While Windows 11 is undoubtedly a modern, visually refreshed operating system with substantial improvements over its predecessors, many enthusiasts and everyday users alike remain vocal about a suite of crucial features and customizations they believe are missing or in need of refinement. After several major feature updates and the looming arrival of Windows 11 version 25H2, the conversation around what Microsoft should prioritize next continues to intensify, drawing attention beyond the company’s current focus on AI and cloud services. Based on a mix of community feedback, technical trends, and independent testing, this feature explores nine highly requested changes and additions that could transform Windows 11 from a solid performer into a truly best-in-class desktop OS—while also critiquing Microsoft’s present course and considering the broader implications.
Mandatory system updates have become a staple of the Windows 11 user experience. On one hand, this approach ensures timely security patches and reduces the attack surfaces exploited by ransomware and other threats, offering clear benefits to both individual users and organizations. However, Microsoft’s tendency to roll out updates that sometimes break essential features or introduce compatibility issues has provoked substantial backlash.
Currently, users can delay updates or use workarounds to avoid automatic installations, but granular control—such as the right to completely pause updates indefinitely or schedule restarts far in advance—remains out of reach for most. Multiple sources, including reports from Windows Central and widespread feedback on the official Windows Feedback Hub, affirm that this demand is shared by a broad swath of power users and IT professionals. Such flexibility is not unprecedented; Windows 7 and 8 provided advanced options for managing updates, something many feel should be restored or improved in current and future Windows versions.
From a security perspective, some caution is warranted. Giving users the ability to skip potentially critical patches forever could increase the risk of unpatched machines being exploited. Yet, balancing this with user autonomy remains a worthy design challenge—perhaps by integrating finer scheduling and notification options along with education about risks. The notion of “control without chaos” is eminently achievable by a company with Microsoft’s resources, and it remains a vital request from the community.
For many, the principle is about privacy and control rather than mere convenience. While signed-in accounts offer benefits such as seamless cross-device syncing and access to online services, a sizable cohort of users—especially in business, education, and privacy-sensitive environments—have reason to eschew cloud integration at the system level. As privacy advocacy groups point out, giving users a genuine choice during first-time setup aligns with broader digital rights principles and builds trust in the platform.
There is growing evidence, highlighted by both tech journalists and community surveys, that Microsoft’s current approach disincentivizes open adoption and risks alienating a segment of its core user base. A transparent, well-explained setup process with equal prominence for local accounts would be a relatively minor engineering effort, yet a major gesture toward user empowerment.
For decades, Windows allowed users to resize the Taskbar, accommodating workflow-specific preferences—such as a broader, multi-row Taskbar for heavy multitaskers or a slimmer strip for minimalists. Windows 11’s recent update, adding a “smaller icons” toggle, is a partial acknowledgment of demand, but does not address the absence of true Taskbar resizing.
Even more significant is the loss of Taskbar repositioning. Prior versions of Windows let users dock the Taskbar to any edge of the display, including the top or sides—an arrangement critical for those with special accessibility needs or large, ultra-wide monitors. According to feedback seen both in official channels and independent forums, the “top of screen Taskbar” is among the most-requested missing features, second only to requests for full dark mode.
Technical sources confirm that little progress has been made to restore these options natively. Customization tools and hacks exist but come with compatibility and security risks, especially after major updates. Adding these core layout features back, even as advanced or “power user” settings (as evidenced by Linux and macOS equivalents), would likely score Microsoft easy goodwill from its loyal base.
Technical breakdowns, including those from outlets like Windows Central and user experimentation, show that significant swathes of the system—including the Registry editor, various Control Panel modules, and old dialog boxes—still ignore the dark setting entirely. This is seen as a result of Microsoft’s cautious, piecewise modernization approach, which prioritizes the UWP (Universal Windows Platform) and newer WinUI apps for complete theming, while leaving legacy interfaces semi-intact for compatibility.
The demand for a true, system-wide dark mode, where every visible part of the OS coherently matches the chosen theme, is both practical and realistic. Competing platforms such as macOS and many Linux desktops achieve this level of finish, and several third-party Windows apps, like the Files app, demonstrate it’s possible within today’s development frameworks. Microsoft’s reluctance to finish this job appears more cultural than technical; a sharper focus here would considerably improve Windows 11’s polish and consistency.
Windows 11’s overhauled Start menu abandoned live tiles in favor of static icons and a “Recommended” section, focusing on speed and simplicity. The removal, while arguably cleaner for novice users, erased one of the last bits of glanceable, user-driven dynamism from the desktop.
Reports suggest that this was partly a consequence of internal priorities: Microsoft is investing heavily in widgets and AI-driven feeds, but these are separated from the Start menu proper and require extra clicks. Many users and reviewers still clamor for a return of configurable, interactive live tiles—either reintegrated into the Start area or as part of the flexible widget dashboard. At the very least, giving users the choice would be a strong nod to the OS’s customizability legacy.
Notably, this vital function is missing at the operating system level in Windows 11, as verified by detailed reviews and comparison articles. This omission is both surprising and frustrating for savvy users, especially with Microsoft’s fervent push into the mobile and hybrid device market. Universal adoption of OS-based battery preservation settings would remove reliance on manufacturer software, which is often buggy, inconsistent, or missing entirely on custom or older devices.
Given growing interest in device longevity and the broader environmental imperative to reduce tech waste, incorporating charging limit controls directly into Windows’ battery settings—much as macOS does with optimized battery charging—should be a high priority. It’s a change that requires little UI overhead, saves users money, and aligns strongly with both sustainability and user empowerment trends.
Third-party tools, such as the Files app for Windows, prove that a clean, intuitive, and fully integrated settings menu is both possible and welcomed by users. These alternatives often boast features that mainstream File Explorer lacks, including advanced tab management, pane controls, and granular appearance customization, all accessible from a simple “gear” button or a dedicated settings pane.
Microsoft’s continued reliance on legacy modal dialogs not only muddles the user experience but also represents a missed opportunity to standardize design across Windows’ first-party apps (Notepad, Paint, Microsoft Store, and Settings have all been modernized). The case for a File Explorer settings overhaul is clear, and it remains one of the most-requested additions among seasoned users, as documented in repeated feedback hub entries and tech editorials.
Microsoft’s offer of extended support for Windows 10—reportedly with an extra year of critical updates—does little to allay user frustration, as many are unwilling to purchase new hardware solely for compliance. The logic of e-waste reduction and sustainability, highlighted by commentators and echoed in environmental circles, runs counter to this enforced upgrade cycle.
A substantial segment of the community is calling for a “lite” version of Windows 11, similar to the stripped-down Windows 7 Starter, tailored for older or otherwise unsupported devices. Such a version, shorn of high-end security and AI features but delivering a modernized experience, would not only extend the life of millions of PCs but also cut down on needless electronic waste—a major social and environmental concern. In an era where “right to repair” is gaining steam at the legislative level, Microsoft’s current stance feels increasingly out of step.
Nevertheless, frustrations persist that core user-experience fixes—such as the nine highlighted here—are being consistently overshadowed by the company’s ambitions in cloud AI, Copilot features, and services integration. Veteran observers and feedback threads on sites like Windows Central regularly point out that, while AI-driven assistants and cloud connectedness are exciting, they are of limited utility if the fundamentals of customization, performance, and hardware inclusivity go neglected.
The reality is that user trust and ecosystem loyalty are built not on the newest AI-powered search bar, but on daily usability, stability, and the sense that their feedback genuinely shapes the platform. Without broader and more visible attention to these feature requests, Microsoft risks driving its most passionate users into the arms of competing desktop environments, or at the very least undermining the confidence that made Windows the “default” OS for generations.
Conversely, moving aggressively to address these community demands offers Microsoft a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to reinforce its values and future-proof the OS. Clear communication about the roadmap, faster deployment of UI and customization improvements, and a more textured privacy policy would pay major dividends in trust and satisfaction.
Yet, there are important perils to heed:
Microsoft’s challenge is not merely technical, but philosophical: will it double down on top-down innovation, or will it recommit—publicly and materially—to the principle that user choice and feedback are worth as much as the next AI assistant or enterprise partnership? As the line between desktop OS and cloud platform blurs, Windows 11’s long-term health depends not only on what it can do out-of-the-box, but on how well it honors its richest tradition: being a workspace tailored for everyone, everywhere, on their terms. For the millions of users investing time, data, and trust, the answer can’t come soon enough.
Source: Windows Central 9 features I want Microsoft to add and improve in Windows 11
The Importance of User Control Over System Updates
Mandatory system updates have become a staple of the Windows 11 user experience. On one hand, this approach ensures timely security patches and reduces the attack surfaces exploited by ransomware and other threats, offering clear benefits to both individual users and organizations. However, Microsoft’s tendency to roll out updates that sometimes break essential features or introduce compatibility issues has provoked substantial backlash.Currently, users can delay updates or use workarounds to avoid automatic installations, but granular control—such as the right to completely pause updates indefinitely or schedule restarts far in advance—remains out of reach for most. Multiple sources, including reports from Windows Central and widespread feedback on the official Windows Feedback Hub, affirm that this demand is shared by a broad swath of power users and IT professionals. Such flexibility is not unprecedented; Windows 7 and 8 provided advanced options for managing updates, something many feel should be restored or improved in current and future Windows versions.
From a security perspective, some caution is warranted. Giving users the ability to skip potentially critical patches forever could increase the risk of unpatched machines being exploited. Yet, balancing this with user autonomy remains a worthy design challenge—perhaps by integrating finer scheduling and notification options along with education about risks. The notion of “control without chaos” is eminently achievable by a company with Microsoft’s resources, and it remains a vital request from the community.
Restoring Setup With a Local Account: Choice and Privacy
One of the most persistent frustrations with recent Windows 11 builds is the push for Microsoft account integration during setup. Both Home and Pro editions now strongly encourage or in some cases require users to sign in with a Microsoft account, making the once-simple option to use or create a local account more convoluted and obscure. Users willing to avoid cloud sync features, OneDrive, and other integrations often must resort to command-line tricks during the initial Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) or create custom installation media. This is neither intuitive nor user-friendly.For many, the principle is about privacy and control rather than mere convenience. While signed-in accounts offer benefits such as seamless cross-device syncing and access to online services, a sizable cohort of users—especially in business, education, and privacy-sensitive environments—have reason to eschew cloud integration at the system level. As privacy advocacy groups point out, giving users a genuine choice during first-time setup aligns with broader digital rights principles and builds trust in the platform.
There is growing evidence, highlighted by both tech journalists and community surveys, that Microsoft’s current approach disincentivizes open adoption and risks alienating a segment of its core user base. A transparent, well-explained setup process with equal prominence for local accounts would be a relatively minor engineering effort, yet a major gesture toward user empowerment.
Taskbar Customization: Resizing and Relocation Deserved a Second Life
The Taskbar redesign in Windows 11 remains one of the most controversial aspects of the operating system’s overhaul. While the new look is undeniably sleek and in step with Microsoft’s “Fluent” design aspirations, it removed or concealed several options that were deeply valued by power users.For decades, Windows allowed users to resize the Taskbar, accommodating workflow-specific preferences—such as a broader, multi-row Taskbar for heavy multitaskers or a slimmer strip for minimalists. Windows 11’s recent update, adding a “smaller icons” toggle, is a partial acknowledgment of demand, but does not address the absence of true Taskbar resizing.
Even more significant is the loss of Taskbar repositioning. Prior versions of Windows let users dock the Taskbar to any edge of the display, including the top or sides—an arrangement critical for those with special accessibility needs or large, ultra-wide monitors. According to feedback seen both in official channels and independent forums, the “top of screen Taskbar” is among the most-requested missing features, second only to requests for full dark mode.
Technical sources confirm that little progress has been made to restore these options natively. Customization tools and hacks exist but come with compatibility and security risks, especially after major updates. Adding these core layout features back, even as advanced or “power user” settings (as evidenced by Linux and macOS equivalents), would likely score Microsoft easy goodwill from its loyal base.
Incomplete Dark Mode: The Quest for Cohesion
Dark mode is more than just an aesthetic trend; for countless users, it offers meaningful reduction in eye strain, particularly in low-light environments. Windows 11’s dark mode is a visible improvement over the patchy implementation in Windows 10, yet it remains inconsistent—especially with legacy interface elements. Open File Explorer and click through to folder options, or delve into legacy Control Panel applets, and users quickly discover a jarring mix of light and dark themes that break visual immersion.Technical breakdowns, including those from outlets like Windows Central and user experimentation, show that significant swathes of the system—including the Registry editor, various Control Panel modules, and old dialog boxes—still ignore the dark setting entirely. This is seen as a result of Microsoft’s cautious, piecewise modernization approach, which prioritizes the UWP (Universal Windows Platform) and newer WinUI apps for complete theming, while leaving legacy interfaces semi-intact for compatibility.
The demand for a true, system-wide dark mode, where every visible part of the OS coherently matches the chosen theme, is both practical and realistic. Competing platforms such as macOS and many Linux desktops achieve this level of finish, and several third-party Windows apps, like the Files app, demonstrate it’s possible within today’s development frameworks. Microsoft’s reluctance to finish this job appears more cultural than technical; a sharper focus here would considerably improve Windows 11’s polish and consistency.
Bringing Back Live Tiles: The Missed Glanceable Information
Live tiles, debuting in Windows 8 and becoming a staple of the Windows 10 Start menu, provided users with glanceable, automatically updating information—calendar events, news headlines, weather, and more. Although divisive in their heyday, live tiles were adapted and highly valued by many enthusiasts who appreciated the at-a-glance data feed.Windows 11’s overhauled Start menu abandoned live tiles in favor of static icons and a “Recommended” section, focusing on speed and simplicity. The removal, while arguably cleaner for novice users, erased one of the last bits of glanceable, user-driven dynamism from the desktop.
Reports suggest that this was partly a consequence of internal priorities: Microsoft is investing heavily in widgets and AI-driven feeds, but these are separated from the Start menu proper and require extra clicks. Many users and reviewers still clamor for a return of configurable, interactive live tiles—either reintegrated into the Start area or as part of the flexible widget dashboard. At the very least, giving users the choice would be a strong nod to the OS’s customizability legacy.
System-Level Battery Charging Limits: Power Management Catching Up
Modern laptops suffer when their batteries are consistently charged to 100 percent, leading to premature capacity loss. Many PC makers, including Lenovo and ASUS, have responded by integrating charging limit features—allowing users to cap charging at a health-optimized threshold (often 80 or 90 percent).Notably, this vital function is missing at the operating system level in Windows 11, as verified by detailed reviews and comparison articles. This omission is both surprising and frustrating for savvy users, especially with Microsoft’s fervent push into the mobile and hybrid device market. Universal adoption of OS-based battery preservation settings would remove reliance on manufacturer software, which is often buggy, inconsistent, or missing entirely on custom or older devices.
Given growing interest in device longevity and the broader environmental imperative to reduce tech waste, incorporating charging limit controls directly into Windows’ battery settings—much as macOS does with optimized battery charging—should be a high priority. It’s a change that requires little UI overhead, saves users money, and aligns strongly with both sustainability and user empowerment trends.
Modern File Explorer Settings: Moving On From the Past
File Explorer remains central to the Windows experience and has received several incremental updates in Windows 11, particularly around the ribbon and context menu. However, deeper customization and preference handling remain stubbornly anchored in legacy Control Panel dialogs, which sit uneasily alongside the OS’s otherwise modern look and feel.Third-party tools, such as the Files app for Windows, prove that a clean, intuitive, and fully integrated settings menu is both possible and welcomed by users. These alternatives often boast features that mainstream File Explorer lacks, including advanced tab management, pane controls, and granular appearance customization, all accessible from a simple “gear” button or a dedicated settings pane.
Microsoft’s continued reliance on legacy modal dialogs not only muddles the user experience but also represents a missed opportunity to standardize design across Windows’ first-party apps (Notepad, Paint, Microsoft Store, and Settings have all been modernized). The case for a File Explorer settings overhaul is clear, and it remains one of the most-requested additions among seasoned users, as documented in repeated feedback hub entries and tech editorials.
A Windows 11 Variant for Unsupported PCs: Fighting Obsolescence and E-Waste
Perhaps the most pressing conversation—especially as the Windows 10 end-of-support date approaches—centers on Microsoft’s decision to tighten hardware requirements for Windows 11, mandating TPM 2.0 chips, Secure Boot, and newer processors. While the security rationale for these decisions is evident, the collateral consequence has been the enforced obsolescence of millions of otherwise functional PCs.Microsoft’s offer of extended support for Windows 10—reportedly with an extra year of critical updates—does little to allay user frustration, as many are unwilling to purchase new hardware solely for compliance. The logic of e-waste reduction and sustainability, highlighted by commentators and echoed in environmental circles, runs counter to this enforced upgrade cycle.
A substantial segment of the community is calling for a “lite” version of Windows 11, similar to the stripped-down Windows 7 Starter, tailored for older or otherwise unsupported devices. Such a version, shorn of high-end security and AI features but delivering a modernized experience, would not only extend the life of millions of PCs but also cut down on needless electronic waste—a major social and environmental concern. In an era where “right to repair” is gaining steam at the legislative level, Microsoft’s current stance feels increasingly out of step.
Microsoft’s Approach: Incremental Wins, Missed Opportunities
Microsoft has not been entirely deaf to community concerns. Recent updates have added toggles for hiding the Start menu’s “Recommended” section, granted some extra power over news feeds in the Widgets panel, and introduced icon size options to the Taskbar. Such moves show willingness to respond, albeit in a piecemeal fashion.Nevertheless, frustrations persist that core user-experience fixes—such as the nine highlighted here—are being consistently overshadowed by the company’s ambitions in cloud AI, Copilot features, and services integration. Veteran observers and feedback threads on sites like Windows Central regularly point out that, while AI-driven assistants and cloud connectedness are exciting, they are of limited utility if the fundamentals of customization, performance, and hardware inclusivity go neglected.
The reality is that user trust and ecosystem loyalty are built not on the newest AI-powered search bar, but on daily usability, stability, and the sense that their feedback genuinely shapes the platform. Without broader and more visible attention to these feature requests, Microsoft risks driving its most passionate users into the arms of competing desktop environments, or at the very least undermining the confidence that made Windows the “default” OS for generations.
Opportunities and Risks: Balancing Innovation With Stability
The competitive landscape in 2025 makes this moment particularly critical. ChromeOS, macOS, and a resurgent set of Linux distributions have either reached parity or surpassed Windows in several of these areas: theming consistency, detailed privacy controls, and hardware support longevity among them. Microsoft’s edge remains its universal reach and rich legacy of tools, but resting on these laurels exposes the platform to erosion from below.Conversely, moving aggressively to address these community demands offers Microsoft a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to reinforce its values and future-proof the OS. Clear communication about the roadmap, faster deployment of UI and customization improvements, and a more textured privacy policy would pay major dividends in trust and satisfaction.
Yet, there are important perils to heed:
- Security tradeoffs: Too much flexibility in system updates or local account setups could increase the overall attack surface of the Windows ecosystem.
- Fragmentation: Introducing multiple variants for unsupported hardware without careful planning risks fragmenting development and support, leading to more confusion and compatibility headaches.
- Technical debt: Modernizing legacy components like File Explorer and Control Panel requires substantial engineering investment and may increase the risk of bugs or regressions if rushed.
Conclusion: A Call for User-Centered Development
Windows 11 remains a flexible, versatile, and visually appealing platform, but it is also emblematic of the push and pull between corporate priorities and user-driven requirements. The nine features explored here—granular update control, local account flexibility, fuller Taskbar customization, universal dark mode, live tiles, laptop charging limits, a modern File Explorer settings menu, a specialized Windows 11 for older PCs, and robust attention to basic user needs—are much more than a nostalgic wish list. They represent a blueprint for a modern, inclusive, user-first operating system.Microsoft’s challenge is not merely technical, but philosophical: will it double down on top-down innovation, or will it recommit—publicly and materially—to the principle that user choice and feedback are worth as much as the next AI assistant or enterprise partnership? As the line between desktop OS and cloud platform blurs, Windows 11’s long-term health depends not only on what it can do out-of-the-box, but on how well it honors its richest tradition: being a workspace tailored for everyone, everywhere, on their terms. For the millions of users investing time, data, and trust, the answer can’t come soon enough.
Source: Windows Central 9 features I want Microsoft to add and improve in Windows 11
