I received so annoyed with these 5 Home windows 11 issues I made a decision to repair them myself

I’ve a love-hate relationship with Windows 11. On the one hand, I like the highly effective multitasking and window administration instruments the OS supplies me, and I discover Microsoft’s Fluent Design system to be visually enticing. On the flip aspect, the OS frustrates me with its heavy-handed method to selling providers, its lack of UX consistency, and its over-reliance on net tech inside shell parts.

Over time, I’ve gotten used to most of the… shall we embrace, distinctive attributes of Microsoft’s decades-old desktop working system. Nonetheless, there are just a few quirks specifically that grind my gears to no finish, they usually stick out like a sore thumb each time I come again to Home windows after an prolonged computing session on macOS or Android.

Listed below are 5 such annoyances that I want Microsoft would rectify already, in addition to a quick overview of the steps I take to assault these Home windows 11 idiosyncrasies head-on.

1

Darkish Mode is not automated

There is not any Fast Settings tile out there, both

Microsoft was forward of the curve when it launched a devoted darkish mode interface choice for Windows back in 2016. It took just a few further years for darkish mode to hit competing working techniques, however ultimately the likes of macOS, iOS, and Android caught up. The issue is, Microsoft launched darkish mode, after which it rested on its laurels.

Except for not implementing darkish mode throughout many old-school Win32 apps and interface parts, the first problem I’ve with the Home windows 11 darkish mode is that it will possibly’t be routinely switched on or off based mostly on the time of day. That is one among my favourite options on rival OSs, and its absence right here is irritating. So as to add insult to damage, Microsoft does not present a dark mode toggle inside the Fast Settings pane, making it a chore to modify colour scheme on the fly.

To make up for this, I went forward and put in Auto Darkish Mode. Out there without spending a dime on the Microsoft Retailer, this light-weight utility not solely switches your theme based mostly on specified parameters, but in addition gives extra superior options. For instance, I’ve mine set as much as swap the wallpaper alongside the colour mode, which provides to the change in desktop theme.

Associated

5 Windows 11 widget apps I use to make my PC desktop useful

Home windows 11 gives its personal native widgets, however they cannot be pinned immediately onto the desktop – these apps allow you to take issues into your individual palms.

2

Night time Gentle is jarring

Home windows 11 broke the graceful transition animation

Night time Gentle is Microsoft’s built-in blue light filter for Home windows, and for probably the most half it will get the job achieved. It is simple to regulate the depth of the filter, and it may be set to toggle on or off routinely based mostly on the time of day or as in any other case specified. Again within the Home windows 10 days, Night time Gentle labored like a attraction, and I had no complaints concerning the characteristic.

Sadly, this modified with the launch of Windows 11 in 2021. For causes unbeknownst to me, Night time Gentle has grow to be a uneven, glitchy mess post-update. When toggled on, the filter overlays itself in a visually jarring method, with an abrupt change in colour tone. This is not an issue unique to my PC, both: I’ve skilled it with each single Home windows 11 desktop, laptop computer, and pill that I’ve gotten my palms on, and it is a far cry from the as soon as smooth-as-butter Home windows 10 Night time Gentle.

Fortunately, the free f.lux app is right here to the rescue. f.lux, which might be downloaded from the Microsoft Retailer, is way extra highly effective than the native blue mild filter in Home windows 11, with tons of configuration choices to select from. Better of all, the utility contains a number of transition speeds to select from, successfully bringing again the graceful, gradual transition that Microsoft broke again in 2021.

Associated

5 tricks I use to make Windows 11 modern and consistent

I exploit these apps, settings, and tweaks to make my Home windows 11 PC really feel extra cohesive from a consumer interface perspective.

3

The calendar flyout is incomplete

For a digital calendar, this one is not very good

If you faucet or click on on the date and time part inside the Home windows 11 system tray, a dual-purpose calendar and notifications flyout seems on-screen. The notification panel is full-featured, however the calendar pane is most definitely not. Whereas Microsoft is presently testing a number of enhancements to the flyout (the corporate plans to convey again the choice to show seconds inside the interface), it is nonetheless lacking an agenda view.

Arguably, the shortage of a dynamically adjusting agenda inside the calendar flyout defeats all the goal of a digital calendar. Because it presently stands, the Home windows 11 flyout cannot sync with Outlook or some other supplier, and it will possibly’t be used so as to add in occasions or reminders. Contemplating Microsoft’s pedigree within the software program productiveness area, this can be a significantly egregious oversight in my eyes.

As ever, the answer to this drawback might be discovered within the third-party app area. Out there on the Microsoft Retailer. The $4 Calendar Flyout app seems to be and feels native to the system, whereas including in further configuration choices, a devoted agenda view, and extra. The developer of the app has printed other flyout replacement apps on the Microsoft Retailer as nicely, all of that are value looking at if you happen to’re in search of native-feeling applets that outdo Microsoft within the performance division.

Associated

These 12 apps have me excited for the future of Windows 11

Fashionable Home windows apps might be thoughtfully designed, similar to their iOS and Android counterparts – listed here are 12 excellent examples.

4

The lock display is overloaded with textual content

Cognitive overload to the nth diploma

As a lot as I like data density in idea, it does not all the time make sense inside the context of predominant working system surfaces. With Home windows 11 specifically, I discover myself disliking the overbearing show of default lock display parts, which come throughout as visually noisy and fill me with a way of cognitive overload.

By default, the Home windows 11 lock display is crammed not solely with widgets close to the underside, but in addition a devoted textual content blurb providing up suggestions and methods, in addition to a separate blurb regarding the Home windows Highlight picture being displayed on display.

Sadly, you’ll be able to’t take away these cluttery blurbs if you wish to take pleasure in Windows Spotlight from the lock display. That being mentioned, if you happen to swap over to a static picture or slideshow, you’ll be able to then disable the ideas and methods from displaying up. You may as well take away the widgets close to the underside, however I have a tendency to search out them helpful for rapidly glancing on the climate and site visitors updates.

To take away the ideas and methods part from the Home windows 11 lock display, observe these steps:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Personalization > Lock display.
3. From right here, untick the part that reads Get enjoyable information, suggestions, methods, and extra in your lock display.

Associated

Microsoft won’t tell you how to fix Windows 11’s search launcher but I will

The default Home windows 11 search expertise is a blended bag, however shocking, Microsoft has solved the issue – you simply need to know the place to look.

5

Search is a multitude

Without end in the hunt for a greater search

The out-of-box search expertise on Home windows 11 is not nice. The principle search pane makes use of net know-how (making it gradual, stuttery, and non-native feeling), and it is crammed to the brim with superfluous details about video games, trending searches, and so forth. I’ve outlined a few of my favourite search launcher substitute apps in a separate article, however Microsoft’s personal Command Palette is arguably the best choice of all of them.

Command Palette, which is accessible without spending a dime from the Microsoft Retailer through the PowerTools app suite, offers a cleaner design that feels fairly macOS and iPadOS-inspired. Except for lowering the visible noise, Command Palette is closely customizable, with choices to regulate the invocation shortcut, tailor search outcomes to your liking, and far more.

Associated

5 apps I use to make Windows Search more like macOS Spotlight

In comparison with Highlight on macOS, Home windows Search leaves one thing to be desired — listed here are 5 apps that may supercharge Home windows 11’s search prowess.