By
Delia
/ Last
update
February 16, 2022
Since the release of Windows 11, many native apps and services have gradually been redesigned and improved in functionality, but one very important and useful tool has remained intact for a long time: Task Manager. Now in the Windows 11 Build 22543 preview, Microsoft has also given the Task Manager a modern look and quietly made some major changes.
In fact, many users have already discovered this ongoing improvement in Build 22538, but some extra steps are required to enable it. A previous article also described how to enable hidden new Task Manager. And in Build 22543, Microsoft fixed a serious bug that caused Task Manager to crash instantly when switching to the Performance tab. Users can now experience the refurbished Task Manager more smoothly.
Windows 11's new Task Manager at a glance
As you can see, the refreshed design of Task Manager matches the interface of Windows 11 and other native applications such as Microsoft Edge or Settings. After the update, Task Manager uses WinUI, Fluent Design, and Mica materials.
In addition, Microsoft has tweaked the basic interface of Task Manager, moving options such as processes to a new menu. These options were previously available at the top of Task Manager. In the new design, you'll find these options in the left-hand menu, similar to Settings and other modern Windows 11 apps.
One interesting discovery in the Windows 11 preview is the new ability to use Task Manager to monitor the health of apps. A feature called "App health" will help users know when their application needs to be fixed.
For laptop users, the Task Manager update will include another feature called "Battery Health," which will help users know the current state of their battery when running resource-intensive applications.
Laptop battery health has been a concern for users over the past few years, especially after the release of Windows ARM and the Apple M1, so this new feature could be useful for some users.
Also, there will be a new "Startup apps" section to help users identify apps that slow down the device during startup.
In terms of trends, Microsoft is adding more mobile features to Windows 11 similar to those found on smartphones.
The new task manager is still in beta
Microsoft hasn't officially announced the new Task Manager yet, and the leaked version isn't fully functional. As you can see, Task Manager has quite a few bugs in the Windows 11 preview version, so if you usually need to use Task Manager a lot to close unresponsive programs, it might be a good idea to skip the Dev Channel version.