Microsoft Starts Rolling Out Colourful App Icons to 'Modernise' Windows 10 Look

The redesigned app icons are available to Fast Ring testers of Windows 10 right now.

By Abhik Sengupta | Updated: 21 February 2020 17:17 IST

Microsoft rolls out variety of updated icons for built-in apps

Highlights

Microsoft rolls out variety of updated icons for built-in apps
The company aims to modernise its look with the update
It's still unclear when the full update will come

Microsoft, the American software giant, on Friday announced that it is rolling out new colourful icons for its existing apps to give the Windows 10 operating system a more upbeat and refreshed look. As noted by an online report, apps including Calculator, Groove Music, Mail, Voice Recorder, Alarms & Clock, Movies & TV, and Calendar are the first built-in apps to get the newly redesigned icons and soon, over hundreds of existing apps will get the updated look. The redesigned app icons are currently available to Fast Ring testers of Windows 10 and will soon be rolled out on all devices.

The latest development comes days after the company announced several updates at Microsoft 365 Developer Day event for its upcoming Windows 10X operating system. During the event, it was also stated that the Windows 10 start menu will be an icon-based Launcher, more akin to the Android ecosystem. As noted by The Verge, the new icon push by Microsoft is part of the company's Fluent Design effort that aims to modernise the look and feel of its software and services. The redesigned icons aim to give the Windows 10 a more consistent look, as opposed to the variety of designs existing within the ecosystems.

Speaking more on this, Christina Koehn, a design leader for Windows and Devices at Microsoft, revealed that the revamped icons are designed to feel familiar and look similar, all while “honouring” the company's legacy. Several redesigned icons still bear the traditional shades of blue of Microsoft.

"When icons in the taskbar and Start menu are different styles, it creates more cognitive load to scan and find applications. We needed to incorporate more visual cues into the icon design language using our modernized Fluent Design Language," she revealed.

Currently, it is still unclear when we will see these updates on Windows 10 but all changes will feature in Windows 10X that will be launched later this year. Previously in 2018, Microsoft had rolled out redesigned icons for all Office 365 applications on both desktops and smartphones. The last time the company had updated its icons for Office 365 applications was in 2013. Last year, the Redmond company also unveiled a refreshed Edge icon, that replaced its Internet Explorer browser.

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