The next Windows 11 update will introduce a new volume indicator, ten years after the previous design change in Windows 8.
Hated by some users, Windows volume meter has been the subject of criticism for a decade now. Some have even developed utilities to get rid of it, proof of its inability to convince despite its longevity. It must be said that by imposing it on all PCs without the possibility of deactivating or moving it, Microsoft has made enemies. Not very elegant (it’s a rectangular blue bar placed at the top left of the screen), Microsoft’s volume indicator has survived four major versions of Windows (8, 8.1, 10 and 11).
For the millions of Windows users around the world, good news is coming. The next Windows 11 update, currently in testing with Insiders (Microsoft’s beta test program), introduces a new updated volume indicator. The company describes this change as a way to “Make the Windows experience more consistent”. The new volume indicator will appear just above the taskbar icons, in a more sleek transparent module.
2012. // Source: Microsoft
A shared interface with the brightness
This new design will not be reserved for volume. On its site, Microsoft explains that increasing and decreasing screen brightness or keyboard backlighting will appear in a similar interface. The visual indicators indicating the passage in airplane mode or the activation / deactivation of the camera will also take these new aesthetic codes.
When will a change be made on Mac?
Volume indicators are regularly criticized by users, regardless of the operating system. Android 12 recently simplified its interface while iOS 13, released in 2019, ended a frustrating 12 years in which the iPhone’s volume indicator appeared in the middle of the screen. Since we regularly vary the intensity of the volume of our device, this apparently anecdotal point is far from being.
Then comes a question: Will Apple be the next to make a similar change with macOS? Today, the Mac volume indicator occupies too much space for simple visual information. Hopefully the future version of macOS, normally announced in June, is inspired by Windows 11.
Regarding the deployment of this novelty on Windows, Microsoft does not communicate a date for the moment. It will undoubtedly be necessary to wait several weeks before this new function is deployed.