Could launch with the release of Windows 10 Redstone 5

Apr 23, 2018 04:57 GMT  ·  By

File Explorer, the default file manager in Windows 10, is getting tabs thanks to Sets in Windows 10 Redstone 5, and now it looks like the fall 2018 OS feature update is also likely to bring another eagerly-anticipated improvement to the app.

A dark theme is currently being developed and tested in the latest preview builds of Windows 10, as Microsoft watcher Rafael Rivera has discovered an early implementation with a black title bar and side panel already available.

As you can see in the screenshot included in this article, the black theme is still in its early days, and it needs many more refinements, but it’s a welcome start for one of the most requested features in File Explorer.

Coming in Redstone 5, maybe?

Microsoft hasn’t announced this new feature, so there’s a chance users participating in the Windows Insider program would be allowed to try it out after the April 2018 Update rolls out and Redstone 5 preview builds become available for the Fast ring as well. Currently, only Skip ahead users get Redstone 5 builds, but development should be accelerated after Redstone 4 ships to all users.

While the software giant appears to be focused on improving the desktop File Explorer, no word has been said on the current state of the UWP sibling, which is still believed to be in development and scheduled to launch with a future Windows 10 update.

On the other hand, it appears that Microsoft isn’t willing to give File Explorer a major UI overhaul just yet, despite the massive feedback in this regard. The Windows user community has been highlighting File Explorer concepts for a long time, many of them relying on more dramatic UI updates, but for the time being, Microsoft just wants to stick with a familiar look and feature updates like tab support.