Microsoft is massively improving Windows 11's right-click menu — but it should have been like this from the start

image via TechRadar

August 18, 2026, 2:11 PM

• •Microsoft announced a redesigned File Explorer context menu for a new Windows 11 Experimental channel preview build.
• •The new menu shows fewer options by default and adds controls for customizing visible entries.
• •Users can choose a Windows 10-style layout that folds the top command strip into the main vertical list.
• •The article cites Windows Central as saying the revised menu feels faster to load.
• •The feature remains in testing, so Microsoft could still change or remove parts of it before wider release.

Microsoft is testing a redesigned right-click context menu for Windows 11 File Explorer in an Experimental preview build. The update reduces the number of default entries, adds settings to customize which items appear, and offers a Windows 10-style layout option. TechRadar reports that early hands-on testing suggests the menu also loads faster, addressing long-standing complaints about sluggish performance. The changes are still in testing and may not reach the full version of Windows 11 until later this year, if Microsoft keeps the current design choices.

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