A major update is planned for December, here's what to expect

Among the most notable changes planned in this December update, Microsoft will introduce a redesign of the system taskbar. Users will now be able to opt for a condensed date and time display, freeing up valuable space. This option, accessible from the settings, will also hide the seconds in the system clock. The visibility of the notification icon can be customized via the notification settings.

Jump lists will also benefit from substantial improvements. Users will now be able to launch applications in administrator mode directly from these listsusing the Shift + Enter combination. The Start menu will integrate these lists of shortcuts for compatible system applications, like the screenshot tool.

Windows 11 will improve its lighting management system

A new “Dynamic Lighting” settings page will also appear, centralizing the management of RGB lighting effects for compatible devices. Gone are the days when each device required its own app! The “Wave” and “Gradient” effects benefit from new directional patterns, offering more customization possibilities.

The Task Manager will become, more informative with the detailed display of disks in the Performance section. Users will be able to easily identify the type of disk (SSD or HDD) as well as their bus (NVMe or SATA). Dark mode support and text scaling are also extended to logout dialogs.

Other minor improvements are on the cards, such as new touch gestures for touchscreens and shortcut hints in Narrator. As usual, this update will also fix many existing bugs.

This December update is ultimately shaping up to be one of the most substantial of the year for Windows 11, but it now remains to be seen when Microsoft will roll it out to everyone.