Microsoft explains its reasoning behind the hamburger menu in Windows 10

The hamburger menu in Windows 10. Based on the comments we’ve read on WinBeta and Reddit, some dislike it, some hate it, and the rest don’t care. We can’t seem to find people who actually like it and although we’re sure they exist, their voices are probably drowned in the sea of the disapproving.

So why is Microsoft actively implementing them in its universal apps for Windows 10, and ripping away our beloved pivots in the process? Microsoft provides an answer in a recent post published on the Windows Blog.

Microsoft is currently working on an adaptive UX design for its universal apps, apps that need to work across devices with a range of different screen sizes, and a range of different input methods. The hamburger menu happens to work well on PCs as it provides “better keyboard and mouse navigation”. Pivots on the other hand work better on mobile devices for one-handed use. Can you imagine having to reach a hamburger menu on the top right-hand corner of a Lumia 1520 with one hand? It’s practically impossible without ending up with a cracked screen. That’s why Microsoft is in the process of letting developers easily implement both the hamburger menu and a pivot system in their universal apps.

“We’re making it possible for an app to have both hamburger and pivot controls—but to display the right control at the right time on the right device.” – Microsoft

We should note that the hamburger menu is very familiar to those on competing platforms, as well as the web, so making it available on Windows should further encourage iOS and Android developers to port their apps, and make it less of a jarring experience for consumers to switch to Windows.

Microsoft is continuing to work on its adaptive UX design, and is still accepting feedback from Windows Insiders, so we can’t expect the company to reveal finished designs at this point in time because, well, they’re not finished. Let us know what you think of the hamburger menu on PCs compared to phones in the comments below, and whether you think pivots can work well on the desktop.