Skip to main content

Microsoft's unified Windows 10 user interface could be code-named Andromeda

microsoft building tab support into windows 10 upgrade popup
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It was just a couple of weeks ago when information surfaced that Microsoft is working to create new user interface technology that will put the same interactive elements on every device running Windows 10. That means that desktops, notebooks, 2-in-1s, smartphones, Xbox Ones, and more would all feel the same to the user.

This UI technology will complete Microsoft’s vision started with the OneCore initiative, which uses the same basic OS for all Windows 10 devices. Now, it appears that the new unified user interface has a code name, Andromeda, that strangely enough seems to be shared with Google’s hybrid OS project, as MSPU reports.

The information first came from well-known leaker WalkingCat on Twitter:

ComposableShell related components found in 15025 symbols package, what the hell is Andromeda ? pic.twitter.com/uWl1qpMmlT

— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) February 6, 2017

As WalkingCat points out, Google’s own hybrid OS is codenamed Andromeda as well:

So Google's rumored Andromeda is a hybrid OS designed for hybrid devices, and MS Andromeda is the same thing, hard to believe its coincident

— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) February 6, 2017

The basic concept is that an “adaptive shell” will run on all device types and, as the name implies, adapt itself to specific device characteristics like screen size and aspect ratio. This adaptive shell will be called the “Composable Shell” (CSHELL), and it will present the appropriate UI depending on the device on which it’s running.

With the Windows 10 Creators Update just around the corner and, given that the latest Bug Bash event is probably feature-locked, we’ll have to wait until future updates before we start seeing CSHELL, or Andromeda, make its way into devices. Perhaps Microsoft will wait until that technology is fully fleshed out to introduce a new smartphone, possibly the long-rumored Surface phone, based on the upcoming Windows 10 on ARM technology.

Regardless, the rumors will likely continue to run rampant between now and whenever these upgrades arrive on Windows 10. With Microsoft Build 2017 coming in just a few months, perhaps we’ll get our first glimpse of the new unified user interface sometime before the next major update — Redstone 3 — arrives toward the end of 2017.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Coppock
Mark has been a geek since MS-DOS gave way to Windows and the PalmPilot was a thing. He’s translated his love for…
Windows 11 could be hurting your gaming performance
Overwatch 2 running on the LG OLED 27 gaming monitor.

If you’ve been wondering why your beefy graphics card hasn’t been performing as well as it should in Windows 11 or Windows 10, the answer could be Microsoft’s Virtualization Based Security (VBS). According to testing done by Tom’s Hardware, VBS could cause gaming performance to drop by as much as 10%.

In a suite of fresh benchmarks, Tom’s Hardware tested 15 different games, from Cyberpunk 2077 to Red Dead Redemption 2, both with VBS enabled and with the feature turned off. In some games, the results could be cause for concern.

Read more
PC gamers are flocking to Windows 11, new Steam survey says
Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the Alienware 34 QD-OLED.

According to the latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey, more PC gamers are switching to using Windows 11. Although Windows 10 continues to top the charts, it's slowly losing users to Microsoft's newer operating system, as Windows 11 now compromises over a third of all operating systems in Steam's monthly survey.

It's happy news for Microsoft as Windows 11 continues to inch forward in the Steam Hardware Survey. While the survey doesn't include the software and hardware utilized by each and every gamer on the platform, it still shows us some significant averages. Microsoft has continued to push Windows 11 for new PCs, and the latest survey from Steam suggests that the effort is working.

Read more
Windows 11 has been causing problems with Intel graphics for months, and no one said a word
A Windows 11 device sits on a table.

If you're using Intel integrated graphics and you've been having some issues with DirectX apps, we may know the reason why -- outdated drivers paired with a recent Windows update.

According to Microsoft, a Windows 11 update may have caused some errors in Intel graphics. The update is not recent at all, so even if you haven't updated in the last few weeks, you may be affected.

Read more