The latest build of Windows 11 will get a VPN indicator in the notification area, making it easier for users to check their connection status or connect more easily.
According to multiple reports, upcoming builds of Microsoft’s operating system will feature the new icon as the company is seeing the growing popularity of VPN services across the world.
Apple users are already familiar with the feature, with VPN indicators available in the macOS taskbar along with a status bar icon for iOS devices. Heck, even Android devices have had an icon appear in their status bars, leaving Windows machines somewhat left out when it comes to VPN users.
There are some caveats, though. For starters, the icon only appears to be working with a wired connection, so users with a Wi-Fi connection won’t be able to check their connection so easily. Why this is the case is beyond me, as most laptop users these days rely on wireless rather than wired connections.
Like that’s not enough, Windows will not recognize third-party VPN apps, which will leave the majority of today’s VPN users. The VPN connection will need to be set up from the system settings to function as described.
This is still not official and we can only hope that, once launched, the VPN icon will be visible even when you connect via Wi-Fi and when using third-party solutions. Then again, you will always see the icon of your VPN app in the notification area.
That being said, we presume this is a business-focused feature that is primarily made for certain businesses working in a Windows-centric environment.
In any case, we are glad to see Microsoft acknowledging that the use of VPNs has become so commonplace that it deserves its own icon in the notification area. We’ll be watching this story and get back to you as soon as we hear something newsworthy. Stay tuned in the meantime.