What to expect from Microsoft’s next OS release

It’s been about two years since Windows 11 came out. So it’s safe to start thinking about what the next version of Windows will look like. Microsoft is already working on Windows 12. Here’s a wishlist of what to expect in the next OS update for PCs and laptops.

If you look at major OS players such as Apple and Google, it’s clear they have a vision for their OS to run everything on every device. Android was designed to run on a wide variety of hardware, and Apple brings significant feature parity across the ecosystem.

Windows feels a step behind in that regard, and with Windows 12 we want to change that. As a modern operating system, there’s little reason why Windows can’t have the features you’re used to seeing on iPhones and Android phones. And there’s little reason why Windows shouldn’t be at the forefront of modern OSes, so I’d love to see Microsoft’s innovations come to life here.

You can tell Apple puts a lot of care into macOS wallpapers. A dynamic wallpaper shows the same scene with different lighting. macOS Sonoma offers an aerial screen saver that moves in slow motion on the lock screen and freezes the frame to wallpaper when you enter the desktop. This is a live wallpaper on your lock screen and a static wallpaper when you start using your computer.

Windows does not include official live wallpaper support. We feel it’s time to change that with Windows 12. Wallpaper is easily noticeable to the average user and is an easy point for any modern OS to win. There are third-party alternatives to live wallpapers on Windows, but it’s nice to have this readily available from Microsoft.

macOS Sonoma brings iOS-like widgets to the Mac. Windows 11 has a dedicated Widgets section, Windows key + W. But how many users know this?

What Windows needs instead are widgets that can be placed naturally between icons and files on the desktop. You want the ability to place, resize, and customize them freely on your desktop. You want your users to have an experience they are familiar with on their smartphones and feel at home on their desktops.

The ability to pin widgets to the desktop should be accompanied by more comprehensive marketing around widgets. Microsoft should create meaningful widgets for its own first-party apps, and encourage developers of popular third-party apps to create widgets as well. If the company can find a way to engage the power user and hobbyist communities as well, the introduction of this feature could have great impact.

Why would you need a smartphone if you want to turn on the light in your bedroom and double-check if the garage door is closed? Why can’t a desktop provide these features as well?

As to why this can’t happen soon, we know the technical answer, but since this is a wishlist, we’re allowed to dream. Hopefully with Matter support, desktops can also connect to smart homes and act as a trusted surface to control devices.

If you’re already sitting at your desk working on your PC, you don’t need to pick up your phone to do what you can do on your desktop with just a few clicks. And smart home controls are one of those things that Windows doesn’t have.

Windows updates are universally welcomed, but they are equally terrifying. The reason is that updates can often bring confusion. Frequent feature updates and bug fixes are nice, but I don’t like it when Windows takes 10 minutes to install an update and interrupts my work schedule.

Android updates seamlessly with things like virtual A/B partitions. Aside from Samsung being an outlier, a reboot to install an Android update is virtually identical to a normal reboot of a modern Android phone. Install the upgrade in the background and reboot into the updated OS. So you can get back up and running with minimal downtime.

It would be great if Windows could implement similar functionality in Windows 12. Imagine never having to stare at the “Updating Windows” screen again, especially when you have to meet a deadline on a rush job. That’s the good dream we dream.

The next big thing is AI. No one knows this better than Microsoft. The company has caused panic among competitors and has jumpstarted its activity in the AI ​​space with its investment in OpenAI and integration of ChatGPT into his Bing Chat.

With Windows 12, we want to bring AI everywhere we need it. AI shouldn’t be limited to taskbar shortcuts that go to Google Bing. It should permeate the structure of the OS and facilitate the user’s work in every best possible way.

For example, many Windows users have specific work preferences, and there’s no reason the OS can’t learn from the user’s daily work habits and suggest the right apps at the right time. So when I wake up my laptop on Monday, it should suggest work apps as a one-click open feature, and leisure apps on weekends and holidays.

Got your accessory’s firmware corrupted after a failed update? Let AI troubleshoot. No more obscure error codes to sift through 30 search results. The AI ​​should tell you exactly what went wrong and what exactly you need to do to fix it. You could probably even automate the process as much as possible.

50 files that need to be renamed in bulk? Why install another app when Windows Explorer can use AI to install another? Thousands of old screen shots that don’t stand up? Let the AI ​​throw them in the trash.

AI is still scratching the surface, and limiting search to web browsers feels pretty daunting. It will be very interesting to see what we can imagine if Microsoft puts AI directly into Windows 12.

The Windows Control Panel has played an important role, but it feels stuck in the distant past. Microsoft is working to bring most of these settings into the Settings app, and this is the right step. It just happens to be taking too long because the migration has been going on since Windows 10 and Windows 11.

With Windows 12, Microsoft hopes to fix the problem with Control Panel and its confusing settings. The Settings app should control all the features and settings you need to control on desktops and laptops in a single place. Aligning everything also helps maintain a consistent design within the OS. Since the Control Panel looks dated and desperately needs an update, Microsoft could also integrate it with Settings as intended.

Windows works well with both Android and iOS these days, but there’s definitely room for improvement. Some of our success stories are in the Your Phone app, which now supports Android and iPhone.

Our first request is uniform and consistent branding around the app. The Android and iOS apps are called “Link to Windows” in their app store entries, while the Windows app is called “Phone Link”. While obvious to power users, the name difference is confusing to the average user. Microsoft needs stronger branding and promotion of this feature.

Second, users frequently complain about connectivity and sync issues with the app. It disconnects frequently and takes a long time to reconnect. The basics need to be correct for a smoother experience.

Additionally, apps need to understand how to better and seamlessly handle all types of notifications. Ideally, when you check a text message on your desktop, it should be marked as read on your phone, but that rarely happens. Also, even though this app has access to all types of files other than images, it is limited to viewing only photos on your phone and nothing else.

There are many ways Windows can work better with Android and iOS, and this will be the key to increasing adoption of Windows 12. People will continue to use mobile phones. So desktops have to adapt to that and reduce friction. It may be replaced by other products that offer better and more seamless integration than Microsoft and Windows.