“Windows is BACK” – Microsoft job post hints at major UI overhaul

Windows 10 was a definite change of direction for Microsoft when it launched back in 2015. Before it launched, Windows 8.1 was proving pretty unpopular as millions of users stuck to either 7 or XP. Windows 10 merged the best of everything that came before it and added new features as well, but most importantly, it was pushed as a free upgrade for all users. Rather than bump the version number up every time, the company pushed updates to Windows 10 to bring new features and UI changes. The 20H2 update, for example, brought UI changes to the start menu, but a bigger overhaul may be on the horizon according to a job listing from Microsoft.

As spotted by Thurrott, Microsoft recently published a job post for a senior software engineer who will “work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers”. This wording strongly suggests the company is working on a major UX overhaul coming sooner than later. Following news coverage of the job listing, Microsoft changed the job description to instead say that the position is aimed at “orchestrat[ing] and deliver[ing] experiences that ensure Windows is a great user experience for our customers.”

This is in line with previous reports that have talked about Microsoft’s plans for a major UX overhaul, code-named “Sun Valley”. And as I said before, the latest 20H2 update already comes with some minor UI changes, such as a simpler, more streamlined Start menu with simpler-looking tiles. So how will this renewed UI look? We may have seen hints of it with Windows 10X, a new version that guts most legacy features and components in favor of a lighter and more stable experience. Windows 10X isn’t meant to replace Windows 10, but some UX components of Windows 10X, which looks radically different from Windows 10, may come over to it. Of course, though, this is just speculation, and the company could opt to do something entirely different.

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