I acquired so annoyed with these 5 Home windows 11...

I’ve a love-hate relationship with Windows 11. On the one hand, I am keen on the highly effective multitasking and window administration instruments the OS gives me, and I discover Microsoft’s Fluent Design system to be visually enticing. On the flip facet, the OS frustrates me with its heavy-handed method to selling companies, its lack of UX consistency, and its over-reliance on internet tech inside shell parts.

Over time, I’ve gotten used to most of the… shall we embrace, distinctive attributes of Microsoft’s decades-old desktop working system. Nevertheless, there are a number of quirks specifically that grind my gears to no finish, they usually stick out like a sore thumb at any time when I come again to Home windows after an prolonged computing session on macOS or Android.

Listed here are 5 such annoyances that I want Microsoft would rectify already, in addition to a quick overview of the steps I take to assault these Home windows 11 idiosyncrasies head-on.

1

Darkish Mode is not automated

There isn’t any Fast Settings tile obtainable, both

Microsoft was forward of the curve when it launched a devoted darkish mode interface possibility for Windows back in 2016. It took a number of extra years for darkish mode to hit competing working methods, however finally the likes of macOS, iOS, and Android caught up. The issue is, Microsoft launched darkish mode, after which it rested on its laurels.

Apart from not implementing darkish mode throughout many old-school Win32 apps and interface components, the first problem I’ve with the Home windows 11 darkish mode is that it may well’t be mechanically switched on or off based mostly on the time of day. That is one in all my favourite options on rival OSs, and its absence right here is irritating. So as to add insult to damage, Microsoft would not present a dark mode toggle inside the Fast Settings pane, making it a chore to change shade scheme on the fly.

To make up for this, I went forward and put in Auto Darkish Mode. Accessible without spending a dime on the Microsoft Retailer, this light-weight utility not solely switches your theme based mostly on specified parameters, but in addition provides extra superior options. For instance, I’ve mine set as much as change the wallpaper alongside the colour mode, which provides to the change in desktop theme.

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2

Evening Mild is jarring

Home windows 11 broke the graceful transition animation

Evening Mild is Microsoft’s built-in blue light filter for Home windows, and for probably the most half it will get the job finished. It is easy to regulate the depth of the filter, and it may be set to toggle on or off mechanically based mostly on the time of day or as in any other case specified. Again within the Home windows 10 days, Evening Mild labored like a appeal, and I had no complaints in regards to the function.

Sadly, this modified with the launch of Windows 11 in 2021. For causes unbeknownst to me, Evening Mild has grow to be a uneven, glitchy mess post-update. When toggled on, the filter overlays itself in a visually jarring method, with an abrupt change in shade tone. This is not an issue unique to my PC, both: I’ve skilled it with each single Home windows 11 desktop, laptop computer, and pill that I’ve gotten my fingers on, and it is a far cry from the as soon as smooth-as-butter Home windows 10 Evening Mild.

Fortunately, the free f.lux app is right here to the rescue. f.lux, which may be downloaded from the Microsoft Retailer, is way extra highly effective than the native blue mild filter in Home windows 11, with tons of configuration choices to select from. Better of all, the utility consists of a number of transition speeds to select from, successfully bringing again the graceful, gradual transition that Microsoft broke again in 2021.

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3

The calendar flyout is incomplete

For a digital calendar, this one is not very good

Once you faucet or click on on the date and time part inside the Home windows 11 system tray, a dual-purpose calendar and notifications flyout seems on-screen. The notification panel is full-featured, however the calendar pane is most actually not. Whereas Microsoft is presently testing a number of enhancements to the flyout (the corporate plans to deliver again the choice to show seconds inside the interface), it is nonetheless lacking an agenda view.

Arguably, the shortage of a dynamically adjusting agenda inside the calendar flyout defeats the whole objective of a digital calendar. Because it presently stands, the Home windows 11 flyout cannot sync with Outlook or another supplier, and it may well’t be used so as to add in occasions or reminders. Contemplating Microsoft’s pedigree within the software program productiveness house, it is a notably egregious oversight in my eyes.

As ever, the answer to this drawback may be discovered within the third-party app house. Accessible on the Microsoft Retailer. The $4 Calendar Flyout app seems to be and feels native to the system, whereas including in extra configuration choices, a devoted agenda view, and extra. The developer of the app has revealed other flyout replacement apps on the Microsoft Retailer as nicely, all of that are value looking at when you’re on the lookout for native-feeling applets that outdo Microsoft within the performance division.

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4

The lock display is overloaded with textual content

Cognitive overload to the nth diploma

As a lot as I like data density in idea, it would not all the time make sense inside the context of major working system surfaces. With Home windows 11 specifically, I discover myself disliking the overbearing show of default lock display components, which come throughout as visually noisy and fill me with a way of cognitive overload.

By default, the Home windows 11 lock display is stuffed not solely with widgets close to the underside, but in addition a devoted textual content blurb providing up ideas and methods, in addition to a separate blurb referring to the Home windows Highlight picture being displayed on display.

Sadly, you possibly can’t take away these cluttery blurbs if you wish to get pleasure from Windows Spotlight from the lock display. That being stated, when you change over to a static picture or slideshow, you possibly can then disable the ideas and methods from displaying up. It’s also possible to take away the widgets close to the underside, however I have a tendency to search out them helpful for shortly glancing on the climate and site visitors updates.

To take away the ideas and methods part from the Home windows 11 lock display, observe these steps:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Personalization > Lock display.
3. From right here, untick the part that reads Get enjoyable information, ideas, methods, and extra in your lock display.

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5

Search is a large number

Eternally in quest of a greater search

The out-of-box search expertise on Home windows 11 is not nice. The principle search pane makes use of internet know-how (making it sluggish, stuttery, and non-native feeling), and it is stuffed to the brim with superfluous details about video games, trending searches, and so forth. I’ve outlined a few of my favourite search launcher substitute apps in a separate article, however Microsoft’s personal Command Palette is arguably the best choice of all of them.

Command Palette, which is offered without spending a dime from the Microsoft Retailer through the PowerTools app suite, offers a cleaner design that feels fairly macOS and iPadOS-inspired. Apart from lowering the visible noise, Command Palette is closely customizable, with choices to regulate the invocation shortcut, tailor search outcomes to your liking, and way more.

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