Microsoft is finally giving Windows 11's File Explorer the fresh coat of paint it deserves

Published Jul 22, 2026, 3:25 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Windows 11 File Explorer has a modernized Properties UI hidden in an Experimental build. The new UI shows WinUI and dark mode changes but only appears for deleted files. It's an early WIP in Experimental build 26300.8935, so a public release will take time. Windows 11 is built on some ancient code, and some parts of it are more apparent than others. Fortunately, Microsoft is going through Windows 11's code and UI and tweaking it to look more like something that was released in the 21st century. While it's not official yet, someone has spotted a new File Explorer UI tweak that makes it look much better. Windows 11's File Explorer is getting a UI adjustment It's looking pretty great This discovery was made by PhantomOfEarth over on Bluesky. If this is your first time hearing about his name, Phantom enjoys digging through the Beta and Experimental builds for Windows 11. These builds usually contain WIP features and additions that Microsoft is still in a rough state, so they're disabled until they're ready for public viewing. Phantom loves to dig through the builds and sniff out these WIP features to see what the Redmond giant is up to. This time around, Phantom has dug through Experimental build 26300.8935 and found a new WinUI and dark mode adjustment in Windows 11's File Explorer properties window. It's in a really early state right now, as it only appears when you view the properties of a deleted file, but it's already looking really nice. Usually, when we cover an Experimental feature, we note that it'll be a little while until it arrives in the release channel. However, given how this is a very early WIP that we shouldn't even be looking at right now, it's safe to say that this UI tweak will take quite some time before it's ready to be revealed on the Experimental branch, let alone on the release channel.