Windows 11 is getting some welcome shortcuts and streamlining measures to make the desktop look tidier

Windows 11 is getting some work done on its interface that might consist of more minor tweaks, but nonetheless useful ones, and handy time-savers in some cases.

All this is packaged up in a new beta build (preview version 22635) recently released by Microsoft, and the first noteworthy change is to File Explorer.

Specifically, it’s to the Home page in File Explorer, which now has an option to list all the files recently shared with you. So, if someone has shared a document on Teams, or via email – or indeed other avenues – all the most recently shared material will be listed (chronologically), along with key details such as who shared it.

Another nifty change is inbound for the taskbar, and this one is a streamlining measure. Essentially, in the system tray, on the far right of the taskbar, Microsoft has shortened the time and date so it takes up less space (and doesn’t show the year), plus the notifications bell has been dropped (though you can turn it back on if you want).

On top of this, Windows Studio Effects is now available to access via Quick Settings in the system tray, allowing you easy access to the feature – which provides a bunch of AI-driven camera and audio tricks for PCs that have an NPU (for accelerating AI workloads).

What’s neat here is that if you’re using an app that can leverage Windows Studio Effects – which offers abilities like a background blur feature, or filtering out background noise so you can better hear the speaker – an icon will pop up in the system tray to allow you to directly launch Studio Effects settings in Windows 11.

There are various other minor tweaks with build 22635 and Microsoft’s blog post explains them all at length.

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Analysis: Handiness abounds

A trimmer system tray is welcome, certainly, as is the useful touch of being able to access Windows Studio Effects settings much more easily (and to know when an app can utilize these).

Furthermore, the change to File Explorer is another handy move, allowing you to quickly and conveniently access shared material. If you know someone has shared something recently, but can’t find the file, you can just pop open File Explorer on the desktop and look in this list. A useful shortcut indeed, potentially, though one that’ll eventually be overshadowed by the Recall feature, in theory, for Copilot+ PCs – when it’s relaunched. (For folks who want to use Recall, anyway, and we’re guessing after all the controversy, not everyone will).

It’s worth noting that build 22635 comes with an interesting hidden tweak, too, in the form of a move to better organize the list of installed apps in the Start menu – which would be a welcome change as we’ve already observed.

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