How Microsoft made its Windows 11 system sounds less nerve-racking

Published

4 years ago

August 22, 2021

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Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., speaks during an Economic Club of New York event in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018. Nadella discussed the responsibility tech companies need to take over the future of artificial intelligence.

Mark Kauzlarich | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Personal computers with Windows have made sounds to indicate errors since the 1980s. With Windows 11, Microsoft has revamped those sounds to make them less stressful.

Windows remains the world’s most popular operating system, accounting for about 14% of Microsoft’s $168 billion in annual revenue. But it isn’t always easy for Microsoft to keep its hundreds of millions of customers happy, as they have widely varying opinions of what Windows should be — including what it should sound like.

The designers of Windows 11 took inspiration from an approach called calm technology, which was described by two employees of the Xerox PARC research lab more than two decades ago. “Calmness is much needed in today’s world, and it tends to hinge on our ability to feel in control, at ease, and trustful,” Microsoft’s Christian Koehn and Diego Baca wrote in a blog post. “Windows 11 facilitates this through foundational experiences that feel familiar, soften formerly intimidating UI, and increase emotional connection.”

Calm technology also informed the development of the sounds of Windows 11, said Matthew Bennett, who crafted the sounds, following contributions to Windows 8 and Windows 10.

Windows 11 stands out from its predecessors and its competitors by allowing people to use one group of sounds to match with light visual themes, and a different group that goes along with dark themes. The sounds are similar, which means people can recognize them as they switch between modes, but slightly different. Applying a dark theme generally makes the sounds softer. They seem to echo, as if in a large room.

“The new sounds have a much rounder wavelength, making them softer so that they can still alert/notify you, but without being overwhelming,” a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC in an email. Just like we rounded UI [user interface] visually, we rounded our soundscape as well to soften the overall feel of the experience.”

People can change the default sounds by opening the Settings app and going to “Sound > More sound settings.” But plenty of people will keep using the default sounds, just as many people who open Microsoft Word will end up using the default font.

Bennett, who left Microsoft in February after 12 years at the company, spelled out several changes the company made to its system sounds with Windows 11 during the course of multiple interviews. (Each of the audio files below contains the new sound, followed by its Windows 10 predecessor.)

Default Beep

When something goes wrong — for example, you look for text on a website and it isn’t there — and your PC needs to give you a heads up, Windows 11 won’t make as much of a fuss as Windows 10. The new sound, comprising three rising notes, starts at a lower pitch than the trill that it replaces, and it doesn’t linger as long afterward, Bennett said.

The notes aren’t simply played by a piano or marimba. Bennett said the sounds are “digitally sculpted” and designed not to evoke a musical instrument. That way, they’re less likely to get negative associations in various cultures around the world, he said.

Calendar Reminder

Four rapid ascending notes let you know an event is coming up. The arrangement is vastly simpler than the seven-note predecessor, which Bennett has described as having a clear beginning, middle and end.

After Windows 10 arrived in 2015, people ran it in schools and offices, where background noise could deafen some of the Calendar Reminder sound. Then the coronavirus pandemic forced workers, teachers and students to stay home, where there might be fewer distractions. The new sound demands less attention in those environments.

Desktop Mail Notification

When you receive an email in Windows 11, you hear three quick notes going downward. The new version is slightly faster — the one in Windows 10 included four notes and sustained for a moment at the end — and registers a lower pitch.

It’s more of a gesture, reminiscent of a piece of mail arriving in an inbox, and less of a voice-like snippet. “I read it as, “Message for you,'” Bennett said.

Device Connect, Device Disconnect, Device Failed to Connect

These areas of the next generation of Windows refer back to the stripped-down effects that appeared in Windows Vista and remained available in Windows 7, Bennett said. Anytime you plugged a mouse, a joystick or another peripheral into a USB port, or removed it, or the computer didn’t recognize the device, those 2000s-era operating systems made two abbreviated, guttural noises.

Windows 10 veered from that concept a bit with additional notes and varying melodies. Each of the Windows 11 sounds goes back to the idea of two simple notes, albeit in a more friendly fashion than their predecessors from the 2000s.

An upward tone conveys that the connection worked.

Going down means you’ve successfully unplugged.

And two sounds imply an error, sort of like how parents who speak a variety of languages will quickly say “uh-uh” to warn their children not to do something, Bennett said.

Instant Message Notification, Message Nudge

Sounds for calendar events and emails can play frequently on Windows PCs, but sounds that indicate new instant messages are far less frequent, Bennett said.

But they’re still there, and in Windows 11, they’re simpler. Three descending notes go off to mark a new message, instead of a chirp that goes up and then down. The Windows 10 message sound was meant to stand out from the mail sound to reflect the different rhythm of messaging, Bennett said. Now that distinction is more subtle.

The point of the Message Nudge is to signal the arrival of a new message coming in through a program that’s you’re currently using, but perhaps in a different conversation, Bennett said. In Windows 11 you hear one note and then a slightly lower note. It’s shorter than the sharp Windows 10 sound, which amounts to a miniaturized version of the Instant Message Notification sound in that operating system.

Notification

This sound, which comes up in concert with certain “system toast” boxes on the side of the screen, has also received a makeover. There are two slightly ascending notes that are close together, instead of four notes that rise and then fall. The sound is shorter, and the final note isn’t sustained for so long.

Windows User Account Control

When a program asks for permission to make changes to your PC, Windows 11 shows a prominent dialog box on your screen and plays a sound. The outcome can have security implications, hence the notification.

In Windows 11 the sound is an up-down-up pattern that comes in at a lower pitch than the down-up-down chime. It’s less all-hands-on-deck and more you-might-want-to-check-this.

So far, much of the new feedback on the new sounds has been positive, after Microsoft began circulating Windows 11 builds to testers in June.

The company will release Windows 11 more widely later this year.

WATCH: How Microsoft is creating a new ‘cloud PC’ category with Windows 365

Technology

Tata, Intel deepen India semiconductor push with pact on chip supply chain and AI PCs

Published

3 hours ago

December 9, 2025

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Tata, Intel deepen India semiconductor push with pact on chip supply chain and AI PCs

Signage for Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd. at the company’s factory in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Tata Electronics has lined up American chip designer Intel as a prospective customer as the division of Mumbai-based conglomerate Tata Group works to expand India’s domestic electronics and semiconductor supply chain.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the companies will explore the manufacturing and packaging of Intel products for local markets at Tata Electronics’ upcoming plants.

Intel and Tata also plan to assess ways to rapidly scale tailored artificial intelligence PC solutions for consumers and businesses in India.

In a press release on Monday, Tata said that the collaboration marks a pivotal step towards developing a resilient, India-based electronics and semiconductor supply chain.

“Together [with Intel], we will drive an expanded technology ecosystem and deliver leading semiconductors and systems solutions, positioning us well to capture the large and growing AI opportunity,” said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, the principal investment holding company of Tata companies.

Tata Electronics, established in 2020, has been investing billions to build India’s first pure-play foundry. The facility will manufacture semiconductor products for the AI, automotive, computing and data storage industries, according to Tata Electronics.

The firm is also building new facilities for assembly and testing.

India, despite being one of the world’s largest consumers of electronics, lacks chip design or fabrication capabilities.

However, the Indian government has been working to change that as part of efforts to reduce dependence on chip imports and capture a bigger share of the global electronics market, which is shifting away from China.

Under New Delhi’s “India Semiconductor Mission,” at least 10 semiconductor projects have been approved with a cumulative investment of over $18 billion.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the partnership with Intel was a “tremendous opportunity” to rapidly grow in one of the world’s fastest-growing computer markets, fueled by rising PC demand and rapid AI adoption across India.

Technology

CNBC Daily Open: Investors are loving the Paramount-Warner Bros-Netflix drama

Published

7 hours ago

December 9, 2025

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CNBC Daily Open: Investors are loving the Paramount-Warner Bros-Netflix drama

A drone view shows a sign for Paramount in front of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California, December 8, 2025.

Daniel Cole | Reuters

Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, following Netflix’s announcement last week that it had reached a deal to buy the HBO owner.

The company is “here to finish what we started,” CEO David Ellison told CNBC, upping the ante with a $30-per-share, all-cash offer compared to Netflix’s $27.75-per-share, cash-and-stock offer for WBD’s streaming and studio assets.

Investors were certainly pleased, sending Paramount shares 9% higher and WBD’s stock up 4.4%.

Another development that traders cheered was U.S. President Donald Trump permitting Nvidia to export its more advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips to “approved customers” in China and other countries — so long as some of that money flows back to the U.S. Nvidia shares rose about 2% in extended trading.

Major U.S. indexes, however, fell overnight, as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s final rate-setting meeting of the year on Wednesday stateside. Markets are expecting a nearly 90% chance of a quarter-point cut, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

Rate-cut hopes have buoyed stocks. “The market action you’ve seen the last one or two weeks is kind of essentially baking in the very high likelihood of a 25 basis point cut,” said Stephen Kolano, chief investment officer at Integrated Partners.

But that means a potential downside is deeper if things don’t go as expected.

“For some very unlikely reason, if they don’t cut, forget it. I think markets are down 2% to 3%,” Kolano added.

In that case, investors will be waiting, impatiently, for the Fed meeting next year — hoping for a more satisfying conclusion.

What you need to know today

U.S. stocks slid on Monday. Major indexes closed lower, even though technology stocks, such as Broadcom, Confluent and Oracle, had a good showing. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed flat, but defense stocks broadly rose.

Paramount Skydance makes hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The company made a $30-per-share, all cash, tender offer to WBD shareholders, following Netflix’s acquisition deal. Here’s what to expect from Paramount and Netflix as competition intensifies.

Trump allows Nvidia to sell H200 chip to China. But that’s only if the U.S. gets a 25% sales cut, the White House leader said in a Truth Social post on Monday. Trump added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had “responded positively” to the proposal.

Berkshire Hathaway leadership shuffle. Todd Combs, investment manager and Geico CEO, will be leaving for JPMorgan Chase, while Berkshire will be adding a general counsel and a president overseeing consumer, service and retail units.

[PRO] Ray Dalio’s views on the market. The Bridgewater Associates founder told CNBC that he would bet on AI — but in different way.

And finally…

A cargo ship loaded with containers departs from Qingdao Port in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China, on December 4, 2025.

Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

China’s trade surplus tops $1 trillion despite Trump’s attempt to contain it. Here’s what that means

China’s trade surplus roared above $1 trillion in November for the first time ever, despite the ongoing global trade war that has resulted in a steep drop in exports to the U.S. In the first 11 months this year, China’s overall exports grew 5.4% compared to the same period in 2024 while imports fell 0.6%.

The rebound in export growth would help mitigate the drag from weak domestic demand, putting the economy on track to deliver the “around 5%” growth target this year, said Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.

— Anniek Bao and Jeff Cox

Technology

ICEBlock developer sues U.S. government after DOJ demanded Apple remove app from store

Published

8 hours ago

December 9, 2025

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ICEBlock developer sues U.S. government after DOJ demanded Apple remove app from store

In this photo illustration, the ICEBlock app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on October 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

The developer of ICEBlock, an app used to track local sightings of ICE agents and other law enforcement authorities, sued the U.S. government on Monday for allegedly infringing his free speech rights.

After Apple removed the app from its store in October, creator Joshua Aaron criticized the Trump administration for pressuring the iPhone maker to ban ICEBlock over fears it could be used to harm U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Attorneys for Aaron wrote in the complaint that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi made clear that the government “used its regulatory power to coerce a private platform to suppress First Amendment-protected expression,” when she said the Department of Justice demanded that Apple remove the app, which was only available on iOS.

The suit claimed Apple cited one of its review guidelines that says apps can’t allow objectionable content that can be used to harm a targeted group. Apple said ICEBlock targets law enforcement officers, according to the suit.

Aaron told CNBC on Monday that his complaint was inspired by the U.S. founding fathers, who held the view that, “The survival of our democratic republic isn’t guaranteed.”

“It requires constant vigilance, active and informed participation of its citizens,” Aaron said. “When we see or think our government is doing something wrong, it’s our duty to hold them accountable. And that is the heart of this lawsuit.”

Aaron said attorneys with law firm Sher Tremonte in New York are representing him on a pro bono basis.

It’s not the first time Apple has made such a move.

In 2019, the company removed an app that Hong Kong protesters used to track police movements during a public dispute over the city’s relationship with China. Apple said at the time that the app was removed because criminals used it to target and ambush police.

Aaron had developed an Android version of his app, but said he couldn’t release it. After Apple’s move to remove ICE Block, Google parent Alphabet also agreed to ban apps that help people track the whereabouts of law enforcement from its app store, he said.

Representatives for Apple and Google didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The DOJ didn’t also didn’t immediately provide a comment.

Aaron launched ICEBlock in April in response to the aggressive crackdown on immigrants by the Trump administration. According to new data obtained by the University of California at Berkeley via the school’s Deportation Data Project, “more than a third of the roughly 220,000 people arrested by ICE officers in the first nine months of the Trump administration had no criminal histories.” Gallup’s polling data released on Nov. 28 found only 37% of US voters approved of the way Trump is handling immigration.

Read the full complaint here: