Windows Terminal 1.9 preview is now available with new Quake Mode

Windows Terminal
Windows Terminal (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • A new preview for Windows Terminal is here.
  • Featuring a new Quake Mode that lets you open a Terminal window from anywhere.
  • It can now also be set as the default termonal handler on Windows.

Microsoft has announced a new preview build of its popular Windows Terminal application today, featuring a new Quake Mode that allows users to quickly open a new terminal window from anywhere within Windows with a keyboard shortcut.

Windows Terminal 1.9 also includes a fully-fledged Settings page, which provides options such as the ability to choose your default command line tool, background and other UI options. Microsoft also says that Windows Terminal can now be set as the default terminal emulator for Windows, which enables all command-line apps to launch via the Windows Terminal app instead of the classic Command Prompt or PowerShell.

A Microsoft blog post detailed the following:

With Windows Terminal, developers receive a beautiful, sleek, modern command line experience in Windows – and this year, we're excited to share that it can now be set as the default terminal emulator –enabling all command-line apps to launch via Windows Terminal. We also released a new feature called Quake mode that allows you to open a new terminal window with a simple keyboard shortcut from anywhere in Windows.

Windows Terminal is now pre-installed on the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview builds, and will likely be pre-installed as part of the next big Windows release. Right now, you can grab Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store.

Catch up on all the announcements from Build 2021

Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads

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