Below outlines the biggest most significant changes for users switching from Windows 10, to Windows 11.
Windows 11 Network, WiFi, and VPN Menu's have been group.
Microsoft has Grouped together the Network, VPN, and Devices Menu's into a single widget.
Windows 11 Right-Click Options are Icons
Many of the Windows 11 Options such as Copy, Cut, Paste, and rename are now icons.
Classic Menu Options available under "Show more optoins"
Since Windows 11 has changed the File explorer menu options, it has still made the classic menu options available under "show more options".
Windows 11 Has a Centered Taskbar
When you first boot up Windows 11, the first thing you'll notice is the centered taskbar. Compared to the left-oriented taskbar of Windows 10, the taskbar in Windows 11 looks more like something from macOS.
Aside from the positional changes, the Windows 11 taskbar has lost and gained a couple of major features. For instance, you can’t make it taller. Also, unlike Windows 10, you can’t move the taskbar around the screen.
Moreover, you also lose the ability to make the taskbar icons smaller in Windows 11, something you could do in Windows 10. However, if you want the Start button to be on the left side, you can personalize the Windows 11 taskbar to move the button to where it is on Windows 10.
That said, Microsoft has tried to give the taskbar a significant touchup. There are new animations for launching, minimizing, and maximizing apps. There are also new icons for Search, Start Menu, Widgets, and Chat.
Windows 11 Has a Very Different Start Menu
Perhaps the most controversial change, the Start Menu from Windows 10 is gone, and Microsoft has replaced it with a centered, stripped-down version without Live Tiles on Windows 11.
Live Tiles are a big part of the Windows 10 Start Menu. When Microsoft removed them from Windows 11, the company got a vocal response from both sides of the camp. People who loved Live Tiles’ ability to deliver information at a glance, lamented their loss. On the other hand, people who never used them praised their removal.
In place of Live Tiles, you’ve got a Pinned apps section where you can pin apps for faster access. You can hit the All apps button to see all the apps that you’ve installed on your PC.
Another change in Windows 11’s Start Menu is the new Recommended section where the OS displays the most used apps and files. You can disable the Recommended section from inside the Settings app if you don’t like it.
Finally, just like Windows 10, Windows 11 retains the Start Menu’s search function. The only difference is that the search bar is now located on top of the menu rather than at the bottom.
Windows 11 Features an Enhanced Widgets Panel
The Widgets panel in Windows 11 works just like the Windows 10 version, but with some added functionalities and a new design. In this panel, some tiles show you news, weather information, a calendar, to-do lists, and sports results. You can customize the layout to some extent by adding and removing widgets.
In short, the Widgets panel displays much more information than Windows 10’s News and Interests feature. Also, it is way nicer to look at.
Windows 11 Uses Snap Layouts
Windows 10 allows you to snap apps in place by dragging them to the edge of the screen. But you have to do the snapping and the resizing of the app windows manually. Windows 11 simplifies the process through Snap Layouts.
In Windows 11, if you hover your mouse over the minimize/maximize button, a menu showing the different Snap Layouts pops up. For instance, from the menu, you can choose to open two apps side-by-side by clicking on the relevant layout. Once you've chosen the layout, you can choose the apps to populate the layout.
Moreover, after setting the apps inside a layout, you can minimize/maximize them as a group. The group layouts also move over to any connected external displays.