Windows 10’s rounded UI reached the Your Phone app

We have already reported that Microsoft is internally working on a new rounder UI for Windows 10. This change now reached the Your Phone app, and is already available to Insiders.

Microsoft is internally working to update the look of Windows 10 with features provided by the new WinUI 3 framework. The change now goes live for built-in apps, including Windows 10 Photos app, Windows Calendar, Windows Maps, Movies & TV, Sticky Notes, and Calculator.

Microsoft's brand new WinUI library has been created to supercharge developer projects with Fluent controls, modern features, and other UWP/XAML improvements.

The library allows using WinUI XAML components in WPF, WinForm and native apps. Microsoft has added most of the modern user interface elements to the WinUI framework. The framework has been created for both Windows 10 and Windows 10X. The latter will be running native Win32 apps in containers, so Microsoft is interested in getting app versions native to Windows 10X. It is now possible with WinUI. Microsoft is expecting developers to update their apps by using the modern platform and make them compatible with Windows 10X.

👉 Tip: Microsoft is already working on Windows 10 21H2

The Your Phone app is one more app that has received visual refinement with rounder controls. The Your Phone app already includes rounded menus, but Microsoft is now expanding the updated look to more pages of the app. Here are some screenshots, courtesy of Windows Latest.

The user interface changes are now known as 'Sun Valley'. It is expected to reach consumers in the Windows 10 "Cobalt" release scheduled for the holiday 2021 season, and expected to be Windows 10 version 21H2, which will most likely be a major update. While Microsoft will issue two feature updates in 2021 as per the biannual update scheme, the significance of the updates will be reversed. The Spring update, version 21H1, will be a smaller service pack-like update, similar to what we have already seen in Windows 10 20H2 and 1909. The bigger one with more notable changes, 21H2, will come in the second half of 2021.

👉 See: What’s coming to Windows 10 in 2021

Microsoft is about to use WinUI for building the modern user interface of the OS, including the Start menu, Action Center, and other shell elements.

Besides the shell, WinUI is coming to the built-in UWP and desktop apps, including Edge, Windows 10 Photos app, Windows Calendar, Windows Maps, Movies & TV, Sticky Notes, and Calculator. Internally, Microsoft is already testing them. The apps have received rounder corners for menus, dialogs, and other elements.