Insiders report that Microsoft is working on a major redesign of Explorer in Windows 11. Apparently, this work is aimed at bringing the look of Explorer more in line with other elements of the software platform.

In the fresh test builds of Windows 11, which are available as part of the Windows Insider pre-evaluation program on the Dev channel, mentions of a modernized main page of the “Explorer” and an updated sidebar were found. The new elements are expected to be executed according to Fluent Design based on XAML and WinUI.

A Twitter user with the nickname FireCubeStudios created a concept that shows what the updated “Explorer” could look like. If the presented image corresponds to the intention of the developers from Microsoft, then the users are waiting for the modern design of the explorer, which can already be seen in other Windows 11 system applications.

Along with this, indications were found in the code of previous builds of Windows 11 that “Explorer” will receive new features. It is about the appearance of new panels Activities, Conversations, Shares Status and Insights, which will most likely be integrated with Microsoft 365. It is also expected that the updated design will be more convenient for working on devices with touch screens.