Not everyone is a fan of Windows 11’s interface – especially its lack of customization options in some respects – but if you really want to get started personalizing and refreshing the desktop of Microsoft’s operating system, a new mod offers that opportunity.
New saw the release of the Seelen UI utility which promises a “fully customizable desktop environment” for both Windows 11 and Windows 10, and the options offered to tinker with are quite drastic indeed.
Seelen’s bigger interface customization features include a Tiling Windows Manager, which according to the developer means “windows automatically arrange themselves to support multitasking” to help streamline your workflows.
Then there’s a much neater system tray and a floating taskbar – as seen in a ‘Next Valley Prototype Design’ leak, which may have been a brief glimpse into the next generation of Windows – which can also be moved vertically (a capability that some Windows 11 that users have been begging for since the operating system launched).
There is also a media player installed and an app launcher (based on Rofi) is another part of the Windows desktop makeover offered here.
Please note that Microsoft Edge is required for the Seelen UI to work, so if you have uninstalled the browser (this can be done), you will need to reinstall it – and also if you are using Windows 10, the installer will WebView runtime on your PC. (It comes pre-installed with Windows 11, so this isn’t necessary for the newer operating system).
Analysis: Serene Seelen – with caveats
The overall look that Seleen graces Windows 11 with is quite Mac-like, modern and beautifully sleek and soothing (to us). Overall we approve, although we’re not sure about Windows Manager – and how it could be better than Snap Layouts (unless we’re missing something here, and we haven’t tried the app to find out, we should note) .
For those who really want to change the look of Windows 11 without too much fuss, it seems like an interesting piece of software, but we must emphasize that there are caveats here.
Please note that third-party software for Windows should be treated with caution; of course you install the tool at your own risk. Not that we’re suggesting there’s anything nefarious going on behind the scenes, but it pays to be careful about what you download. If you want to grab the app as the developer recommends, download it from the Microsoft store.
Either way, if you take the plunge, it might be worth waiting a while for Seleen’s further development, as the mod isn’t ready yet. Yes, this is a release version, but some features are still being worked on – there will apparently be a Start Menu replacement eventually (rather than just a simple app launcher).
So for now, this may be a project to keep an eye on, as well as following the broader feedback from users installing Seleen. And if you’re tempted at all, as Neowin notes, trying out software is something you can do more safely in a virtual machine.