Why Microsoft is considering a pivot away from live tiles on Windows

Thank you to a recent Windows 10 build leak, it's now been confirmed that Microsoft is experimenting with a new Start carte du jour blueprint which drops live tiles in favor of a more than traditional static filigree of icons. I first wrote near this possibility before this year. Many responded with a whole list of reasons why I was wrong and how alive tiles are a staple Microsoft UX that is recognizable and adored globally.

While they are nearly certainly recognizable, I wouldn't become and so far as to telephone call them adored, at least non anymore. When Microsoft commencement introduced live tiles with Windows Phone vii in 2022, the industry was a very different identify. The idea of a "notification center" on smartphones was just just coming around, and live tiles were a different take on that idea. Android and iOS had swipe down notifications, and Windows Phone had live tiles.

Only it wasn't until 2022 where Microsoft shoved live tiles into the spotlight, with the launch of Windows 8 on PCs. This version of Windows is infamous for beingness rejected by the masses considering of the massive shift in UI that placed live tiles front end and eye in a affect-orientated UI. When complaining about Windows 8, it'due south the "colorful squared bear upon interface" that people pointed to first. Naturally, Microsoft's insistence on forcing this experience onto users left a bad gustation in a lot of people's mouths.

Demoted from the pinnacle

Microsoft eventually backtracked on this by finding a compromise betwixt the old Outset menu and the new live tile interface for Windows 10. Just doing this meant live tiles were no longer "required" for people to use their PC. A couple of years ago, a source shared with me a certificate that detailed usage stats of several taskbar buttons, including the Start menu. While I can't share specific numbers, the number of people who were taking the fourth dimension to customize their live tile layout was not huge.

Many people merely don't care for live tiles.

Admittedly, that data is quondam now, but I can't imagine it has improved much since then. Either way, I'm pretty confident that this is one of the main reasons as to why Microsoft is considering a pivot away from alive tiles. What'due south the point in edifice out a totally customizable user interface if nobody is using information technology? People merely want to launch apps from the Start menu, and not have to worry about customizing or missing out on info provided past an ever-changing live tile.

There's also lots of feedback across the spider web from users that suggest people find live tiles to be as well noisy, disruptive, and challenging to manage. I tin meet where those complaints come up from. I used to frequently lose the Microsoft Shop tile in my Start bill of fare cheers to its live tile always promoting other apps to download. And on the flip side of this, there'south the trouble of developers just not supporting alive tiles well. Win32 developers weren't even able to take advantage of live tiles until 2022.

Lack of developer support

This brake means the live tile feature was exclusive to modern apps for five whole years. Windows eight, Windows 8.ane, and the showtime few Windows x releases were limited to modern apps supporting live tiles only. That meant that fifty-fifty if people wanted to use live tiles, they probably couldn't considering the apps they use didn't support them. These days, things are improve, only almost Win32 programs still don't have excellent live tile support.

And that, ultimately, is the other big reason as to why I call up Microsoft is pivoting away from alive tiles. Equally the industry slowly moves over to building Progressive Web Apps that work across all platforms, there'south even fewer chances developers are going to want to build out live tile support for their apps. Making PWAs fit into the Windows experience seamlessly should be Microsoft'southward number i priority and asking them to build a live tile is actress work many developers won't do.

Peradventure live tiles can evolve equally "widgets" in the future.

Every app, whether it'southward a Progressive Web App (PWA), Universal app (UWP), or Win32 plan, has an icon. Merely a small percentage of those also have a alive tile. And so why build an entire user feel around something that a minority of apps support? It makes more than sense to develop your user experience around the thing everyone has and make that experience the all-time it tin be. Information technology's also simpler, cleaner, and more straightforward for users to deal with icons instead of live tiles.

Mayhap we could see live tiles evolve as "widgets" yous tin can pivot to your desktop. But I don't recollect we'll see them around for much longer every bit an integral part of Windows. I don't believe this pivot away from live tiles is a bad thing, either. Sure, it'south sad, only once Windows 10 Mobile went away, the alive tile interface really didn't make much sense anymore. I'd rather Microsoft focus on a make clean, like shooting fish in a barrel to utilise and easy to empathise First menu feel for Windows going forrad.

Over to you lot

What are your thoughts on Microsoft's possible pin away from live tiles? Let united states of america know in the comments.

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