Microsoft tests redesigned Windows 11 Run menu with dark mode and more
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Follow Follow See All Microsoft Microsoft tests redesigned Windows 11 Run menu with dark mode and more The refreshed Run menu is rolling out now to Windows testers in the Experimental Channel. The refreshed Run menu is rolling out now to Windows testers in the Experimental Channel. by Emma Roth Close Emma Roth News Writer Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
Technical Details
Follow Follow See All by Emma Roth May 1, 2026, 10:01 PM UTC Link Share Gift Image: Microsoft Emma Roth Close Emma Roth Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
Microsoft is testing its much-needed refresh for the Windows 11 Run menu, offering a modern interface that the company says is faster and comes with support for dark mode. The redesign is rolling out now to Windows 11 Insiders in the new Experimental Channel . In a blog post explaining the changes, Microsoft says it decided to drop the Run menu’s “Browse” button — a shortcut to user files — after finding “very low usage.
” Instead, Microsoft added support for a new “~\” command, which leads to your user directory. Microsoft experimented with a few different designs before settling on the current one it’s testing. Image: Microsoft Microsoft says it built the new Run menu using code from Command Palette , a utility available through PowerToys that allows you to quickly run commands, open websites, search files, and more.
Industry Implications
Windows 11 Insiders can enable the new Run menu by going to Settings > System > Advanced and turning the option on. “We’ve collaborated tightly with partners across the platform to get these UI surfaces loading snappy,” Microsoft’s blog post says. “Improvements we’ve made to the platform don’t just make Run fast, but they help make the whole OS more efficient.
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This advance offers important signals about the future of the sector, and the tech world is watching closely.
