14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft originally promised a modern version of File Explorer a few years ago, but the project never reached the production stage, despite several experimental builds implemented in Windows 10 preview builds.
In the meantime, the company focused a little bit more on refining the experience with the existing Win32 version of File Explorer, and the latest stable update for Windows 10, for example, brought a dark theme that aligns with the look of the operating system overall.
File Explorer, however, is set to receive a major facelift in the coming Windows 10 feature update, according to a new report from HTNovo.
As it turns out, the software giant is currently exploring ways to bring the full Fluent Design treatment to File Explorer, and if everything goes according to the plan, experimental versions should be released to users later this year.
Coming to Fast ring insiders with 20H1 builds
However, the planning phase appears to be taking quite a lot of time, so while you’d normally expect the new File Explorer go live in the next Windows 10 feature update, this wouldn’t be the case. By the looks of things, the plan is to bring this update with the release of Windows 10 20H1, which is projected to hit stable devices in April 2020.
In other words, users participating in the Windows Insider program could get a taste of the new File Explorer in late 2019 when Microsoft bring shipping Windows 10 20H1 preview builds to Fast ring insiders – Windows 10 20H1 is already available for users in the Skip Ahead ring, but for the time being, only minor improvements are part of this release.
The File Explorer overhaul could be one of the reasons Microsoft is testing Windows 10 20H1 so early, as the company needs more time to finalize the Fluent Design implementation before making it available for everyone.