Microsoft has updated release notes for Windows 11 build 25977, released in the Canary Channel on October 18, to mention new animated network icons on the lock screen and in the notification area.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
[ADDED] The network icon in the system tray now animates when a connection is in progress. This animation replaces the disconnected globe when a network is taking time to establish internet.
According to Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager from the Windows Insider Program team, developers planned to ship those icons in the next build. However, as it turned out, they slipped into yesterday"s build 25977, giving users a better indicator for when Windows 11 connects to a Wi-Fi network or initializes a wired connection.
We thought this was coming in next week"s flight - added this into the blog post for Build 25977. Sorry about that! https://t.co/NHzWqIVJwV
— Brandon LeBlanc (@brandonleblanc) October 18, 2023
Interestingly, Windows 7 was the last version to feature animated network icons. Microsoft ditched them in favor of static indicators in Windows 8 and kept things so throughout the last ten years. Now, animated network icons are returning in Windows 11 build 25977.
Other network-related changes in Windows 11 build 25977 from the Canary Channel include a new option for sharing Wi-Fi passwords using QR codes (also works for connecting a mobile hotspot), a button to install network driver during the initial setup, new privacy controls for managing access to the list of available Wi-Fi networks, and additional access control options for SMB over QUIC. Full release notes for build 25977 are available here.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time we see Microsoft toying around with animated icons in Windows 11. In 2022, Microsoft experimented with motion for the Settings app"s sections. Sadly, those cute little animations never made it to the stable release. Gone, but not forgotten.