- Microsoft introduces new touch gestures for Windows 11.
- The gestures will help navigate the Start menu, Quick Settings, and apps in full-screen mode.
- In addition, the swiping animation has been updated to be responsive and follow your finger.
Microsoft is testing several new touch gestures for future updates of Windows 11. Although the latest version of Windows has been optimized for touch-enabled displays, there’s always room for improvements, and with the release of build 22557, the company is introducing five new touch gestures that should make tablets a little easier to use with your fingers.
The first gesture is the ability to swipe with your finger from the middle of the Taskbar to invoke the Start menu and swipe back down to dismiss it.
The second gesture lets you swipe right to left from Pinned to get to the “All apps” list and left to right to get back to the Pinned section. The same gesture works for the more items in the Recommended section.
Then there’s the swipe with your finger from the bottom right of the Taskbar to invoke Quick Settings and swipe back down to dismiss it.
In addition, Microsoft is also updating the animation when swiping to invoke and dismiss “Notification Center” from the right edge of your screen so that it’s more responsive and follows your finger.
Finally, in full-screen touch-oriented apps and games, you will notice a gripper that appears if you swipe from the edges of the screen.
In addition to these touch gestures, Windows 11 build 22557 also ships with a bunch of new features that may eventually make their way to the stable channel. For example, drag and drop capabilities for the Taskbar, folders in the Start menu, redesigned Task Manager, new Snap Layouts experience to snap windows, graphics improvements, and much more.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].