Dynamic thumbnails have been a feature of the Windows operating system interface since the launch of Windows 8. But these colorful, information-filled squares seem to be on their way to the trash.
Windows 10’s Start menu is getting a makeover, and killing Live Tiles is part of the transformation, according to Windows Latest, citing “people familiar with development.”
Live Tiles was first introduced by Microsoft on its failed Windows Phone operating system as a way to view information at a glance. The colored tiles display new information each time they are flipped. For example, the weather application thumbnail will display the application icon on one side, then return to display the current temperature in your area.
It’s a smart idea but works best on mobile. On the desktop, the thumbnails are too small to display anything meaningful, and users won’t look at the Start menu until an icon turns around – it’s a lot easier to do a quick web search on PC.
What will replace Live Tiles?
Microsoft has not revealed its intention to replace Live Tiles (nor has it confirmed that it is going away, however), reports suggest that they will be upgraded to a cluster of static icons.
Our best guess is that they will look like the Start menu of Windows 10X, the next operating system from Microsoft designed for dual-screen and foldable devices. Based on the Fluent design language, the Start menu in 10X has a simplified appearance similar to the application bar on a mobile operating system.
We haven’t tested the new Start menu, but we prefer the new look based on photos published by Microsoft.
When will Microsoft kill Live Tiles in Windows 10?
The disappearance of Live Tiles has long been announced. Microsoft stopped updating them on Windows 10 shortly after Windows Mobile followed the dodo path.
Tiles continue to be supported by third-party applications (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), but most application icons are now static in the Start menu.
Windows Latest says Microsoft will update dynamic thumbnails with icons in a “future update” after Windows 10 20H2 is released in the fall of 2020.