A copy of Microsoft’s next-gen OS has reportedly been leaked online.
On Tuesday, a user on the Chinese site Baidu Tieba posted screenshots taken from the updated operating system, which is being referred to as Windows 11. A download link for the “Windows 11 build 21996.1” then surfaced on forums and social media.
The Verge downloaded a copy, and concluded that it's legit. They also point out that Windows 11 adopts the interface Microsoft used in Windows 10X, which the company designed for dual-screen devices but shelved earlier this year.
As you can see, Windows 11 places the Start button and taskbar icons at the bottom-center of the screen. The Start menu has also been simplified to emphasize pinned and recommended apps instead of offering an entire catalog of your installed programs. But if you don’t like center placement, you can move the Start button and taskbar apps to the left-hand side.
Other changes include a new startup sound, an Xbox app directly integrated into the OS, rounded edges for the digital windows, and a dedicated button in the taskbar to add widgets. Meanwhile, old-school Windows features, such as the Control Panel and Task Manager, still exist in the OS.
But according to The Verge, the leaked Windows 11 build hasn’t been updated with an overhauled Microsoft Store, a feature that the company has hinted is coming to the OS.
So far, Microsoft hasn’t directly commented on the alleged leak. But the company’s official Windows Twitter account said on Tuesday afternoon, “This is just the Start. Tune in on June 24th at 11 am ET to see what's next,” which is when Redmond officially unveils the OS.