Our commitment to Windows quality

Hello Windows Insiders,

I want to speak to you directly, as an engineer who has spent his career building technology that people depend on every day. Windows touches more people’s lives than almost any technology on Earth. Every day, we hear from the community about how you experience Windows. And over the past several months, the team and I have spent a great deal of time analyzing your feedback. What came through was the voice of people who care deeply about Windows and want it to be better.

Today, I’m sharing what we are doing in response. Here are some of the initial changes we will preview in builds with Windows Insiders this month and throughout April.

More taskbar customization, including vertical and top positions: Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we’ve heard from you. We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace.

Integrating AI where it’s most meaningful, with craft and focus: You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted. As part of this, we are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.

Reducing disruption from Windows Updates: Receiving updates should be predictable and easy to plan around, so we’re giving you more control. This includes the ability to skip updates during device setup to get to the desktop faster, restart or shut down without installing updates and pause updates for longer when needed, all while reducing update noise with fewer automatic restarts and notifications.

Faster and more dependable File Explorer: File Explorer is one of the most used surfaces in Windows. Our first round of improvements will focus on a quicker launch experience, reduced flicker, smoother navigation and more reliable performance for everyday file tasks.

More control over widgets and feed experiences: Widgets should feel helpful and relevant, not distracting or overwhelming. We’re introducing quieter defaults, more control over when and how widgets appear, and improved personalization for the Discover feed.

A simpler, more transparent Windows Insider Program: We are implementing changes to make it easier for you to navigate with clearer channel definitions, easier access to new features, higher quality builds, and better visibility into how your feedback shapes Windows.

Improved Feedback Hub, available starting today: We’re rolling out the largest update to Feedback Hub yet to our Insiders, with a redesigned experience that makes it faster and easier to submit feedback and engage with the community.

Delivering on Performance, Reliability and Craft

What follows is our plan to raise the bar on Windows 11 quality this year, with a focus on performance, reliability and well-crafted experiences.

[Performance]

• Improving system performance: Reducing resource usage by Windows to free up more performance for what you’re doing. This includes faster app launches and improved memory efficiency.
• More fluid app interactions: Moving core Windows experiences to the WinUI3 framework to reduce interaction latency.
• Improving File Explorer fundamentals: Substantially lower latency for search, navigation and context menus.
• Elevating the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL): Faster file performance and improved network compatibility for developers.

[Reliability]

• Strengthening the Windows Insider Program: Raising the quality bar for builds and strengthening feedback signals.
• Increasing OS, driver and app reliability: Reducing OS level crashes and improving driver quality across the ecosystem.
• Device Connectivity: Creating easier, faster and stable connections with Bluetooth accessories and fewer USB related crashes.