Microsoft is quietly testing a redesigned version of the classic (Win + R) Run dialog in Windows 11, giving one of the system’s oldest tools a long-overdue visual upgrade. The new Run box adopts the Fluent Design style used across modern Windows with rounded corners, cleaner lines, and full dark-mode support, finally bringing it in line with the rest of the OS.
Interestingly, Microsoft isn’t forcing the change. For now, users will be able to choose between the modern interface and the original version through the advanced system settings. Screenshots shared by preview tester PhantomOfEarth and highlighted by Windows Latest show how dramatically different the updated design looks compared to the minimalist, unchanged box that has been part of Windows since the Windows 95 era. That means the original code powering Run is now roughly three decades old.
Windows 11 is getting a modern Run dialog! Build 26534 ships with bits for it, here’s a first look: pic.twitter.com/K0kWO8ltSe
— phantomofearth ☃️ (@phantomofearth) December 4, 2025
The updated version is still hidden behind early test builds, but if trials go smoothly, it’s likely to appear in future Windows 11 releases.