Last month, we made a list of 15 features that we want to see in Windows 11. The OS is official now, and for the most part, we know what we're getting. There's actually quite a bit. It starts with a big visual overhaul, including a centered Start Menu and taskbar, rounded corners, a new transparent Mica material UX, a redesigned notification center, and more.

But that's just the shell. Windows 11 is also getting support for Android apps via the Amazon Appstore. That's going to be built into the redesigned Microsoft Store, which has fewer limitations for developers and more opportunities. Now it's time to revisit the features I wanted to see, check out what got delivered, and then take a look at what I want to see now.

Features we want to see in Windows 11:

Live Wallpaper

Xbox Series X home screen focused on Gears 5

We stole some of these features from iOS and Android, and I'm fine with that. A lot of this wish list has to do with making Windows more of a modern operating system that can compete against the likes of Android and iOS. With foldables in the Android space, and the emergence of M1 in the Apple space, both of these "mobile" OS' are looking to occupy spaces in the consumer PC market. Windows needs to adapt if it wishes to survive another decade in the consumer market.

So let's see some native live wallpaper support in Windows 11. Android has had it for over a decade, so if a single-core smartphone could do it, so can a Windows PC. Microsoft even has support for it on Xbox consoles. We do have methods to get third-party alternatives working on Windows, but it's about time for official support.

It shouldn't be an issue to put the feature on a modern laptop with Windows 11. It's easy to say it can be done on Android thanks to ARM processors, but we have ARM on Windows now too. We've also got much more efficient Intel chips today than we did a decade ago.

Didn't happen

If you want a Microsoft operating system that natively supports live wallpapers, you'll still have to get a brand new Xbox Series X|S. On Windows 11, you'll still need a third-party utility, unlike on decade-old Android phones.

PowerToys integration

Fancy Zones in PowerToys

OK, I don't actually want to see PowerToys as a feature in Windows 11. I just want to see some of the features Microsoft is offering through PowerToys get integrated within the OS for all users to use. There's precedent for this. When PowerToys was first introduced all those years ago, it was for power users, and eventually some features were integrated into the OS.

Here are some examples. Fancy Zones lets you create window layouts. In fact, I considered putting proper ultra-wide monitor support on here, but Fancy Zones should cover it. With Windows, you can only put two apps side-by-side. Split-screen works fine for a regular 16:9 monitor, but not so much for an ultra-wide.

Other features like Image Resizer to quickly resize images, and PowerRename to bulk rename files, would be great features in Windows 11. The idea is to help people be more productive, right?

Partially happened

Windows 11 comes with a new feature called Snap Layouts, similar to Fancy Zones. It gives you a variety of window layouts to choose from, and it uses Snap Assist to fill in the other spots. Unfortunately, other fun PowerToys features didn't make the cut.

Free Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office

Wait, did I just say Microsoft Office for free? I know, it sounds crazy, but hear me out. I'm a Microsoft 365 Home subscriber and I don't plan on canceling anytime soon. For one thing, Microsoft does already have a free version of Office, which are web apps. It's actually pretty good, and will fit the needs of most people. Microsoft could simply install them as PWAs on Windows 11.

Right now, most PCs will offer you a free trial for Microsoft 365, which is ultimately what Microsoft wants you to buy. Let's just allow people to start with the PWAs and let them upgrade if they need to. It can go along with the removal of ads and bloatware from Windows 11.

Didn't happen

I didn't really expect this, but it would have been nice. It's not so much about offering free Office, but more about making it easier for people to choose the free version of Office. Plenty of people don't even know that Office on the web is free. I'd have loved to see that be the default, but this was always a pipe dream.

Smart Home Controls

This one is simple and complicated at the same time. You should be able to control your smart home devices as an integrated feature in Windows 11. One key idea I had with this wish list was that I never want to say that people should use their phone for any certain task. No, the device I'm currently using, any device, should be able to do anything I need to do at that moment.

Here's where it gets complicated though. For a strong centralized hub of smart home controls, you'd need something like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or even Apple's Siri. Microsoft Cortana isn't going to cut it for reasons that are way beyond the scope of this article.

But the most important reason is that Microsoft just doesn't have the partnerships with smart home vendors. Google and Amazon do, but Microsoft isn't about to give them prime real estate in its own operating system.

Didn't happen

This was another pipe dream, the reason being that Microsoft just doesn't have the platform for it. We do have a new Quick Settings section in the taskbar, so perhaps that will be extensible. We can still hope.

SwiftKey

Touch Keyboard in Personalization settings

Microsoft doesn't care what operating system you use as long as you use its services. That being said, there are some weird disparities between what's available on Windows, and what you can find on iOS or Android. Outlook is a great example of this.

The keyboard is another. Windows 10 has a touch keyboard, which is fine. The team has put a lot of work into it, and it keeps pumping out new features. But here's an idea -- just use SwiftKey. SwiftKey is incredibly popular on both iOS and Android, and these days, Microsoft owns it. It's really good and not only would I love to see it on Windows, but it would bring some much-needed consistency between Windows and its mobile products. We'll get back to consistency later on though.

It happened

OK, when I say it happened, you're still not seeing any SwiftKey branding in Windows. You are getting more customization options for the Touch Keyboard though, so that's nice. You're also got things like swipe gestures depending on how it's positioned.

Built-in screen recording

Yes, you can already record your screen with Windows 10. Well, in a roundabout way, you can. Through the Xbox Game Bar, you can choose to record games, and you can also tell it that certain apps are games and record those too. But some apps don't work with this workaround.

If you want to just record your whole screen and anything that happens on it, you need a third-party app right now. Both Android and iOS have built-in screen recorders, and it's time for Windows 11 to follow suit. Microsoft seriously has to know the demand for screen recording on Windows, so it would be nice if this happened in a proper way.

Didn't happen

We've got a brand-new Quick Settings section, which would be a perfect place for a built-in screen recorder like we have on macOS, iOS, and Android. But it's not there. You'll still have to use a third-party app or the limited Xbox Game Bar recorder.

Better inbox apps

Windows 10 inbox apps open, showing Calendar in front

Groove Music, Photos, Mail, Calendar, Skype, Weather, OneNote, Movies & TV, and Edge are all examples of Windows 10 built-in apps. Now, ask yourself how many you actually use. OneNote is fantastic, and Edge is my default browser now that it's made from Chromium. But for me, I try to stay away from the rest.

With Windows 11, let's do better. Mail & Calendar, which arrive as a bundled set of apps, is probably the best example. They're actually supposed to be Outlook apps, even though they resemble nothing else from the Outlook family. Outlook is wonderful on Android and iOS, so maybe we can bring that UX over to the Windows side of things.

Groove Music feels like a relic from when Microsoft used to offer a subscription music service. It's now just sort of a default music player, but it still looks like something that doesn't really make sense for what it is. Movies & TV is another one in the same predicament because no one in their right mind buys movies or shows from Microsoft. The service isn't available anywhere besides Xbox and Windows, so that Movies & TV app really just ends up being a default video player, and just like Groove, the product ends up feeling out of place.

Let's just have better built-in apps in Windows 11. There was a time when Microsoft was focused on doing this stuff well. Let's do that again.

It's happening

Apps like Paint 3D, Skype, and 3D Viewer won't be installed by default, so that's a start. Settings and the Microsoft Store are getting big overhauls, and they're both much better than their Windows 10 predecessors. As for other apps like Mail & Calendar, Maps, and more, we'll have to wait and see.

Seamless updates

Google Chrome OS Settings showing device ready to restart to update

When you step outside of the enthusiast bubble, it's pretty clear everyone hates Windows updates. Whether they're big feature updates or quality updates, most people just want to turn on their computer, get to work, and turn off their computer when they're done.

But speaking of a modern operating system, seamless updates is something that Microsoft should be taking care of. It's something we already see on Android and Chromebooks. Android is an even better example, because there's a lot going on in the background when your phone updates, and there's a lot that goes on after it reboots.

Let's get rid of all of the extra time between when you restart your PC to install and update and when it boots up with Windows 11. That reboot time should be the same amount of time as any reboot. Let updates be done in a more seamless manner that doesn't distract consumers away from what they need to do and when they need to do it. Staring at a blue "Windows is updating" screen for many minutes is not a good way to start your day.

Microsoft is doing its best

When Panos Panay unveiled Windows 11, he said that updates are 40% smaller and that they'll install much faster. Windows 11 will even try to predict how long your machine will take to reboot, helping you to make a better choice of when to hit that button.

It's a start, but it's also not what I had in mind when I wrote this. I dream of how Chrome OS or Android updates. All of the updating happens while you're using your computer, and then the reboot takes no longer than a regular reboot would. Offline time is as minimal as possible.

Xbox games

Collection of Xbox games and a computer

Throughout the lifetime of Windows 10, Microsoft has shown a renewed focus on gaming. Gaming chief Phil Spencer is even on Microsoft's senior leadership team these days, something that can't be said about Windows and devices head Panos Panay. It makes sense though. Windows is easily the most viable PC gaming platform, and on top of that, Microsoft has a console. That's not even all, because the most important part is that it has a cloud back-end.

Microsoft has something called Xbox Play Anywhere. These games can be played on Windows 10 or Xbox consoles, so you buy once and then play anywhere. There's also a renewed focus on PC gaming with more games in the Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass for PC. You can even stream Xbox games on your PC now.

Just let me play Xbox games though. In preparation for Halo: Infinite, you can play through Halo: The Master Chief Collection on your PC, but you can't play Halo 5 because that's only on Xbox. This would truly be a unique feature in Windows 11.

While this seems simple because Microsoft owns both platforms and it could technically bring them together, it's not. Video game licensing gets weird, so there may be other issues with bringing actual Xbox games to PC. In the meantime, we'll just have to play through Xbox Game Streaming.

Game streaming is coming to Windows

Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to the Xbox app in Windows 11, so you'll be able to play plenty of the games that you want to. It's not quite the same as running them natively, but it's still pretty awesome, and it lowers the barrier of entry when it comes to hardware requirements.

The death of Live Tiles

Windows 10 version 1507 with Start Menu open

Live Tiles have been slowly dying off, but frankly, I want to go all-in on this and say that all tiles need to go away. They're a leftover relic from the days of Windows Phone.

If you're unfamiliar, Live Tiles are square or rectangular shortcuts for apps that dynamically show different information. For example, you might have an email app with a Live Tile that shows a preview of your latest email. On Windows Phone 8, it was like a notification center on your home screen.

I loved Windows Phone, but I've never made use of Live Tiles in my life. I've always found the notifications to be too slow to appear, or I never wanted to wait through the Tile to cycle through its information. I've also always found them to be too busy, with too much stuff moving around.

Windows 10 brought this to the desktop, where they were even more useless. They sit in the Start Menu, so you'd have to open your Start Menu to read these things. Live Tiles have slowly gone away, and Tiles have become a bit more stylish, being transparent and matching the theme.

But get rid of them. Anything with sharp corners needs to go away in Windows 11. Just give us simpler icons to click on like every other operating system.

It happened

Live Tiles are dead. End of story. Good riddance.