Windows 11 is cleaning up one of the messiest parts of Windows 10

By Arif Bacchus Published July 22, 2021

Windows 11 is still being beta tested by Microsoft, and that means there are tons of improvements on the way for the operating system. One of those improvements involves cleaning up the context menus, which have always been a mess in Windows 10 and older versions of Windows.

More commonly known as the “right-click menu” the context menu in Windows 11 brings many new improvements over the one currently found in Windows 10. The first involves putting common commands for copying and pasting right where the menu is invoked. A second change makes things so that Open and Open with are grouped together when you right-click a file.

The new right-click context menu showing commands in windows 11. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Third on the list is the ability for programs to “group” their commands so that you can navigate more easily. The image above shows what some of these changes will look like.

Recommended Videos

Microsoft even thought about cloud providers with its new context menu. Cloud file apps now have their own listing in the main context menus, next to the main Windows 11 commands. Other than that, Microsoft added a keyboard shortcut so you can summon the traditional Windows 10 context menu by using Shift+F10.

Now that Microsoft has cleaned things up, you no longer will need to install third-party programs or tweak the registry to make the context menus clearer.

In addition to the new context menus, Microsoft is also tweaking the share dialogue in Windows 11. The new share dialogue makes nearby sharing easier to use, with controls for sharing files with your other computers right upfront. You also can send an email to yourself from within the menu and see even more apps to share with.

These are just some of the changes coming in Windows 11. Microsoft is constantly improving on Windows 11 ahead of a release later this holiday season. It already has tweaked the Start Menu so it’s easier to find your files, improved the look of app preview in the Taskbar, and more.

If you want to see these changes firsthand, you can by signing up for the Windows Insider Program and opting your PC into the Dev Channel branch. Just be aware of bugs, as Windows 11 is still in an early preview state.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

Computing

Windows 11 can now use AI to respond to your text messages

The Phone Link app being used on a phone and laptop screen.

Microsoft has started rolling out a helpful Suggested Replies feature in the Phone Link app that gives users AI-powered text suggestions for quick replies to their messages, the software giant stated in a Support blog post.

The new feature uses Microsoft's Cloud AI models to create short replies to specific messages, resulting in faster response times. It is rolling out in Phone Link version 1.24082.137.0 for Windows 11 24H2 and 23H2. You don't need to be in the Windows Insider Program to try out the feature, but you won't see the Suggest Replies feature on all messages. You'll only see the suggestions when the Phone Link's AI can understand the message.

Computing

It’s official — Microsoft WordPad is dead after 29 years

A screenshot of Microsoft WordPad running on Windows 11.

The Windows 11 2024 Update, otherwise known as version 24H2, started rolling out yesterday, but if you've already updated, you might notice something is missing. WordPad's deprecation has become a reality, as it has been completely removed from the new version of Windows 11.

This might not be a big deal to most users -- the lack of people using the app is part of the reason it was deprecated, after all. If you don't know, WordPad has been around since Windows 95, and in terms of features and functionality, it offers more than Notepad, but less than Microsoft Word.

Computing

Microsoft is finally making Copilot+ laptops useful for AI

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 front view in tablet mode.

Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative has been a smash hit, with many of them landing among the best laptops, but not for the AI hardware inside. Now, finally, Microsoft is putting the neural processing unit (NPU) inside Copilot+ PCs to good use. Starting today and going throughout the next two months, Microsoft will begin rolling out the 24H2 update for all Windows 11 PCs, and in the process, unlock several features for Copilot+ PCs, including the highly controversial Recall.

Recall is definitely the star of the show here, which will start showing up on Copilot+ laptops with a Snapdragon X chipset throughout October. Last week, Microsoft laid the groundwork for the release of Recall, detailing the security architecture of the feature and addressing some major criticisms of it. Now, for example, Recall is turned off instead of on by default. Microsoft is also allowing users to filter websites and giving users more control over their snapshots, including deleting them all.