Microsoft is readying its first major Windows 11 update. According to a new blog post from Panos Panay, Product Manager for Windows, development is ahead of schedule, indicating that the update could arrive sooner than the expected date. mid-2022 initially planned. Along with various UI tweaks, improvements, and features, perhaps the most anticipated feature is the inclusion of Android app support.
Being able to run Android apps from Windows is a big deal. Chrome OS and macOS already have this feature, but it was still a surprise when Microsoft announced it was adding support. Android app support is available through the insider channel, but the public preview is a big step towards its official release. Microsoft plans to launch a public preview of its Android apps for Windows 11 in February.
Interestingly, Google itself is working on an app that will allow you to play emulated and native Android games on your PC for the first time.
Other new features in the update include the return of Microsoft’s taskbar weather widget. The taskbar itself will be changed, and important Notepad and Media Player applications will be upgraded.
With the explosion of work-from-home apps like Slack and Zoom as well as Microsoft’s own Teams app, the Windows update will include a simple taskbar feature that lets you share your screen with remote users.
Panay talked about the quality of Windows, as you’d expect from one of its maintainers, but he also offered some statistics. He claims that users are upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 twice as fast as Windows 8 to 10. He also claims that user feedback and product satisfaction are as high as for any version of Windows.
A release date for the update has yet to be revealed, but even with Panos Pinay’s optimism, it’s likely still several months away.
