ModernFlyouts

Despite their continuous efforts, Microsoft still has a long way when it comes to updating all of the user interface elements of their flagship operating system, Windows. Considering the intricacies surrounding its wide variety of options, menus and functions, constantly updating its design is by no means an easy feat.

Thus, the community often lends a helping hand to those who would like to customize their user experience and bring it closer to the desired level of fluidity and coherence. One such example is represented by ModernFlyouts, an open-source UWP program meant to modernize the Windows flyouts.

When starting up the app, the user is presented with the Settings menu, laid out in two main sections. On the left, a sidebar outlines the various tabs and levels of customization, while the right side expands the options present within each selected tab.

When in the Settings panel, the user can choose to run the program on startup, set the language, pick the default Windows or modern version of the flyouts or disable them entirely. Flyouts and the app’s Settings window can have a dark or light theme, or they can follow the system’s default automatically.

Compared to the original vertically-aligned flyouts, the modern ones adopt a horizontal view of the options while also providing more functionality right out of the box. For instance, when triggering the media volume flyout, a rounded rectangle appears with buttons for dragging and moving it anywhere on the screen, pinning it to a particular position or resetting to the default one when necessary.

The media flyout is also updated, showing the full name of the track being played, its media player, album thumbnail, a seekbar and options to play, skip, rewind and shuffle. Clicking the track name instantly takes the user to the media app. ModernFlyouts can also be applied over the default brightness, airplane mode and lock keys flyouts.

In terms of customization, the modern flyout types can be independently enabled, while the media and volume controls can be toggled, and the playing track’s thumbnail can be aligned to the left or right or set as the media control’s background. Upon testing, the media controls were supported only in Microsoft’s newer Media Player app from the Store.

Support for multiple monitors is available in the Layout tab of the Settings menu, with options to make the flyout expand in different directions.

ModernFlyouts is one of the best ways to bring Windows’ flyouts in line with the rest of the modernized Fluent Design that Microsoft had in mind when updating the operating system’s interface. Rounded corners, floating positions, timeout and plenty more customization features are only some of the advantages the app provides for power users.