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Substantial redesign of File Explorer
Windows 11
Efforts are reportedly underway to make it more user-friendly and further integrate it with Microsoft 365.
This reports from Windows Central
(opens in a new tab),
managed to get its hands on exclusive info, and even some insides on the new File Explorer look model image. However, take everything mentioned in the report with a grain of salt. Since it’s still in the concept stage, the final product may look very different. No official information has been released yet.
If the model is to be believed, various aspects of the toolbar are changing to more closely match the Windows 11 style. Both the address and search bars will have a more rounded look, as the File Explorer tab continues to be at the top.
Common actions like New, Copy, and Paste will now be located below the header in the Files/Folders view. Even the navigation menu on the left gets a more rounded look. At first glance, the redesigned File Explorer might look more like a modern web browser than a traditional file manager.
Other new features
Another major redesign Aspect is
Microsoft 365 Integration(opens in a new tab) In the Home tab, It is now divided into three distinct sections. At the top will be a feed of “recommended files” from other 365 users on the cloud, with large thumbnails so you can see what’s recommended. In the details pane below it, the new File Explorer will show email threads and recent comments on shared files “across multiple colleagues or attached via email.” Like thumbnails, tidbits are “clear at a glance”.
Microsoft is also reportedly “toying with” the idea of ​​bringing tabs into File Explorer, allowing users to create tabs based on keywords and colors similar to macOS Organize your files the way the Finder application on your computer does. Additionally, work is underway to “deliver a richer photo viewing experience with the new gallery area.” Not much is known about this Final Photos feature, other than allowing users to view large image previews by hovering the cursor over a file.
Date to be released
this time The release date for the overhaul — assuming nothing is changed or scrapped — is unknown. According to the report, Microsoft aims to launch the new File Explorer by the end of 2023, with two possible rollout timeframes.
The redesign may come this summer as part of the Moment update, or with the release of Windows 11 version 23H2. It is too early to draw conclusions. However, as Windows Central notes, if the redesign does roll out in full, it will be “the most significant update to File Explorer since Windows 8.”
It would be great if the redesign actually materialized. File Explorer has barely changed over the years – just a few tweaks here and there, like new tabs
but no big deal.
If you’re interested in getting more from your file manager, be sure to check out TechRadar’s
List Best File Manager 2023 .
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Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry for several years now focusing on consumer electronics, entertainment devices, Windows and gaming. But he’s also passionate about smartphones, GPUs, and cybersecurity.
