By Dervish / Last update January 14, 2022

The multi-window management of the Windows system has always been an advantage over competitors such as macOS, and now Microsoft is going to improve the interface of multitasking switching in Win11. Microsoft has rolled out a new update that modifies the appearance when users press "Alt+Tab".

In Windows, when the user presses the "Alt+Tab" shortcut key, a multitasking switching interface will appear. This function has always been standard in Windows, and it can be operated in this way in all generations of Windows. In the current Win11, when pressing "Alt+Tab" to switch multitasking, the window of the current application will be presented in full screen, which is different from the previous Windows.

In previous Windows, "Alt+Tab" switching multitasking would pop up a small window, instead of full-screen multitasking and blurring the background like Win11. Since Win11 Build 22000, the design award for full-screen multitasking has been used, and now Microsoft has to modify this interface again.

According to reports, in the next major version of Win11 update "Sun Valley", Microsoft will display the "Alt+Tab" multitasking interface as windowed instead of full screen starting with Windows 11 Build 22526.

As shown in the screenshot, in the new version of Win11, the multitasking interface has changed back to a windowed mode similar to Win10. The "Alt+Tab" experience now looks better on the desktop, with a blur effect around the window.

As an alternative to full-screen previews, app thumbnails appear in the center of the screen, a design similar to macOS' small previews.

It is worth noting that the function of "Alt+Tab" will not change. If you hold down the Tab or Alt key, Windows still allows you to move left and right to select the multitasking window, which is very convenient.

This new "Alt+Tab" design is currently available in Windows Preview in the Insider channel, and Microsoft confirmed that the change is a work in progress. If all goes well, the new design will be pushed into the hands of official users later this year.