Windows 11 leaks in full online — here's your first look

Windows 11 interface widgets
(Image credit: The Verge)

Heads up, Microsoft watchers — images which appear to be leaked screenshots of Windows 11 are circulating, revealing a subtly redesigned UI that puts the Start button literally front and center.

With Microsoft poised to announce what's next for Windows at a press event next Thursday, June 24, odds are very good this is an early look at what to expect from Windows 11 — or whatever Microsoft ends up calling it. 

The leaked images, which first appeared on Baidu yesterday (June 15), suggest the next version of Windows is more evolution than revolution. Some of the visible changes include rounded corners on windows and menus, a centering of the Start Button and pinned apps on the taskbar (though you can relocate everything to the left-hand side of the 'bar if you prefer that classic Windows look), and the removal of Live Tiles from the Start menu.

Windows 11 leak

(Image credit: Baidu)

After the images leaked, it became clear they'd come from a leaked build of the next version of Windows, a build which multiple websites have now installed and started tinkering with. 

Windows 11

(Image credit: Baidu)

Thanks to the work of sites like The Verge, we know that this leaked build — which isn't the final version and thus lacks many features — includes a new start-up sound, a new logo, and a new "Widgets" feature that appears to be a revamped version of the Widgets first introduced by Microsoft with Windows Vista.

Windows 11 leak

This screenshot of the leaked build, captured by The Verge, gives a glimpse at what Widgets may look like in the next version of Windows (Image credit: The Verge)

Unless Microsoft reveals something dramatically different than what's in these leaks, though, it's safe to say the next version of Windows won't be an overhaul of the operating system you're used to. Specifically, the leaked images look like an evolved version of Windows 10X, itself an evolved version of Windows 10 designed specifically for touchscreen devices. 

First unveiled in 2019 alongside the Surface Neo, a dual-screen PC product which never launched, Windows 10X was initially pitched as a touch-first version of Windows 10 redesigned from the ground up for better security and usability. It was supposed to launch as a standalone version of Windows alongside the Neo, but reports from earlier this year suggested the OS was first delayed and then rolled into a broader redesign of Microsoft's core Windows product.

Windows 10X

In this 2019 promo image of Windows 10X running on the dual-screen Neo you can see the same rounded edges and centered Start menu that we see in today's leaked Windows 11 images. (Image credit: Microsoft)

At the time, we heard that Microsoft made the call to can 10X because it had reportedly received feedback that customers weren't interested in a new redesigned Windows 10 variant, and would instead prefer to see Windows 10X's most useful features integrated into the core Windows product. 

These latest leaks appear to bear that out, revealing a future for Windows that's conservative and focused on maintaining its core design and strengths in a world of tech that's increasingly mobile and touch-friendly. However, we'll have to wait until Microsoft's Windows 11 event at 11 a.m. ET on June 24 to see the final product.

Alex Wawro
Senior Editor Computing

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

  • ddfh72
    admin said:
    A leaked build of the next version of Windows that appeared online reveals a redesigned UI and the return of Widgets. Here's what could be coming next week.

    Windows 11 just leaked online — new Start menu, widgets and more : Read more
    All I want to know is that it will be an update to Windows 10, so that I do not have to rebuild my system again. That is far more important to me than most if not all of the other issues, and yet nobody mentions it. Could it please be ascertained and mentioned in the next article?
    Reply