Microsoft is working to integrate Metro apps on the desktop

Feb 10, 2014 12:45 GMT  ·  By

Windows 8.1 Update 1 is Microsoft’s first step towards a more important change that’s expected to be finalized in Windows 9 and brings us Metro apps right on the desktop.

For the moment, Redmond is making Metro apps run in their own windows, while also allowing users to pin them to the taskbar for quicker launching.

It turns out, however, that music and video applications will also get playback controls right in the taskbar, so users would be allowed to play or pause a song or clip without the need for opening the application itself.

McAkins Online writes that the feature is already available in the recently-leaked Windows 8.1 Update 1 RTM Escrow build, so it’s very likely to be part of the final release of the operating system as well.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 is scheduled to debut in a couple of months, so more information on this is very likely to emerge soon.