Windows 12: Everything we know and what we want to see 2024
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Microsoft hasn't officially announced a new version of Windows. In fact, it's downplayed reports we've heard about Windows 12. Officially, the company is committed to annual updates and smaller feature updates for Windows 11. But it's been reported, and even suggested by hardware partners, that Windows 12 is coming next year. So what can we expect from it?
When will Windows 12 be released?
We're expecting Windows 12 to be released at some point in 2024, which will be the third anniversary of Windows 11. That would be similar to the release strategy Microsoft had prior to Windows 10, so it makes sense from that perspective, too. That's all we really have right now, and it might be a while before we have any more information. If past releases are any indication, Windows 12 should arrive in the fall, or at least the second half of the year, but that's not set in stone. Microsoft has denied the reports that it's working on Windows 12, but considering we're still some time away from its launch, the company could simply be holding its cards close to its chest.
If you're in the Windows Insider Program, you might see Windows 12 features show up early, especially in the Canary channel, though that hasn't really happened yet. Most features that have shown up so far have made their way to Windows 11, but it's worth noting that Windows 11 was also a total surprise until just a few months prior to its official launch. We could be looking at a few more months of waiting before we get an official look.
Will Windows 12 be a free upgrade?
One of the big questions you're likely to have is whether you'll have to pay to upgrade to Windows 12 when (and if) it releases, but thankfully, that's unlikely. Microsoft has been set on offering major Windows updates for free to existing Windows users for a few years now, and it only makes sense for that to continue. Of course, Windows 12 itself likely won't be free, so if you don't have a Windows license at all, you're still going to have to buy it.
It's been suggested by some reports that Microsoft might introduce a subscription service for Windows 12, but that's not going to happen. You won't have to pay a recurring fee to use Windows 12. Of course, you'll still need to buy a license if you're building a custom PC and don't have a valid Windows 10 or 11 license right now, just as with previous releases.
What might get you to spend money is whether your PC is compatible with it, but that's a different matter worthy of its own section.
Will I be forced to upgrade?
The most likely answer to this is no. Microsoft has significantly eased up on its push to get users to install new versions of Windows by force. Windows 11 is still an optional update for Windows 10 users, and most likely, that approach will continue with future releases.
Updating to new versions of Windows can be mandatory if your version of Windows is nearing the end of its support period. For example, the original release of Windows 11 will be supported for 24 months if you have a Home or Pro edition of Windows, so by now, you need to have updated to a newer version, since those two years have passed.
However, if you look at what's happening with Windows 10, Microsoft is still delivering security updates for that operating system, and you don't have to upgrade to Windows 11. Windows 10 as a whole is supported until October 2025, and instead of pushing users to Windows 11, Microsoft is keeping them on Windows 10 unless they want to upgrade. It's likely that Windows 11 will receive the same treatment once Windows 12 is released, so you won't be forced to upgrade.
Can my PC run Windows 12?
After Windows 11 significantly raised the minimum system requirements compared to Windows 10, this is another great question to ponder. Will Windows 12 leave older PCs behind once again? It's too early to say, but there's certainly a chance that some PCs won't be compatible for one reason or another. Windows 11 currently requires processors released from around 2018 onward, and while we currently don't see a reason for the next Windows release to require more than that, it's possible that will happen.
As for any other requirements, again, it's hard to say. Windows 11 requires 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, so at the very least, Windows 12 will need just as much. You also shouldn't expect Microsoft to walk back on things like TPM requirements. However, if history is any indication, there will likely continue to be some kind of workaround that unsupported PCs can use to install it if you're feeling adventurous.
Either way, almost all the best laptops you can buy today will likely support Windows 12 when it is released.
What's new in Windows 12?
A new desktop UI
While Microsoft hasn't officially announced Windows 12, we recently got an early look at a prototype. Microsoft inadvertently showed off a concept for Windows 12 during the Microsoft Ignite keynote hosted by CEO Satya Nadella. The concept shows a few interesting changes, including a floating taskbar and some system icons that are now displayed at the top of the screen, such as the Wi-Fi and battery indicators, along with a weather widget. This would make Windows more similar to macOS or some Linux distributions.
Of course, we're still a couple of years out from the expected release date, so this is likely a very early design prototype. It might change significantly or be scrapped altogether before Windows 12 actually launches, but it gives us some interesting elements to analyze. Windows 11 made big changes to the taskbar for the first time in years, and if this concept is anything to go by, Windows 12 will make even more drastic changes to the experience we've grown accustomed to.
Other changes that have been reported include a new lock screen and login UI that's more optimized for touch devices, and a new notification center that can group notifications by contact, and not just by app. It's also expected you might be able to pin widgets to the desktop rather than having to use the dedicated widgets panel. Another new capability mentioned is the ability to create animated wallpapers with a parallax effect based on a 2D image.
A more modular approach
According to reports, Windows 12 may be taking a new approach to the way the operating system is designed on a core level. Microsoft is planning to make Windows 12 more modular, in the sense that certain components of the OS can be enabled or disabled for specific devices. This idea, known as CorePC, would allow for more tailored experiences for devices with different form factors and capabilities.
For example, a lower-end tablet or foldable PC may not support classic Win32 apps in order to have a lighter build. However, that feature would still be available on traditional desktop PC, so long-time users can still use their PC just as they always have.
This is somewhat reminiscent of what Microsoft was attempting with Windows 10X, which was going to be a version of Windows 10 designed for more modern devices and foldable. But while Windows 10X stripped out everything it could and was built from the ground up for these devices, the goal with Windows 12 is to have the full set of features and then remove the bits that don't make sense for a particular device or form factor. This will result in lighter Windows installations, allowing the OS to run on even lower-end hardware to compete with ChromeOS.
Faster updates
The same report that mentioned the modular design also talked about another change to the structure of Windows 12 with the introduction of state separation. This essentially means that certain parts of the operating system would be blocked off from user access and put into a separate partition. This would allow Windows to be updated more seamlessly, as the system could update these core partitions freely without worrying about user intervention. Updates would install faster and require less downtime, something we've been wanting to see for a while.
State separation can also make the reset experience more reliable. Since users can't access the partitions with system files, these files are less likely to be corrupted, and resetting your PC should work much better.
AI features
One part that may not come as a surprise anymore is that Microsoft is seemingly looking to incorporate more AI features into Windows 12. One of these features could involve Windows 12 being able to recognize the content shown on screen and suggest different actions depending on what's being shown. Windows 12 could also be able to recognize objects in a photo and make it easier to copy that object and paste it elsewhere.
AI is already a big part of Windows 11 thanks to the latest update to version 23H2. This adds the new Copilot AI assistant, along with features for Paint that let you remove the background of a photo or generate an image with text inputs. Other apps, like Snipping Tool and Photos, also have some new AI-powered features in Windows 11. It's unclear how much these capabilities will be expanded in Windows 12, but it seems like Microsoft wants to invest more and more into its AI prowess, so we can expect things to keep evolving over time.
In recent months, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella compared the Copilot button to the Start button, and suggested that it would change the way people interact with their computers. While it's a broad statement that could mean nothing, the possibility that Microsoft might replace the Start menu with Copilot is certainly there, if the company can build up Copilot to fulfill its vision.
No more support for 32-bit Arm apps and better Arm optimization
While it's not a new feature, it was recently confirmed that the next version of Windows will not support 32-bit Arm apps, following in the footsteps of other Arm-centric platforms. Officially, Microsoft says this change is happening with a future version of Windows 11, but we'll have to wait and see when it ends up happening.
Microsoft has also mentioned it's working on improvements for Arm devices, including more efficient emulation of x86 apps. This was mentioned briefly during the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit keynote, but it's unclear what these improvements are or when they will arrive.
What we want to see in Windows 12
Of course, with a major Windows release on the way, we can't help but imagine all the changes it should make to improve the Windows experience. While we love Windows 11, there's definitely a lot that Microsoft can do to improve the OS, including taking some lessons from its rivals.
Seamless updates
One of the big changes Microsoft announced for Windows 11 was for smaller updates to install in the background to make the overall process less of a pain. While these changes are welcome, the process isn't quite as seamless as it could be. You have to download and install updates, and then you have to reboot, which is when the computer makes a lot of the changes in the update.
Microsoft could stand to learn from ChromeOS and Android, which offer seamless updates where most of the changes are done in the background. While you still need to reboot the device, it's pretty much a standard reboot where your PC boots back up with the new update installed. Windows 11 still forces you to wait a while when it reboots to install updates, and while that's somewhat acceptable for big feature updates, it shouldn't happen with the cumulative updates we get each month.
Improvements to widgets
The Widgets board on Windows 11 is full of potential, but so far, Microsoft hasn't really delivered. For over a year, only web-based widgets provided by Microsoft were supported, and the Widgets board is also flooded with "news" articles powered by Microsoft Start, which are rarely useful or entertaining. You can't disable them either. To that end, we have two wishes for widgets on Windows 11.
First, we'd like more customization options for the Widgets board. Users should be able to disable the news feed entirely and use the board exclusively for widgets so that it can be truly useful to them and not filled with visual clutter. Additionally, for users who do want to see news, the Widgets board could serve as an RSS feed reader. Microsoft recently built a similar feature directly into Microsoft Edge, and having this capability built directly into Windows would make it that much easier for users to get access to news and articles from sources they curate.
The other request is to bring widgets directly to the Windows desktop, which is essentially how widgets work on Android. If you have widgets, there's a good chance you want quick access to the information they present, and having them directly on the desktop would greatly help with that. Windows Vista and 7 already had this capability, and while it's not for everyone, it could definitely be helpful. This is also something Apple recently announced with macOS Sonoma, so it's about time Microsoft does it too.
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