- Windows 11 still suffers from long-standing issues, including inconsistent interfaces, growing system bloat, and increasing memory usage.
- Users want more control, such as a global option to disable AI features, remove unnecessary apps, and restore deeper customization like Taskbar flexibility.
- Microsoft has signaled it wants to address some of these concerns, focusing on performance improvements and rethinking parts of its AI strategy.
Windows 11 has now been around long enough that the early excuses no longer apply. The operating system has matured through multiple major updates, yet many of the same usability issues that shipped on day one still exist today.
Microsoft continues to invest heavily in AI, cloud integration, and new experiences, but the experience for regular users still needs attention. If the company truly wants to win over enthusiasts and long-time users in 2026, the focus should shift from introducing more features to fixing what already exists.
Here are five changes Microsoft should prioritize to make Windows 11 genuinely better.
1. Give users the option to opt out of AI features
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a core part of the operating system, especially with features like Copilot and the broader push around Windows 11 experiences using the local Neural Processing Unit (NPU), including tools such as Recall and Click to Do.
The problem is that not everyone wants their operating system centered around AI.
For many users, these tools feel less like optional enhancements and more like features being pushed into the experience, whether they want them or not. In 2026, Microsoft should introduce a clear, system-wide master switch that allows users to disable AI capabilities globally.
This control should do more than simply hide AI features from the interface. If users choose not to use AI, they should be able to fully uninstall all AI-related components from the system.
Even more importantly, those components should not download or install automatically in the background if the user didn’t explicity enabled the feature. If someone opts out during setup, the operating system should respect that decision and keep the system free from AI services, models, and related processes.
A true opt-out approach would give users full control over their system while keeping the operating system lean for those who prefer a traditional desktop experience. For privacy-conscious users and enthusiasts, that level of transparency and choice would go a long way toward rebuilding trust.
2. Eliminate the “Frankenstein” interface
Only a few things highlight Windows’ long history more than the inconsistent interface scattered across the system.
Even today, users can still encounter legacy dialogs, outdated Control Panel pages, and visual inconsistencies that break immersion. You can open the modern Settings app and still end up having to use a decades-old interface to configure a particular feature.
Microsoft began migrating features away from the Control Panel years ago, but the transition remains unfinished.
In 2026, this effort should be completed once and for all. Every system menu, advanced setting, and configuration tool should follow the same modern design language.
A fully unified interface built around the Fluent Design System would finally give Windows 11 the visual consistency it has been lacking for years.
3. Stop replacing native apps with web-based versions
Another controversial shift in recent years has been Microsoft’s increasing reliance on web technologies for core apps.
The best example is the new Outlook for Windows 11 app, which replaced a native desktop experience with a web-based version wrapped inside an app shell.
While this approach allows Microsoft to ship updates faster, it often comes with performance and features trade-offs. If we talk about web apps, they tend to consume more system memory, feel less responsive, and lack the polish users expect from desktop software.
The operating system would benefit significantly from a renewed focus on native apps built with modern frameworks like WinUI 3.
Native applications integrate better with the operating system, run more efficiently, and provide a smoother experience overall.
4. Improve memory efficiency across the system
Computer components are more powerful than ever before, but that doesn’t mean software should become careless with system resources.
A lot of users have noticed that baseline memory usage on Windows 11 keeps increasing due to background services, telemetry processes, and web-based components running in the background.
Even systems with large amounts of RAM can feel unnecessarily heavy at times.
Microsoft should invest more heavily in optimizing memory usage at the system level. This includes improving kernel efficiency and implementing smarter background management for applications.
For example, web-based apps could automatically enter a deep sleep state when not in use, freeing resources immediately rather than continuing to consume memory in the background.
Better optimization would benefit every computer, especially laptops and entry-level systems.
5. A Game Mode that actually prioritizes gaming
Windows 11 already includes Game Mode, but its impact remains fairly limited. Currently, the feature mainly reduces background activity and suppresses notifications while you’re playing. For many gamers, the difference is barely noticeable.
In 2026, Game Mode should become far more aggressive. A truly effective gaming mode would temporarily deprioritize non-essential services, pause background updates, and minimize telemetry tasks to ensure that as much processor and graphics card power as possible is dedicated to the game.
When someone launches a game, the operating system should get out of the way and focus entirely on performance.
For a platform that prides itself on being the best place to play PC games, this is an area where Windows 11 could still improve.
6. Give users a clean system without bloat
Another long-standing complaint about Windows 11 is the growing amount of preinstalled apps and promotional integrations that ship with the operating system.
Out of the box, Windows 11 includes many apps and features that many users never touch, from third-party shortcuts to Microsoft services that quietly run in the background. While some of these tools may be useful for new users, they also contribute to the feeling that the operating system is more cluttered than it needs to be.
In 2026, Microsoft should focus on delivering a cleaner base installation.
This could start with a minimal installation option during setup that installs only the core operating system components. Everything else, including optional apps and services, could be added later through the Microsoft Store or the Settings app.
At the very least, users should be able to uninstall every non-essential app and component without workarounds, PowerShell commands, or third-party scripts or tools to debloat their systems.
Windows 11 now includes a policy to reduce system bloat, but it is only available to network administrators, only applies to newly created accounts, and only targets built-in apps curated by Microsoft. It doesn’t let you disable system features like Microsoft Edge, tracking, or telemetry services.
A leaner Windows 11 would not only reduce resource usage but also improve performance, simplify system maintenance, and give users more control over what actually runs on their computer.
7. Stop removing features and limiting customization
One of the biggest frustrations among long-time Windows users is the gradual loss of customization and familiar features with each new release of Windows 11.
Over the years, Microsoft has redesigned core parts of the interface, but in the process, several capabilities that users relied on have disappeared or become more restricted. The Taskbar is the clearest example.
Earlier versions of the operating system allowed users to move the Taskbar to the top or sides of the screen, resize it freely, and customize its behavior in more flexible ways. On Windows 11, many of those options were removed when the Taskbar was rebuilt from scratch. Even now, years after the redesign, some of those customization features have yet to return.
For an operating system that historically celebrated flexibility, this shift feels like a step backward.
In 2026, Microsoft should revisit these decisions and restore many of the customization options that power users expect. The goal shouldn’t be to lock the interface into a single design vision, but to give people the freedom to configure their system in the way that works best for them.
Customization has always been one of the biggest advantages of the operating system over other platforms. Restoring that flexibility would go a long way toward keeping enthusiasts and long-time users invested in the ecosystem.
Final thoughts and good news
Windows 11 already has a solid foundation, but its success in the future depends on more than introducing new capabilities. What the platform needs most now is refinement.
Microsoft has spent the past few years focusing heavily on AI integration, cloud services, and new experiences across Windows 11, but many long-standing usability issues remain. Fixing consistency problems, improving performance, and giving users more control over features would likely have a bigger impact on everyday productivity than adding another wave of experimental tools.
To its credit, the software giant has recently acknowledged that it wants to focus more on fixing the pain points users continue to report across the operating system. For instance, Microsoft has noted that it has halted and it’s rethinking how to implement AI across Windows 11.
The company is also working on an Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) for handhelds that reduces memory overhead by nearly ten percent. A desktop experience that transforms the traditional Windows 11 shell into a controller-friendly, console-like interface.
Furthermore, the rumor has it that the software giant is also planning to update the Taskbar to allow users to resize and place it at the top of the screen.
If that commitment translates into real improvements to the core experience, Windows 11 could finally reach the level of polish many users expected from the start.
The platform doesn’t need to reinvent itself again. It just needs to finish the work that’s already in progress.
Which change would improve Windows 11 the most?
Voting closes: March 12, 2026 1:00 pm
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 22 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].