Microsoft is taking significant steps to address one of Windows 11’s most persistent user complaints: an overly cluttered right-click context menu. The company is rolling out a redesigned File Explorer context menu in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build, introducing a more organized interface that groups similar actions and reduces screen space usage from approximately 75% to around 50% of the vertical display.
Streamlining Through Organization
The new context menu design represents Microsoft’s effort to create a cleaner, faster experience by nesting functions into sub-menus rather than displaying every option prominently. A new “Manage File” flyout consolidates lesser-used actions like “Compress file” and “Copy as path,” significantly reducing the visual clutter users encounter when right-clicking files.
This organizational approach mirrors Microsoft’s broader context menu improvements using the new Split Context Menu design, which the company claims can reduce overall menu length by up to 38% depending on file type. For files backed up in OneDrive or other cloud services, cloud-specific options like “Always Keep on this Device” and “Free Up Space” now appear under the relevant provider’s nested menu rather than cluttering the main interface.
Performance Improvements Through Preloading
Alongside context menu redesigns, Microsoft is also exploring File Explorer preloading in the background to improve launch performance. Users will have the option to enable or disable this feature—called “Enable window preloading for faster launch times”—through File Explorer’s Folder Options under the View tab.
What’s Next
The improvements are currently rolling out through Insider Preview Builds and are expected to arrive in future Windows 11 updates. Microsoft’s redesigned context menus will initially appear in WinUI-based applications, with potential expansion across all Windows 11 menus as development continues.