Microsoft continues to experiment with the Windows 11 taskbar user interface. The company is testing the return of the familiar search bar from Windows 10, as well as notification icons for the Widgets section.
Windows 11 currently includes a switchable search button on the taskbar that only displays the search logo. And now Microsoft is testing three different visual search options on the taskbar. One option is a regular search icon, while the other two include a small or large search bar on the taskbar. Microsoft is gathering feedback on the changes before rolling out the new features more widely. This testing is part of the new experimental features in Windows 11, which means they may not appear in the final version of the OS.
With the recent return of the Weather widget to the Windows 11 taskbar, Microsoft is now testing adding notification icons. Notifications are for content such as breaking news and look just like the icons found in the Notification Center on the right side of the taskbar.
“When you open the widget board, a banner appears at the top of the board with more information about what caused the notification icon to appear,” explains Amanda Langowsky, head of the Windows Insider program.
In addition to the UI updates, Windows Insiders on the Dev channel will also be able to start testing the new Camera app for Windows 11. It has been redesigned to match the Windows 11 style and now supports QR and barcode scanning.
A new Media Player update is also available for testing. It brought the ability to rip CDs to AAC, WMA, FLAC and ALAC files.
Source: The Verge
