Pre-release coverage of the operating system focused on its stricter hardware requirements, with discussions over whether they were legitimately intended to improve the security of Windows, or as a ploy to upsell customers to newer devices, and over the e-waste associated with the changes.

[18] Additionally, some users have pointed out disadvantages such as the removal of features like the ability to move the taskbar and increased system requirements that may exclude older devices.

[19] Future versions of Windows 11 would later receive negative reception due to dropping support for hardware that was initially supported in the original release, removing key features that Microsoft advertised in Windows 11 before it's release such as Teams or the Subsystem for Android and broken compatibility with apps, games, hardware and third party customization services.

[22] PC World argued that the widely reported comment was however taken out of context, noting that the official event transcript marks it only as a segue rather than a core part of the talk.

It featured a modified user interface designed around context-sensitive "postures" for different screen configurations and usage scenarios, and changes such as a centered taskbar and updated Start menu without Windows 10's "live tiles".

[29] In January 2021, it was reported that a job listing referring to a "sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows" had been posted by Microsoft.

[30] By December 2020, Microsoft had begun to implement and announce some of these visual changes and other new features on Windows 10 Insider Preview builds, such as new system icons (which also included the replacement of shell resources dating back as far as Windows 95),[31] improvements to Task View to allow changing the wallpaper on each virtual desktop, x86-64 emulation on ARM, and adding the Auto HDR feature from Xbox Series X.

[35] At the Microsoft Build 2021 developer conference, CEO and chairman Satya Nadella teased about the existence of the next generation of Windows during his keynote speech.

[39][40] On June 24, 2021, Windows 11 was officially announced at a virtual event hosted by Chief Product Officer Panos Panay.

[43] Further details for developers such as updates to the Microsoft Store, the new Windows App SDK (code-named "Project Reunion"), new Fluent Design guidelines, and more were discussed during another developer-focused event on the same day.

[61] Other promotional campaigns on release day included the Burj Khalifa in Dubai being illuminated with imagery of the Windows 11 logo and default "Bloom" wallpaper,[62] and Mikey Likes It ice cream parlors in New York City distributing free cups of "Bloomberry" ice cream.

The redesign, which focuses on ease of use and flexibility,[57] comes alongside new productivity and social features and updates to security and accessibility, addressing some of the deficiencies of Windows 10.

A prevalent aspect of the design is an appearance known as "Mica", described as an "opaque, dynamic material that incorporates theme and desktop wallpaper to paint the background of long-lived windows such as apps and settings".

[103] The Segoe UI font used since Windows Vista has been updated to a variable version, improving its ability to scale between different display resolutions.

[137] This restriction is also applied to Windows 11 Pro since version 22H2[121] as it was announced in February 2022, although a Microsoft account isn't required if it's not for personal use.

Microsoft has stated that Windows 11 provides no lifecycle guarantee if it has been installed on a machine that does not meet its minimum hardware requirements.

[154] The compatibility list includes the Intel Core i7-7820HQ, a seventh-generation processor used by the Surface Studio 2,[155] although only on devices that shipped with DCH-based drivers.

[125][157] On May 20, 2024, Microsoft announced "Copilot+ PC"—a brand of Windows 11 devices that are designed to support enhanced artificial intelligence features.

x86-64-based Copilot+ PCs began to be announced later in the year, which are based on AMD Ryzen AI and Intel Core Ultra CPUs.

[159] Additionally, users must also accept an on-screen disclaimer stating that they will not be entitled to receive updates, and that damage caused by using Windows 11 on an unsupported configuration are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

Many newer CPUs also include a TPM implemented at the CPU level (with AMD referring to this as "fTPM", and Intel referring to it as "Platform Trust Technology" [PTT]),[168] which might be disabled by default and require changing settings in the computer's UEFI firmware,[169] or a UEFI firmware update that changes the default settings to reflect these requirements.

Starting with version 24H2, IoT Enterprise editions have officially reintroduced legacy BIOS support and eliminated the requirement for a TPM.

Criticism was raised towards Widgets' lack of support for third-party content, thus limiting it to Microsoft services only, regressions in taskbar functionality and customization.

Apart from the user interface, system requirements and Microsoft's unclear justification for its processor compatibility criteria remained a major sticking point for him.

While some of the system requirements have brought greater public attention to hardware security features present on modern PCs, he argued that these could already be employed on Windows 10, albeit optionally.

However, he noted that 11 did not have as many performance issues or bugs as Vista had upon its release, nor was as "disjointed" as 8, and recommended that users who were unsure about the upgrade should stay on Windows 10 in anticipation of future updates to 11.

However, he felt that Windows 11 still felt like a work in progress, noting UI inconsistencies (such as dark mode and new context menu designs not being uniform across all dialogues and applications, and the UWP Settings app still falling back upon legacy Control Panel applets for certain settings), regressions to the taskbar (including the inability to move it, drag files onto taskbar buttons to focus the corresponding application, and the clock only shown on the primary display in multi-monitor configurations), and promised features (such as dynamic refresh rate support and a universal microphone mute button) not being present on the initial release.

"[178] Mark Hatchman of PC World was more critical of Windows 11, arguing that it "sacrifices productivity for personality, but without cohesion", commenting upon changes such as the inability to use local "offline" accounts on Windows 11 Home, regressions to the taskbar, a "functionally worse" start menu, Microsoft Teams integration having privacy implications and being a ploy to coerce users into switching to the service, File Explorer obscuring common functions under unclear icons, forcing users to scroll through many options to discourage changing the default web browser from Microsoft Edge, and that the OS "anecdotally feels less responsive, slower, and heavier than Windows 10".

He concluded that Windows 11 "feels practical and productive, but less so than its predecessor in many aspects", while its best features were either "hidden deeper within", required specific hardware (DirectStorage, Auto HDR) or were not available on launch (Android app support).

[179] Post-release Windows 11 Version 24H2 was met with negative reception due to support being dropped for 8th-10th gen Intel CPUs, supported AMD CPUs being mislabeled or completely missing from Microsoft's list of supported CPUs, Disk Cleanup and Settings not deleting the Windows Update Cleanup files that occupied 10GB of storage space, issues with Intel SST on 11th gen Intel Core processors, ASUS devices failing to install the update, broken biometrics and camera support, the mouse pointer occasionally getting stuck while typing and many apps or games not functioning properly such as Roblox, Voicemeeter, Asphalt 8, Assassin's Creed Origins, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Star Wars: Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Safe Exam Browser, ExplorerPatcher and many wallpaper customization apps such as Lively Wallpaper.