Revamped Details Pane in Windows 11's File Explorer

Microsoft is gradually updating the File Explorer on Windows 11, with the introduction of new features over time. The first release saw the addition of a new toolbar, and more recently, tabbed navigation was implemented. Now, there is yet another change in store.

The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23451 has been released to the Dev Channel for Windows Insider testers, featuring a new details pane in File Explorer. Although accessible through the keyboard shortcut Alt+Shift+P, the new details pane now showcases information on recent activity, related files and emails, and a Share button. It should be noted that some of these features may only be available for files in OneDrive or other cloud storage services, as the blog post did not specify.

According to Microsoft's blog post, "Enabling the pane displays contextual information about the file, including its thumbnail, share status and button, file activity, related files and emails, and other relevant details. The Details pane can be enabled by selecting 'Details pane' in the View menu and toggling it with the easy-access button located on the right side of the command bar. Similarly, the View menu/toggle button in the command bar can be used to access the preview pane. This modernized pane will replace the legacy details pane in File Explorer."

The details pane in Windows hasn't seen much change since the days of Vista and Windows 7. While the integration with cloud services is useful, the file preview feature leaves much to be desired. In comparison, Quick Look on macOS offers a much more advanced preview experience than what is currently available in File Explorer.

However, Microsoft is currently testing a new gallery view for File Explorer. This new feature will allow users to view images from both their PC and cloud storage in a user-friendly timeline format.

Source: Windows Insider Blog