Windows 11 is finally getting a new volume indicator

It has taken nearly 10 years, but Windows is finally getting a new modern volume indicator. Originally introduced in Windows 8 in 2012, the black bar that pops up when you adjust the system volume using a keyboard or other device is finally going away. Microsoft is replacing it with a volume indicator that matches the overall Windows 11 design.

Indicators for volume, brightness, camera privacy, camera on / off, and airplane mode are all being updated soon with a more modern design. “These new flyouts will appear when you press the volume or brightness keys on your laptop and will honor light/dark mode to give you a more coherent Windows experience,” explains Microsoft’s Windows Insider chief Amanda Langowski. “Brightness and volume indicators continue to be interactive with the update.”

Image: Microsoft
The updated Windows 11 taskbar and volume indicator.

Alongside this design tweak, Microsoft is also allowing testing a new call experience in the Your Phone app on Windows 11. “This update includes a new in-progress call window with updated icons, fonts, and other UI changes that align with the improved design of Windows 11,” says Langowski.

This latest Windows 11 preview build, 22533, also includes an extension of touch keyboard themes to the emoji panel and elsewhere for all Dev Channel testers. If you’ve always wanted to uninstall the Clock app in Windows 11, there’s an option to do that now, too.

Image: Microsoft
New calling interface for Your Phone on Windows 11.

Microsoft may deliver some of these changes on a monthly basis to Windows 11, as the company has moved to delivering a larger annual update for its latest OS. The software maker has not revealed exactly when these new features will appear for all Windows 11 users, but expect to see them at some point this year.