14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that Microsoft was working on a major Windows 10 UI overhaul, and part of its plan is replacing the existing sharp corners with a round version.
In other words, the Metro UI that has been so controversial is finally going way, and Microsoft wants round corners to be the essence of its modern Windows 10 experience.
While we’ve already spotted some hints of this round interface in Windows 10, the leaked build that Microsoft shipped to insiders a few hours ago provides us with a closer look at how the company envisions the whole thing in the operating system.
Of course, it’s important to remember that this fresh UI is still a work in progress, so some details are likely to be fine-tuned before the go-ahead is given to the public release.
First and foremost, some key information.
The screenshot that you see here reveals the Action Center design in Windows 10 build 18947, which was pushed by mistake to Windows insiders enrolled in all rings. This build was supposed to spend more time in internal builds before getting the go-ahead.
Then, as you can see for yourselves by clicking this screenshot (which was posted on reddit by user Middle__, this refreshed UI still needs a few touches here and there, as Microsoft hasn’t yet finalized it – remember that this comes from a private build that wasn’t supposed to go public.
At first glance and judging exclusively from these photos, the rounded corners do look nice and modern, and everything seems to blend just nicely into Microsoft’s Fluent Design makeover. This Action Center interface appears to be specifically optimized for the light theme in Windows 10 (this visual mode was introduced by the company in the May 2019 Update this year), but I expect a dark mode to be released as well.
Almost all elements on the screen have been redesigned to use these round corners, aside from the quick actions in the Action Center. While these could be refined as well by the time this visual update goes live as well, they don’t look bad with sharp corners either, but as usual, consistency is what makes everything feel more seamless from one end to another.
If everything goes according to the plan, I expect the new UI to be released as part of Windows 10 20H1 due in the spring of 2020 – the leaked build is also a preview of this particular OS update. As per Microsoft’s typical release schedule, this feature update should be finalized in March and then released to users in April, albeit these dates could vary a little bit depending on how the development work and testing advance.
However, Microsoft should begin the testing phase with help from insiders in the coming months, ahead of this public debut. The company uses the Windows Insider program to try out all the changes that it brings to users, and without a doubt, the updated UI will be included in preview builds as well.
The next feature update for Windows 10 is 19H2, and it is due in the fall. However, this update will be more like a service pack, with improvements to be made mostly under the hood. This means the focus isn’t necessarily on new things like features and a refined UI, so the overhaul that you see here is unlikely to be included in this release.
Windows 10 19H2 builds are already up for testing in the Slow ring, while Windows 10 20H1 preview builds are shipped to users enrolled in the Fast ring.