The right-click menu on Windows 11 has received a lot of criticism over the last few years, and for good reason. Some people love it, while others aren’t too pleased with its ever-changing look. Lately, the right-click context menu has become somewhat lengthy, bloated, and cluttered, and it appears that Microsoft is ready to clean things up.
Several years into Windows 11, and it feels like Microsoft is always taking one step forward but two steps back. In 2023, we discussed why we liked the right-click menu in Windows 11, but a lot has changed since then. All of Windows 11’s abbreviated context menus can be a bit confusing for those coming from Windows 10, and have led users to find ways to restore the full menu. However, the company recently realized that this important menu might be getting out of hand.
First spotted by Windows Latest, a recent WinUI community call discussed the right-click context menu, noting that there are almost too many options these days, with numerous buttons and AI options. When you right-click on a file or folder in any app or Windows, the pop-up menu is known as the context menu. And sure, it provides quick access to several helpful actions, as well as relevant apps and controls. But unfortunately, it’s getting way too long. Sometimes, more is less.
It’s a problem in nearly every aspect of Windows 11, not just Windows-based applications. So, what’s the fix? Sub-menus inside the regular context menu.
It sounds like Microsoft is preparing yet another redesign and will introduce “context-aware” menus of sorts. Basically, instead of a super long list whenever you right-click, the system will try to recognize the content, show a few menu options, and some of those selections will have “secondary item” menus.
These new secondary menus will vary based on the file type, too, which should make them far more helpful. It sounds like the change will appear first for WinUI-based apps, and we’re hopeful it’ll expand to all of Windows 11. That said, Microsoft didn’t mention the system as a whole during the call.
Essentially, once this starts rolling out, the right-click context menu should no longer be so bloated. Users won’t get a long list of items, many of which are repetitive, and instead, hopefully see something that’s more user-friendly and concise. According to Microsoft developers, this new split context menu system aims to reduce clutter by upwards of 38%. In other words, the menus are up to 38% shorter.
Unfortunately, we’re not sure when this change will actually arrive. The entire idea behind cleaning up menus is still in the development phase.
Source: Windows Latest