What awaits with Windows 12?

The first clues of what's coming in the next version of Windows are beginning to emerge

Everyone knows the pain and anxiety of an operating system upgrade. After clicking the fateful dialog box, your entire digital life is briefly thrown into limbo. If something goes wrong mid-upgrade, you're in for a painful time. And even if it's successful, you can never be 100% certain that every app, driver and plugin will work on the new system.

So, it's perhaps understandable if you're still rocking Windows 10 on your computer - despite Microsoft's nagging to upgrade to Windows 11.

And that's why we have good news and bad. The good news is Microsoft will stop nagging you about Windows 11 in the not-too-distant future. The bad news is that's because Windows 12 looks set to arrive.

The first signs of Microsoft's plans for what's next are starting to emerge, with a new version of Windows expected as early as next year. So what might we expect in the next version of Windows?

More than a lick of paint?

Microsoft will need to set Windows 12 apart from its predecessors visually, and we're already getting hints of what it might look like. One screenshot that appears to have been shared inadvertently at a Windows Ignite developer conference showed the taskbar floating at the bottom of the screen, instead of anchored to the bottom of the display. Floating at the top of the screen, Windows 12 displayed the time, weather, connection status, battery life and search box - suggesting a more phone or tablet-like interface.