Microsoft wants to stick to live tiles in the next OS

Dec 17, 2014 14:45 GMT  ·  By

Live tiles first appeared in October 2012, when Microsoft officially introduced the new Windows 8, and since then they have received several rounds of improvements which has made it very clear that Redmond has no intention to dump them and go back to the traditional Windows approach.

Things have changed since then, however, and even though Microsoft brought back the Start menu, it found a way to actually mix the original design with the new live tiles, thus making sure that this new modern concept lives on despite the return of traditional Windows features.

And there’s information that live tiles will continue to be a key feature in future Windows versions, not only on the desktop, but also on smartphones and tablets.

Desktop tiles

If you’re asking those who want the classic Windows approach, live tiles have nothing in common with the desktop, and Microsoft should actually offer the original Start menu design and no tiles.

In Windows 10, the Start menu also comes with live tiles which play the same role as in Windows 8 and 8.1, displaying information without the need to open the app.

But truth is, they eat up quite a lot of space on the Start menu and it’s no surprise that many users actually decided to remove them completely and stick to a rather simple design. In future builds, live tiles will most likely remain available for Windows 10 users, but do not expect them to step beyond the Start menu.

Tablet tiles

As far as tablets are concerned, live tiles make a lot more sense, pretty much because they do serve as a really helpful way to interact with app using touch.

At the same time, they also display information on the Start screen, just like on the desktop, and allow for multiple pre-defined sizes, which helps users better adapt them to their tablet designs.

Future updates could make live tiles interactive on tablets, giving everyone the possibility not only of receiving information without opening apps, but also of performing some essential tasks straight from these live tiles.

Phone tiles

If you’ve kept an eye on rumors, you most likely know that Microsoft is working to merge the tablet and smartphone platforms in Windows 10, so the same UI is very likely to be offered on both types of devices.

But Windows Phone devices are very likely to also get what is being called exploding live tiles, which split into multiple smaller tiles displaying info and allowing for certain tasks to be performed.

Overall, there doesn’t seem to be any intention to drop live tiles in the near future, but it’s still a question of how much users actually need them, no matter their device. So why not offer them the power of choice?

Live tiles in Windows (5 Images)

Live tiles on Windows 8.1
Live tiles options on Windows 8.1All Apps view on Windows 8.1
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