-dollar company that talks so much about innovation shouldn’t be delivering a fragmented and outdated system.
#7: Digital Wellness and productivity;
Microsoft should make a native app with fluent style to help users watch their screen/app time. In 2026 there hasn't been an app that's free, solid and that feels native in Windows 11, because there aren't any API for that. Apps like Activity Watch for some reason don't work in my PC and apps like SolidTime are paid and not really fluent. Naturally, something like this should be made by Microsoft itself. Android has it since the beginning, why Windows doesn't have it yet?
I believe that these suggestions, even though difficult, could contribute for a more consistent user experience, improved productivity and easier accesibility.
13 Replies
Some general improvements I’d suggest for Windows and its apps would be better performance optimization, fewer background processes, more consistent design across apps, improved update control, less bloatware, stronger privacy settings, and smoother integration between built-in tools, these small changes could really improve the overall user experience.
Completely agreed! These should be the main goals, but they are generic, so it's needed a composite of specific and small improvements/changes that when brought together contribute to overall quality. Conversely, this manifesto of 8 points does just that. But, of course, it doesn't cover everything, so the community is free to add or enhance these points.
I have one final point regarding third-party Fluent apps alternatives to native ones. I will call it #8 for future reference:
I came across many people on YouTube saying how "spoiled" they've become by Linux's blazing fast and accurate search. On many Linux systems, you can find any file or application on your computer almost instantaneously; whereas, with the native Windows search, it may take a few seconds to get results. As I briefly mentioned in point #3, third-party applications (Fluent Search, Everything Toolbar, etc.) outperform native apps in both speed and fluent sytle, but they need to "coexist" with the native one, rather than actually integrating with it, so they are often left running in the background.
This coexistence has implications that are objectively inefficient in resource usage and UX friction, as shown below:
- Resource usage: This increases RAM and CPU consumption for a single task because these modern apps cannot replace the native 'Search' (which is a heavy composite of Edge WebView2 processes), the system ends up running both. Evidence: Open the Task Manager, where it's possible to see the Edge WebView composite processes on 'Search', even if it's disabled from the taskbar and using an alternative. On my test system, the native Search consumes around 100mb of RAM when idle. Reproducible steps: Simply downloading any of these apps and comparing them to the native search.
- UX Friction: If the goal is a fast and easy one-step search access, most third-party applications will require additional clicks or keyboard shortcuts to access/display them and are confined to floating taskbar icons/bars, which prevents users from having a seamless experience with the OS. Evidence: self-evident while utilizing them. Some developers worked around it by making the floating bar to be auto-selected when called, but none can replicate the capacity of clicking an actual, present search bar on the taskbar and instantly seeing the blinking cursor on it. Reproducible steps: Simply by trying to get the same experience from the native searchbar on taskbar with thirdy-party apps.
Conclusion, fluent apps can only be intercalled with old native system tools by users and serve as an 'What if' instead of being actually made into the system. Projects like 'Files' or 'Fluent Task Scheduler' show what is possible, but they shouldn't have to fight the OS to exist.
Furthermore, it's contradictory that Windows 11 — a paid OS — is increasingly cluttered with ads and telemetry that may contribute to slower perceived system responsiveness, while free alternatives like Linux remain clean and performant without ads. This, combined with the instability I've personally experienced (such as a total system corruption caused by a simple icon cache rebuild via WinToys; it was only solved after a clean reinstall), shows that Microsoft needs to listen to the community and fix core architectural flaws. Reducing or even removing ads, making the system less distracting and more performant by removing bloat and opening the system more by offering more hooks into system UI (With care concerning Windows' safety) can be the first steps to mitigate those flaws.
I recently saw how enthusiasts on Linux are using environments like Hyprland to achieve a 'Fluent' look that is more consistent and performant than native Windows. This proves that the technology for a modern, hardware-accelerated UI exists, it's just a matter of Microsoft committing to a unified architecture that allows the UI to be a 'Shell' rather than a permanent part of the kernel.
Reference of the video I mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKFGmRiUZyYObs: The video itself doesn't talk about modernizing the system, but it's something that can be seen throughout the video as he shows an array of apps and desktop tools that resemble Fluent 2 style.
One of the reasons I wrote these was because I saw some posts online of people saying "I hate rounded corners in Windows 11" and other preferences for classical design choices. I personally love the idea of a more modern Windows and I wish Microsoft worked more on it, but seeing those posts make me ponder how difficult it would be to cater everyone's preferences, especially if they are this polarizing. That's why having a single powerful code/base for Windows with choices of modern/classic interfaces would be crucial for an overall great experience to users.
Therefore, Instead of forcing a design language on everyone, why not let the user decide their own experience? I'm curious to hear the opinion of experienced users here, does anyone else here feel that the current 'one-size-fits-all' approach is what’s actually holding Fluent Design back from being fully embraced?(Most people agree that Microsoft hasn't fully embraced and applied Fluent Design throughout the Windows system). Since Microsoft needs to keep an impossible balance between modern and older designs, could it be one of the reasons the Fluent Design isn't fully embraced?
These are pretty good advices and you can share it to microsoft team.
Nobel Baynes, since you are a Steel Contributor, do you have suggestions on how to ensure this actually reaches the engineering team? Is there a specific 'Idea' category or a person on the Windows Insider team I should tag to make sure these 7 points don't get lost besides the tech community and feedback hub?
Hi, Nobel_Baynes! I have posted this to the Feedback Hub as well. I'm hoping the visibility here helps it reach the right desk.
That being said, having a "Vintage Windows" branch with extended support could be beneficial for users who rely on older systems for specific tasks or workflows. This would allow them to continue using their familiar interface while still receiving security updates and support.
Hi, Izannki! My vision is of an unnified and strong foundation (the same WinRT/Win32/Kernel) that supports both a 'Vintage' and 'Modern' Shell, so there wouldn't be fragmentation and split ecosystems. This way, users get the UI they need for their workflow without developers having to target two different systems.
This approach makes a lot of sense, especially for catering to different user preferences. Maintaining a “Vintage Windows” for those who prefer stability and familiarity, alongside a “Modern Windows” that pushes innovative features, could reduce fragmentation and improve user satisfaction. It would also help enterprises and power users who prioritize long-term stability.
You've shared seven thought-provoking ideas for improving Windows, with a focus on Fluent Design and the future of the operating system.
I’d also like to address the most common counterpoint to modernizing legacy apps: backward compatiblity. If Microsoft kept these outdated menus to ensure stability across all devices, it would be understandable. However, compatibility doesn't seem to be the true priority.
For instance, I have a modern PC with a Ryzen 5 4600G and a B450M motherboard, hardware that is more than capable, yet Windows 11 frequently flags it as not meeting minimum requirements for TPM or Secure Boot. It is a contradiction: the system holds onto 20-year-old UI elements in the name of 'compatibility,' while simultaneously creating artificial hardware barriers that prevent modern PCs from having a seamless experience. If Microsoft is willing to leave older hardware behind for the sake of 'security' and 'innovation,' they should be equally willing to leave the outdated UI behind to finally deliver a truly consistent, modern OS.
