Microsoft has published a Windows Blog post that details changes it is making to Windows 11 and how the platform manages apps. According to the company, new policies will change how default apps are managed and the behavior around pinning apps on the taskbar.
In the post, Microsoft points out that the new approach will be more beneficial to developers as well as end users.
“We want to ensure that people are in control of what gets pinned to their Desktop, their Start menu and their Taskbar as well as to be able to control their default applications such as their default browser through consistent, clear and trustworthy Windows provided system dialogs and settings.”
Microsoft will add a new deep link URI for apps on Windows 11. This will give apps the ability to send users directly to relevant sections of the Windows Settings app to change defaults. In other words, no more digging through the Settings app to find apps Windows uses for specific default tasks.
You can see how this deep link URI will look when looking at Edge as a default browser in the main image above.
App Pinning
Moving on, Microsoft says that it is making a new API available in Windows 11 that will allow developers to better manage primary and secondary pins for apps on the taskbar. The API will label apps as a “trusted Windows user experience” that gives customers the option to pin a whole app or parts of the app to the taskbar.
Here is what this feature looks like:
Microsoft says it too is taking these new features on board and integrating them into Microsoft Edge top adopt both changes.
Tip of the day: Windows Update downloads can often be frustrating because they are several gigabytes in size and can slow down your internet connection. That means your device may work with reduced performance while the update is downloading. In our guide we show you how to limit bandwidth for Windows Update downloads, so they won’t bother you again.
