Microsoft Adding Live Tiles To Start Menu In Windows 8.1 Update

Live tiles are one of the interesting tweaks for Windows Phone, and it seems they're coming to the desktop as well. Microsoft's Terry Myerson announced that live tiles would be coming to traditional Windows 8.1 desktops, and would even make an appearance in the start menu. That's right, the start menu is coming back.

When Microsoft dropped the start menu, it enraged quite a few users. Some went so far as to leave Windows altogether. While Microsoft isn't getting away from their Metro theme, they are bringing back some legacy interface we all grew fond of. It also looks like they're bringing windows back to Windows, as the new universal apps will open up in windows on top of the desktop.

It's a touch of the old, along with quite a bit of the new. Live tiles are something we enjoy about the WP platform, but we also really enjoy the start menu on the desktop. Opening up universal apps in a window bring functionality we're used to, but migrate away from the Metro UI we see on the mobile platform.

This will all come in the form of an update after the incoming 8.1 release, though Microsoft didn't say just when we'd see it. We're fond of the start menu making a triumphant comeback, and live tiles add a unique contextual layer to a familiar UI we've actually missed. We've got all the goings on from BUILD 2014, so be sure to check back all day and throughout the week for more news.