I can’t believe I had to pay to get this Windows 10 feature on Windows 11

Even as Windows 10 approaches its sunset and ends its support this October, there are still certain features that haven’t found their way into Windows 11. It’s a pity because some parts of Windows 10 are bound to be lost with this transition—take the Windows 10 calendar flyout, which functioned like an actual calendar, for instance.

To the possible surprise of Microsoft, users generally prefer their digital calendars to display scheduled events and plans. My parents have this charming wooden calendar adorned with painted tiles for each day of the month. If I were only after aesthetics, I’d just snap a picture of theirs. Unfortunately, the creators behind Windows 11 seem to have a different vision for their calendar setup, prompting me to try out a third-party app called Calendar Flyout.

Calendar Flyout isn’t exactly new. I stumbled upon it while checking out a different app with comparable features. However, Calendar Flyout is more advanced in its development, making it noteworthy at the moment. The app is available for $3.99 on the Microsoft Store. While it’s disappointing to shell out money for functionality that was originally part of Windows, the developer has done a commendable job, and supporting them feels worthwhile.

In creating Windows 11, Microsoft overhauled several elements from scratch, leading to the loss of certain functionalities during the transition from Windows 10. For example, you can’t move the taskbar to the top of the screen in Windows 11. The redesigned calendar flyout is another casualty, stripped of some core functions present in its Windows 10 counterpart.

The first time I opened the windows 11 calendar, I genuinely thought my computer encountered a glitch. I typically use Outlook for organizing events, yet the new flyout showed nothing—not even an agenda with upcoming events. But alas, it wasn’t a bug; it was just the “upgraded” calendar flyout.

These days, resorting to third-party apps to patch up Windows features seems oddly routine. Stardock’s Start11, for instance, is essential for relocating the Start menu, and numerous apps are available to personalize various facets of Windows 11. Calendar Flyout joins this collection as a nicely crafted program that ideally shouldn’t be necessary to install in the first place.