Home windows 11 can foster high-quality, native apps experiences

Microsoft Home windows has been round for the better part of 40 years, making it one of the vital long-standing client working techniques of all time. Via the a long time, the OS has amassed a gargantuan catalog of pc applications and software program functions, a few of which have gone on to develop into actually iconic.

For higher or worse, Home windows’ standing as a legacy desktop working system comes with some caveats — together with decades-old baggage within the app ecosystem division. A lot of the best third-party apps on the platform make the most of antiquated interface paradigms, outdated visuals, and general really feel misplaced within the modern-day.

Fortunately, a choose variety of Windows builders have taken it upon themselves to craft actually fashionable app experiences for the Home windows 11 period and past. These apps embrace Microsoft’s fashionable Fluent Design rules, supply responsive and touch-friendly interface parts, and include darkish modes, transparency, and several other different visible prospers.

Listed here are my picks of a few of the finest fashionable third-party Home windows 11 apps — every of those entries affords native consumer interface parts, Fluent Design theming, and far more.

1 Ambie White Noise

Excellent for kicking again and stress-free

Ambie White Noise

Ambie White Noise is a fluid and fashionable Home windows 11 app that makes it simple to check, to loosen up, or to go to sleep to ambient sounds of nature.

For those who’re like me and have bother sleeping when there is a ruckus or chatter within the background, then Ambie is the proper answer. As with different white noise apps, there is a choice of stress-free nature scenes and soothing sounds to select from right here, which will help to drown out undesirable noise whereas selling restfulness within the course of.

Ambie is a fantastically constructed app that matches proper in with Home windows 11’s fashionable Fluent Design tips. The app is free to begin with, however a paid Ambie+ subscription is required to unlock the complete choice of sounds and white noise choices. The free model is all you’ll want to get began with Ambie’s Focus Timer and Focus Session instruments, which act as a pomodoro mode.

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2 Character Map UWP

Simply entry Home windows’ large font and character database

Character Map UWP

Character Map UWP is a third-party alternative for Home windows’ default Character Map choice instrument, and it gives a clear and fashionable interface design.

The default Home windows Character Map is one thing of a scorching mess. It hasn’t been up to date in years, and so its interface stands proud like a nineties-themed sore thumb. Fortunately, the free third-party Character Map UWP app serves as a sleek alternative. The app is a totally modernized answer for shopping via and copying typefaces, fonts, and characters.

Character Map UWP is greater than a fairly face, too: the app has superior choices for copying and exporting characters, a comparability instrument, help for a number of tabs, a font properties pane, and extra.

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3 ClipShelf

Clipboard historical past, however inside simpler attain

ClipShelf

ClipShelf is a well-designed Home windows 11 clipboard supervisor app that makes it simple to pin your copy historical past inside a devoted graphical consumer interface.

Home windows has a built-in clipboard administration instrument, however I desire utilizing the free ClipShelf app as an alternative of Microsoft’s default answer. Clipshelf provides a fantastic Home windows 11-themed strip to the highest or backside of your show, and populates together with your clipboard historical past for straightforward entry and cross-referencing functions.

ClipShelf additionally gives its personal set of keyboard shortcuts for straightforward entry, in addition to a number of customization instruments. The app is free to make use of, although a few of its extra superior options are locked behind a paywall.

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4 FluentCast

Native podcasting meets Home windows

FluentCast

FluentCast is a contemporary and feature-packed podcast app for Home windows 11 that features auto-download, playback historical past, and far more.

Sadly, Home windows 11 nonetheless lacks a local first-party podcasting application to name its personal. Fortunately, the third-party FluentCast app is right here to the rescue. The app is a free answer that appears and feels each bit like an in-box Home windows expertise, which makes it an excellent match for the OS.

Along with all of the podcast streaming fundamentals that you simply’d anticipate finding, FluentCast affords up iTunes integration for looking via well-liked reveals listed on Apple’s personal podcasting service. Different helpful options embrace auto downloads, playback historical past, picture-in-picture, new episode notifications, and extra.

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5 Fluent Emoji Gallery

Microsoft’s emoji rock — now you possibly can view them in catalog kind

Fluent Emoji Gallery

Fluent Emoji Gallery is the best approach to flick through Microsoft’s fashionable Fluent-style emoji pictograms, with choices to view in 3D, 2D, and monochrome.

When Microsoft redesigned its emoji library a number of years again, it hyped up its new Fluent-themed pictographs to an excellent diploma. Personally, I am an enormous fan of the brand new look, particularly when in comparison with competing emoji types in the marketplace. For those who’ve ever wished to peruse via the complete catalog of obtainable smileys, symbols, and extra, then the free Fluent Emoji Gallery app is your one-stop store answer.

The app at the moment accommodates over 1,594 particular person emoji designs, every of which is sourced from official Microsoft repositories. What makes Fluent Emoji Gallery such a pleasure to make use of is its fashionable and Home windows 11-styled interface design, which serves as pure eye sweet.

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6 FluentWeather

Fluid climate forecasts with out the interface bloat

FluentWeather

FluentWeather is a wonderful third-party climate app for Home windows 11 that follows fashionable Fluent Design interface tips.

There are a number of wonderful climate functions obtainable for Home windows 11, however none hit the mark fairly in addition to FluentWeather. This free app is laser-focused on offering a clear, native-feeling forecasting interface, and it succeeds in doing so — it places a lot of Microsoft’s personal in-box outs to disgrace when it comes to visible coherency and consumer expertise.

FluentWeather is open-source, and affords up a ton of insightful climate metrics. Every part you’d anticipate finding is current and accounted for, together with every day climate forecasting particulars, changeable temperature items, background refresh help, and extra.

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7 Ink Workspace

The best companion for Home windows Inkers

Ink Workspace

Ink Workspace is a well-designed Home windows 11 app that gives a central location for numerous digital inking-based options and instruments.

For those who use a digital pen for Home windows Inking functions, then the free Ink Workspace app is the proper instrument for you. When launched, it opens a devoted flyout panel that is crammed with helpful data and quick-access hyperlinks.

A Windows 10 reside tile-esque app launcher could be configured, as can a fast note-taking pane and a lately opened recordsdata part. The app additionally gives glanceable entry to your pen battery degree, in addition to strategies on different ink-friendly Home windows functions obtainable on the Microsoft Retailer.

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8 FlowBoard

A Fluent canvas of infinite prospects

FlowBoard – FireCube’s Version

Flowboard is an open-source and free-flowing whiteboard utility that makes wonderful use of Home windows 11’s fashionable interface design rules. 

There’s numerous utility to be present in a digital free-form whiteboard app, and FlowBoard is an exemplar of the style. The app is free and open-source, and affords up a fantastic Fluent Design canvas for taking notes, doodling, and extra.

FlowBoard is well-optimized for contact enter with its broad pill kind issue help, and it really works nicely with digital pens just like the Surface Slim Pen 2. The app’s canvas is infinitely zoomable, making it a versatile instrument for placing pen to (digital) paper.

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9 Mica™️

Take pleasure in the great thing about Microsoft’s Mica materials

Mica™️

Mica™️ is a simple-yet-mesmerizing Home windows 11 utility that shows a window crammed with Microsoft’s Mica materials, together with a number of further choices.

Mica™️ is maybe the quirkiest app on this listing, however I am unable to assist however adore it for what it’s. Upon launching the app, you are greeted with a no-thrills window crammed with Microsoft’s translucent Mica material from one nook to the following. Proper-clicking wherever on the display screen opens the settings pane, with choices to regulate opacity and the like.

At first blush, Mica™️’s utility won’t appear apparent, however I’ve discovered it to be the proper PC screensaver. When mixed with the pulsating ‘Bloom’ impact, I discover myself staring into Mica to elicit a way of leisure. Microsoft has uncared for to replace Home windows’ screensavers for years at this level (the Management Panel applet nonetheless depicts a CRT monitor on display screen), and so Mica™️ has assumed whole management of my very own makeshift setup.

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10 Protecc

Take pleasure in two-factor authentication in type

Protecc – 2FA Authenticator TOTP

Protecc is an open-source two-factor authentication (2FA) code technology instrument that gives an interface impressed by Fluent Design rules. 

Two-factor authentication is an integral part of securing your on-line accounts from fraud, hacking makes an attempt, and different unhealthy digital actors. In brief, it provides one other step to the login course of, with authenticator apps checking although strings of digits that act as keys.

Most individuals consider cell apps like Google Authenticator or 2FAS in terms of authentication instruments, however Protecc is a PC program equal that is price its deserves. The app is free and open-source, has built-in help for Home windows Hiya biometric authentication, and serves up your auto-generated codes in a trendy Fluent-style interface.

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11 Unigram

The most effective Telegram shopper for Home windows

Unigram—Telegram for Home windows

Unigram is a third-party Telegram shopper utility for Home windows 11 that gives a local appear and feel, safe messaging, and syncing help.

Social media apps have a fairly unhealthy observe document in terms of following native working system design tips, opting to implement their very own in-house styling as an alternative. Unigram is a Telegram Messenger app for Home windows 11 that bridges the divide, mixing safe messaging with fashionable and fluid visible design.

UNigram is a free utility, and it maintains Telegram’s potent mixture of 56-bit symmetric AES encryption, 2048-bit RSA encryption, and Diffie–Hellman safe key trade for maintaining all of your chat logs secured and locked down.

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12 Wintoys

Highly effective customization instruments wrapped in a lovely package deal

Wintoys

Wintoys is a one-stop-shop Home windows 11 app that gives many customization choices, restore instruments, and a built-in cleaner characteristic.

Wintoys is an extremely helpful Home windows 11 utility that gives quick access to plenty of system features and instruments. The app can floor key PC specs, can operate as a restore instrument sans-Terminal instructions, and will help you save house through its cleaner characteristic.

Better of all, Wintoys is a completely free piece of software program, and it expertly melds energy consumer options with an intuitive and fashionable interface design that makes it really feel straight out of Microsoft’s personal app portfolio.

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