Microsoft admits Windows 11 needs work, so it’ll focus on improving things over 2026
Summary
- Windows 11 hit 1 billion users faster than Windows 10, yet faces heavy stability and performance complaints.
- Microsoft is reportedly shifting engineers to swarming maintenance mode to fix performance, reliability, and UX issues.
- Microsoft plans to regain trust and adapt Windows 11 to more device types, including gaming hardware.
It’s a really weird time in Windows 11’s life right now. People have been complaining about its stability and performance, and Microsoft hasn’t been doing itself any favors by breaking Windows 11 more often than ever before. At the same time, Satya Nadella stated that Windows 11 has finally breached 1 billion users, and did so about a third of a year faster than Windows 10 did.
Regardless of whether Windows 11 managed to hit that milestone due to public acceptance or by force, people aren’t happy with the operating system. And while Microsoft has seemingly paid little attention to these qualms, 2026 may be the year that Windows 11 turns around for some people. The company has confirmed that it hears your criticisms loud and clear, and it aims to get them cleaned up in the coming months.
Microsoft says I can’t use my old CPU/laptop with Windows 11, but it’s actually fine
All those warnings turned out to be exaggerated
Microsoft is spending the next few months tidying up Windows 11
2026 will be a year for maintenance
As reported by The Verge, Microsoft reportedly knows that Windows 11 isn’t in as strong a position as the company would like. The Verge claims that “sources familiar with the company’s plans” are reporting that Microsoft’s engineers are going into a phase called “swarming.” This is when the engineers are presumably taken off creating new features and are instead told to fix Windows’ issues and perform maintenance to regain user trust. It’s believed the engineers will be stuck in swarm mode for the next few months.
Pavan Davuluri, president of Windows and devices, reassured The Verge that Microsoft was looking into issues with the OS:
“The feedback we’re receiving from our community of passionate customers and Windows Insiders has been clear. We need to improve Windows in ways that are meaningful for people. This year you will see us focus on addressing pain points we hear consistently from customers: improving system performance, reliability, and the overall experience of Windows.”
Recently, we’ve been hearing reports that Microsoft wants to turn Windows 11 into a “one size fits all” operating system. If the reports are true, Microsoft is likely aiming to make Windows 11 an OS that adapts to whatever device it’s put on. For instance, there were some claims that Microsoft will use Windows 11 as the next Xbox console’s OS, and we’re already seeing it come pre-installed on gaming handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally. But if Microsoft wants people to warm to Windows 11, it needs to make the OS stable and comfortable to use, which is likely why it has shifted gears so rapidly in 2026.
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