Windows 11 did away with folder icon thumbnails, and we did not even notice

When Microsoft introduced new folder icons for what turned out to be Windows 11, the long-awaited design update was much lauded, such that we did not even notice that we were losing a major feature.

It turns out the new shell icons in Windows 11 no longer show previews of the content of the folders.

Noticed by OmNomDeBonBon on the Windows 11 Subreddit, the change means you can no longer easily see what kind of files are inside a folder.

The change may explain some of the speed improvements in Windows 11, and it is not clear if Microsoft plans to bring the feature back again.

There is an additional question of what such previews would look like with the horizontal folders, with some Windows 11 users suggesting the Windows XP-style thumbnails would be the perfect solution.

Windows 11 did away with folder icon thumbnails, and we did not even notice