Windows 11 will receive jump lists in Start, a smaller tray and other innovations in December

The next update package for Windows 11 24H2, which will be released as part of the Patch Tuesday program later this month, will not only include security fixes, but also a number of new features. After installing it, users of the software platform will have access to lists for quickly jumping to the Start menu, a smaller system tray with new layout options, dynamic lighting controls and much more.

Image source: Windows Latest

In its current form, the system tray element, which displays the current date and time, takes up quite a lot of space. However, users will have the opportunity to make it more compact by activating the “Show abbreviated time and date” option in the settings. The new option will take up even less space if you disable the display of seconds in the clock on the taskbar.

Similarly, you can hide the notification icon by disabling the corresponding option in the settings. You can check for current notifications by clicking on the “Date and Time” section. For some taskbar layouts, the ability to hide this icon may be useful.

Right-clicking on an item pinned to the taskbar opens a menu that Microsoft calls the Jump List. After the next update, users will be able to run items from such lists with administrator rights. The Start menu will also include shortcut lists for supported system apps. For example, right-clicking the Snipping app shortcut will open up additional options for taking screenshots and navigating to files the user has worked with previously.

Additionally, Windows 11 24H2 will feature a new Dynamic Lighting settings page that lets you control the RGB lighting of connected compatible devices. This will eliminate the need for users to use separate applications to adjust the backlight of each device, since now everything can be done in one place.

Some changes will also affect the Task Manager. The Performance tab will display the type of connected drives and other information. This feature was discovered in test builds of the OS back in September, but will only now become part of the stable versions.

Less noticeable additions include new gesture controls for touchscreen devices, as well as shortcut suggestions for Narrator.