New Task Manager on Windows 11: Everything You Need to Know!
The Task Manager is essentially a nifty system tool that shows every other detail of a Windows device, including the CPU/ GPU usage, live apps, background processes, and many other things in real time. For years, the Task Manager app on Windows remained more or less the same until the release of Windows 11 build 22557. With this build, Microsoft introduced a brand new Task Manager app for Windows 11 users that is better than its predecessor in every way possible. The new Task Manager has a modern and sleek design that matches the overall design language of Windows 11. It features Microsoft’s new Mica UI material, rounded corners, new icons, and new features. However, before you can enjoy all the cool new things about the new Task Manager on Windows 11, you need to update your device to enable it. You can find the steps to enable the new Task Manager on Windows 11 right below.
How to Enable the New Task Manager In Windows 11
To enable the new Task Manager, you need to update your Windows 11 device to the latest 22H2 version, if you have not done it already. To do this:
- Go to the Start Menu on your Windows device.
- Click on the Settings icon to open the app.
- On the side-navigation bar, click on the “Windows Update” tab at the bottom.
- Click the “Check for Updates” button if you do not see any new updates ready to download and install.
- Download the install the necessary updates, and restart your device. Following the restart, your device should be updated to the latest Windows 11 22H2 version, bringing all the new features, including the new Task Manager app, for you to enjoy.
New Features of Task Manager on Windows 11
Now that you have enabled the new Task Manager app on your Windows 11 device, let me tell you the new features of the redesigned app. Firstly, the new Task Manager app can now automatically switch between light and dark themes based on the system-wide theme. Thank you, Microsoft! Secondly, all the tabs, including Processes, Performance, App History, Startup, and others, have now been moved to a sleek and collapsible side-navigation bar. The tabs now also have their own icons that match their names. They also make it easier to find specific tabs when the side-nav bar is collapsed (screenshot below). Furthermore, you can now put any demanding app or background process in “Efficiency Mode” to prevent them from using too much of your CPU or GPU power. It uses the EcoQoS to limit the process resource usage and reduce the process priority. Hence, if the priority of a process is reduced, the apps that are dependent on the process do not terminate. Instead, they keep running in the background and allow other important apps or processes to run efficiently using the CPU. You will also see a new Efficiency Mode icon with a green leaf on the status bar of the new Task Manager app for a process for which you have enabled the same.
How to Enable “Efficiency Mode” in the new Task Manager app
To enable “Efficiency Mode” for apps and processes in the new Task Manager on Windows 11:
- Open the Task Manager app.
- Select a live app or a background process for which you want to enable “Efficiency Mode.”
- Right-click on it to open the context menu.
- Now, click the “Efficiency Mode” option.
- Alternatively, you can also click the dedicated “Efficiency Mode” button for the selected app or process at the top right to enable the mode instantly. Moreover, on the new Task Manager app, Microsoft has moved common action buttons like Run New Task, End Task, the aforementioned Efficiency Mode button, and others to the top. These action buttons also change when you switch between different tabs in the Task Manager app. Lastly, Microsoft is currently working on a new search bar for the Task Manager on Windows 11. Although it is currently not available for any user, be it a Windows Insider or a regular one, the feature is reportedly in development. However, nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft yet. So, I’d suggest you take this information with a grain of salt.
Wrapping Up
So, this was all about the new Task Manager App on Windows 11. If you have not updated your Windows device to the latest 22H2 version already, I’d suggest you do that using the above steps right now. The new Task Manager and all the other new features and apps of the Windows 11 22H2 version are truly game-changers and will change how you use your Windows device. Let us know your thoughts on the new Task Manager app on Windows 11 in the comments below. Until next time.
