In brief: In addition to Windows 11's new look and features, Microsoft is giving a visual overhaul to its venerable stock apps, including Paint and Photos. Now, the company has posted images of these programs.
The pictures quietly appeared on the Unsplash Windows page (via Windows Latest), revealing the updated looks for Paint and Photos. Both match Windows 11's implementation of the Fluent Design language, which gives them a much more modern appearance.
In the case of Paint, the long-used ribbon menu has been replaced with a Fluent header, featuring options such as File, Edit, and brushes---it looks similar to the one from the new File Explorer. There are also undo/redo buttons in the header, and we see the rounded corners found across other Windows 11 elements. Much of the redesign appears to improve the touchscreen experience.
The Photos app, meanwhile, will have a new interface in which the editing tools float above the image. There are also other improvements and better performance. Clock, Voice Recorder, Calculator, Office, Notepad, are also receiving redesigns in Windows 11.
Way back in 2017, Microsoft announced it would be killing off Paint after 32 years. It led to an outcry from those who still use the app for quick and simple edits, prompting Microsoft to clarify that while it would be removed from a core group of bundled Windows applications, MS Paint was moving to the company's store as a free download---though Paint 3D still remains the only version on the Microsoft Store.
With the Windows 11 Beta now available to Windows Insiders, the updated apps are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.