Huge Windows 10 redesign leaked by Microsoft — what we know

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Windows 10's got a "sweeping visual rejuvenation" coming soon

Windows 10
(Image credit: Charnsitr/Shutterstock)

New word from Microsoft shows Windows 10 is about to get a big makeover. Yes, in the aftermath of macOS Big Sur, which got a very iOS-like new look, it seems like Microsoft is about to breathe a lot of new life into Windows 10, in the 2021 H2 Sun Valley update.

Sun Valley's redesign news was first leaked out back in October, but that was a rumor where sources spoke anonymously. Now, we've heard it from Microsoft itself. Windows Latest spotted a job posting for a Windows team position that openly brags about the upcoming changes to Windows 10. 

According to Windows Latest, the posting for a Senior Software Engineer originally said the following — which has since been wiped from the post: "On this team, you’ll work with our 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."

Note that all-caps "BACK" which signals that Microsoft is ready to wage a serious ad campaign on what could be rebirth of the operating system. Recent Windows 10 updates haven't exactly delivered a lot of consumer-facing changes, and we've seen more news about changes to the Control Panel than anything else.

As for which major elements of Windows 10 will change? The original leak suggested that we'll see a new Start menu, File Explorer, Action Center and even some of the tweaks coming in Windows 10X.

Since that text has been removed from this job description, there's reason to wonder if they've already filled the role responsible for the Windows 10 Sun Valley interface updates, and are moving onto an equally important quality assurance issue.

A better Windows 10?

But looking at the current version of that posting, we can't help but read between the lines with a bit of the job description. It reads: "On this team, you’ll orchestrate and deliver experiences that ensure Windows is a great user experience for our customers," and that "You will have the opportunity to build delightful, polished, experiences for Windows."

This subtly hits on something we brought up in our annual Biggest tech fails list: Microsoft needs to fix Windows 10's buggy issues. The operating system is seemingly getting more attention these days for its errors than anything else.

That job description, though, is what the company should always be striving for, but we're hoping that Microsoft is as tired of hearing reports of buggy Windows 10 updates as users are of dealing with them.

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Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.