Microsoft has today announced minor changes coming to Windows 11 – which will let the developers make their apps create primary and secondary pins to the taskbar.

Also, the company wants to fix the broken functionality of Windows 11 Default Apps – where users can set certain apps to open certain files when prompted. All these changes will be tested in the Windows 11 Dev Channel, with more users tasting these in 22H3 builds later on.

Fix For Windows 11 Default Apps

Saying that it has the “responsibility to ensure user choices are respected,” Microsoft announced minor changes coming to the Windows 11 Default Apps UI. In notes penned by Tali Roth and Aaron Grady in Windows Experience Blog, the management said

“We want to ensure that people are in control of what gets pinned to their Desktop, their Start menu, and their Taskbar as well as to be able to control their default applications such as their default browser through consistent, clear, and trustworthy Windows provided system dialogs and settings.”

Though Windows has supported Default Apps for a long time – this functionality has been broken in Windows 11. In the new OS, users can’t set a non-web browser app as the default choice for a wide range of compatible file types in one click – unlike the previous versions. Also, in some cases, Microsoft blatantly ignores the user choice of a set default browser; and opens its Edge for action!

In this pursuit, the company is expected to revamp the public interface of Default Apps – and let developers make their apps create primary or secondary pins on the Taskbar, along with a confirmation for the user to approve these decisions. This new system is applicable not just the third-party apps but also to Microsoft’s own apps.

As Microsoft will be testing these features in the Dev channel, we expect them to arrive for the general public in Windows 11 23H2 update, scheduled to arrive later this year.

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