I upgraded to Windows 11 Insider Preview via Microsoft’s official Dev Channel and indeed the build from Microsoft itself has many differences compared to the previous leak. What Microsoft introduced and released during the June 24 event has almost all appeared in this Insider Preview. Here are the changes of Windows 11 Insider Preview compared to the previous Windows 11 leak.
How to download Windows 11 Insider Preview?
To experience the earliest Windows 11 Insider Preview, you must have a Microsoft Insider Program account, if you don’t have an account, you can go to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program and sign up to experience the test builds.
After registering, you choose the Dev Channel, because currently Microsoft only released this Insider Preview for the Dev Channel. If you are wondering whether your computer can run Windows 11 Insider Preview, then boldly sign up for the Insider Program, select the Dev Channel and then return to Check for Updates to try your luck. Note that this is a very early build, very new, and there will definitely be many bugs, if you only have one computer to work on, you should temporarily not upgrade, at least wait until Microsoft releases Windows 11 Insider Preview on Beta channel. For now you can check out my post on the new Windows 11 overview first.
Start Menu
The Start Menu is still the same, like the previous leak, all applications, software, Windows Search, widgets or the Start button have been moved to the center, looking more like a dock, this can be said to be a big change. Windows after all these years to have these on the taskbar on the left side. Putting the Start Menu in the middle will make it easier for users to open the Start Menu, browse applications and quickly open the things you need. Microsoft still gives users the option to bring the Start Menu to the left as usual, depending on the needs and habits of the user.
Action Center is now different from the leak, simpler, more beautiful, including a slider to adjust the volume and screen brightness. The quick adjustment buttons on the Action Center are also redesigned, with fewer buttons, more rounded, the overall look of the Action Center is much better.
Moreover, the Notifications area is now separate from the Action Center, no longer together like Windows 10 before, users will be quite confused to be able to get used to this at first, but it will make the notification area clearer, easier to see than sticking the Action Center below. In place of Action Center is the Calendar application.
Settings/Control Panel
Completely new settings, that’s for sure, compared to the leak, Settings is a complete change and makeover. The interface and icons are also completely new, the indexes and large settings will be on the left and right are more extensive customizations for those indexes. The rounded and blocky design is also applied to the new Settings.
Also in the new Settings, users can now change themes, choose themes with different colors pre-selected by Microsoft, or set their own wallpapers and colors according to my preferences, previously leaked wallpapers. on Windows 11 leak is completely similar to this Build Insider version.
Also in Settings, when users use the virtual keyboard on the screen with tablets, they can now change the theme with many different colors, very prominent and youthful.
And here is the virtual keyboard layout when using Windows 11 in tablet mode.
Besides the new and modern Settings, we still have the traditional and old Control Panel, but the icon has been refreshed and only the icon is left, the rest is still the Control Panel that we have known so far. Perhaps Microsoft should have a solution to remove the Control Panel, making the user experience better instead of improving the Control Panel.
Brand new File Explorer
What many people have been waiting for has finally been changed by Microsoft, File Explorer now looks simpler, with fewer buttons, less redundant features appearing on the screen. The icon set is the same as the previous leaked version, but the ribbon bar has been greatly simplified, leaving only basic and necessary features.
The right-click menu in File Explorer has also changed, the icon has appeared to make it easier for users to judge its features, making it easier for users to navigate, actually File Explorer is much more modern than the old interface. carefully.
Microsoft Store is still the same, can’t install Android apps
Microsoft Store is the next important change that Microsoft introduced in Windows 11, in addition to it having a new, more uniform interface, running Android applications is something that users expect, as well as a commission fee of 0 % for developers really makes the Microsoft Store a very attractive place for apps. Unfortunately, on this Insider Preview, the Store is still the old Store, without any changes.
I also tried to download an APK file and install it, but it still can’t be installed, perhaps because the Store is still the same and has not yet integrated the Amazon App Store, so installing Android applications is still difficult. There was a new Microsoft Store after I restarted it. The new Microsoft Store is much nicer than the old version, the apps are also more numerous, and many popular apps can be found here. I still haven’t been able to install Android apps on my Windows 11 .
Snap split window works fine (except File Explorer and some third party Apps)
The split window feature (Snap) many people must have figured out already, on this Insider Preview it is still used normally and this feature works well with most of the native Windows applications (except one some third-party applications that use their own renderers like Telegram, Franz can’t be used). Users just need to move the mouse to the maximize button to be able to use this Snap feature very easily. The feature of grouping windows is also working fine and I haven’t seen any errors until the time I write this experience.
Ironically, Snap can’t be used with File Explorer, perhaps because it’s in Insider Preview, so there will be backlog bugs.
Widgets
Widgets also have not changed in Windows 11 Insider Preview compared to the leak. Microsoft has removed Widgets from Windows for quite some time and now they bring it back, this time it will become a feed for users to easily follow and capture new information. Unfortunately, when we open the widget, we will not be able to open any more applications or windows.
What’s new in Windows 11 Insider Preview?
The battery monitoring interface has been completely redesigned, very beautiful.
The Storage interface also has a new interface, almost every index in Settings has been given a new coat. In addition, in Windows 11 we will also have new sounds, from the startup sound, the notification sound to the sound. of changes, customizations in settings or tasks that the user uses, in other words, the sound will respond to the user, during use so that the user feels the operating system interacts back to the user. Moreover, the transition effects and animations of Windows 11 are much more beautiful than before, smoother, more flexible, not jerky like in Windows 10 anymore, this is an extremely important change that affects Directly to the user’s daily use experience, it has made Windows 11 not too inferior in effects and animations when compared to MacOS anymore.
Myself, when I experienced quickly through Windows 11 I saw the effort to change and erase the past of rough and old versions of Windows, rigid and quite lifeless interfaces and effects. The disappearance of Live Tiles does not leave me much regret as it does not have as much effect on PC as Windows Phone in the old days, and the replacement with a more modern, softer interface has filled the gap, the absence of Live Tiles.
If you are using pre-2018 CPU laptops and want to upgrade to Windows 11, just boldly sign up for the Insider Program, Check For Updates to see if my computer can upgrade, I see there are many people using next-generation Intel CPUs. 6 (with TPM 2.0) can still get to Windows 11 Insider Program, good luck and have a new experience with Windows 11.
