Windows 11 leak teases new productivity-boosting features — what to expect

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Potential additions include Stickers for the desktop, notification enhancements and new eco settings

Windows 11 laptops
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows 11 has received a slew of updates since its October 2021 launch, including Android app support, taskbar changes and UI overhauls, among other enhancements. A new leak reveals more possible Windows 11 updates coming to a PC near you in the near future.

As Neowin reports, well-known Windows leaker Albacore posted a series of tweets detailing some of the new features coming to Microsoft’s latest operating system. Some of the updates are more notable than others, but all should serve to make Windows 11 more user-friendly and inviting.

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The most prominent addition is the new Stickers feature. This will allow you to edit stickers and add them to your desktop. Stickers are overlaid over your wallpaper and will remain there even if you change your background image. However, Albacore says that the feature may not work if you use a slideshow as your background or if you’re using multiple monitors.

Windows 11 personalization

(Image credit: Albacore (Twitter))

Notifications are also receiving an update with a setting called “Set priority notifications,” which is separate from Focus Assist. In fact, Focus Assist will simply be called Focus. This change will let you hide badges on taskbar apps and mute notifications. Enabling this mode should cut down on distractions.

New Windows 11 Focus setting

(Image credit: Albacore (Twitter))

A “Sustainability” setting would let you manage your PC’s power settings to help your machine run better. There will also be a link to information on how to safely recycle your device. 

Albacore thinks the leaf-shaped glyphs at the top of the page are meant to rate a PC's “Eco score.”

New Windows 11 sustainability feature

(Image credit: Albacore (Twitter))

Lastly, it’s possible that we’ll see a new tablet mode setting since there is a taskbar setting that says: "Automatically hide the taskbar when using your device as a tablet." This feature will certainly come in handy for devices such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 8.

As with all leaks, don't assume that any of the above features are done deals until the update appears. However, if this all turns out to be true, we’re looking at some decent new Windows 11 updates. 

(In fact, Microsoft just announced nearly a dozen other new features coming to Windows 11, including the return of taskbar drag-and-drop and folder previews in File Explorer.)

Stickers seem like a neat way to personalize your desktop and the sustainability feature will no doubt go over well with more environmentally-focused folks. I’m particularly interested in the notifications feature since I’m always getting bombarded with messages. Having a potentially easier means of prioritizing the most important messages will make my work life a lot smoother.

We’ve no idea when these features will see the light of day or if they will release at all. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later.

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Tony Polanco
Tony Polanco
Senior Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.