The developers of the open source Microsoft PowerToys tool for Windows 10 plan to release new updates with new utilities and an improved user interface. This update is still in the early stages of development, and Microsoft may plan to release it later this year.
PowerToys for Windows 10 was first launched in 2019, and it is based on the same approach as the power user tools of the Windows 95 era. By the end of 2020, Microsoft has updated the open source tools, adding some new features and UI improvements specifically designed for Windows 10.
Microsoft is now working on another major update, which may provide some much-needed user interface improvements.
Microsoft released a new concept on Github to showcase PowerToys through an improved first experience. Currently, PowerToys starts silently in the background, which makes users wonder if anything has actually happened.
To solve this problem, Microsoft is working with independent developers to create a new user interface that will display the main modules (functions of the application) when PowerToys is launched from the system tray.
NEW WAY TO ACCESS POWER TOYS UTILITIES:
PowerToys resides in the system tray of Windows 10, but the current support for the system tray is limited, and it only allows you to open the settings or end the application process.
According to the roadmap, PowerToys could soon get a new flyout menu in the system tray that will allow users to quickly launch the following modules:
- Settings.
- PowerToys Run (faster Windows Search experience).
- PowerToys Colour Picker.
- Video conference buttons.
UPCOMING FEATURES FOR POWER USERS:
Microsoft also plans to use PowerToys to add support for missing features in Windows 10, such as the “paste as plain text” mode and a way to quickly terminate any application background processes.
The tech giant is also developing other features. According to the roadmap, there are plans to enable support for a new method of rendering smooth fonts on Windows 10.
