Despite explicit discussions about continued tablet feature development for Windows 11, Microsoft is evaluating a very tablet-friendly new UI for the operating systems lock screen.
In the latest Windows 11 Insider build 22635.4082 for the Beta channel, users will see the controls for media shifting from the bottom right corner to the bottom center.
With the new shift, Microsoft has now centered all media and content displayed on Windows 11 lock screens that includes the Time which sits at the top, new Windows 11 content widgets cards that rest towards the bottom of the screen, and now media controls that sandwich the entire interactive section.
In addition to moving the media controls from left to center, Microsoft has also updated the design which resembled the old metro-like design of Windows 8.1 and was carried over through Windows 10. The new media controls now incorporate more translucent and acrylic accents as well as getting trimmed in display size.
The Windows development team is also tweaking a couple of other aspects of the OS in build 22635.4082 that include design language support for Delivery Optimization section in the Settings menu. Now when users go to set apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store on Windows 11, they’ll be greeted with a section that looks and feels more at home in the updated Settings app.
Lastly, granular controls for app-specific notifications make an appearance in this latest beta build. Users will now be able to turn off Microsoft’s present pop up to disable notifications from certain apps.
Microsoft doesn’t appear to be doing its three-card-monte trick of A/B testing these new additions so Insiders on the beta channel should eventually wind up with after a period during this roll out.
