Microsoft may remove the old-school volume mixer from future Windows 10 builds

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Since the release of Windows 10, many critics have pointed to the befuddling manner in which various settings are accessed as one of the major pain points for the OS, with both the Settings app and the old school Control Panel from Windows 7 hosting an array of different options and toggles.

 

Microsoft has been working on consolidating these options for a while now, and the latest change in this regard seems to be the volume mixer panel that you can currently access by right-clicking on the speaker icon on the taskbar. It allows you to manually configure the volume for each application without adjusting the master volume.

 

As spotted by some users, Microsoft has removed this legacy panel from the latest build released to Windows Insider on the Fast Ring. Now, using the same shortcut directs users to a similar page in the modern Settings app. The page has been there for a while, but this is the first time that Microsoft has decided to entirely override the old pane with its modern equivalent.

 

Just as with the previous setup, you can still manually adjust the volume for each app, as well as set the master volume. You also get the option to change the sound input and outputs for each app individually. So, you could, for example, run the browser off your speakers, while playing music through your headphones, which is quite the nifty addition that can't be found on the legacy volume mixer.

 

The old mixer hasn't been entirely removed, though. Currently, only the shortcut stated above has been modified to direct you to the Settings app; you can still find the old dialog box through the Control Panel. The change may, however, be the first step to Microsoft eventually deprecating the pane from future Windows builds.

 

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“Do They Even Use Windows 10?” Users Admonish Microsoft Over Volume Mixer Update

Microsoft killing off the old Volume Mixer in Windows 10

One of the changes that Microsoft plans for Windows 10 19H1 (the next feature update for its desktop operating system) is replacing the classic volume mixer with a new version boasting a modern interface.

Currently available in the latest preview build of Windows 10, this new volume mixer facelift hasn’t been received with much enthusiasm by the user community, and most of the feedback seems to favor the return of the classic interface.

One such example is this thread on reddit where users blast Microsoft for making things like adjusting volume in Windows 10 a lot more complicated than it should be.

“Come on Microsoft, do you even use your OS? We don't need a bloody fullscreen window just to change some sliders,” user AreYouAWiiizard posted.

While it’s important to note that this is just an early implementation of the new volume mixer and further improvements could be released in the coming updates, it’s pretty clear that such an approach isn’t everyone’s favorite cup of tea.

Still work in progress

And this makes perfect sense. The volume mixer doesn’t need to be anything different from a bunch of sliders easily accessible from the system tray, and moving them to a dedicated section in the Settings app doesn’t align too well with Microsoft’s push for increased productivity. Users know this very well and do not agree with Microsoft’s new plan for the volume mixer:

“Remember when Windows was fast and sleek to use?” reddit user dragozeroone asked rhetorically. “Yikes, next up fullscreen right click menu, you can do it Microsoft,” user Ferir also posted.

And there are many other posts online blasting Microsoft for this apparently minor change but which could have a major impact on how we use our systems.

Fortunately, this volume mixer is still work in progress, and given all the criticism that Microsoft had to face lately, there’s no doubt that the company should handle this new problem with extra care.

 

This is what the modern volume mixer could look like in Windows 10 19H1

 

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