Washington: Four years ago Microsoft had tested and then abandoned an attempt at adding tabbed browsing to the File Explorer in Windows 10. However, now a new Windows 11 preview build seems to be giving it another shot.
According to The Verge, a developer spotted hints of the test in March before Microsoft confirmed that the feature, as well as the new Home screen for File Explorer you can see above, is coming to Windows 11. A post on the Windows Insider Blog explains that Build 25136 is testing a File Explorer browser with tabs so users can jump back and forth across folders without popping open a new window.
However, even if you’re a Windows Insider and your PC is set to receive Dev Channel builds, you may not see the test right away. As senior program manager
Brandon LeBlanc emphasized in a tweet, the features are rolling out. Apparently, they will wait for feedback before enabling it for more testers, the outlet reported.
It also includes an experimental left navigation panel that lists the Home button first, followed by the user’s OneDrive cloud-synced folders, then folders pinned for quick access, with This PC and Network drives below that.
In the test, Microsoft said, “Known Windows folders which are available by default in the navigation pane are no longer displayed under This PC to keep that view focused for your PC’s drives.”
As per The Verge, the other big feature it’s rolling out tests of in this build brings more dynamic content to widgets in the Windows 11 taskbar. Microsoft only recently restored the Weather widget to the taskbar in Windows 11 with live updates, but now it’s testing automatically refreshed content for sports and finance widgets, as well as breaking news alerts.
