Microsoft revamps Windows 11 right-click menus for faster, customisable access

Microsoft is preparing a major redesign of Windows 11’s right-click menus, aiming to enhance speed, reduce clutter, and offer greater customisation for users, with new features already nearing testing in Insider preview builds.

Microsoft is preparing a substantial overhaul of Windows 11’s right-click menus, with the aim of making them faster, less cluttered and easier to tailor to individual use. The redesign affects menus in File Explorer and on the desktop, and Microsoft says the update is already close to reaching Windows Insider preview builds.

The company has acknowledged that the current menus have become too busy and too slow to appear. In a developer blog post, engineer Michael Novak said Microsoft wants to shorten the delay between a right-click and a usable menu. He said the revised design reduces crowding at the top level, keeps frequently used actions close at hand and adds a new settings interface that gives users more control over what appears.

According to reports from Windows Central, PCWorld and other tech outlets, the new approach uses a split-view layout that should make the menus more context-aware and easier to scan. Microsoft is also said to be cutting down on hidden options that previously sat behind nested submenus, a change that should matter most to power users who rely on right-click menus throughout the day.

The more practical shift is customisation. Microsoft says users will be able to switch individual actions on or off, show file extensions and, if they prefer, restore a Windows 10-style layout. The company also plans to let common commands such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete and Share appear as a list rather than a compact row of icons, while Properties can be moved lower in the menu. Microsoft has not said when the redesign will reach the stable release of Windows 11, but it is expected to appear first in Insider builds.