Ever wondered what Xbox Keystone was going to look like? A new patent gives us an idea.

Highlights for Windows 11, versions 22H2 and 23H2 (normal rollout):

• This update addresses an issue that affects Group Policy. It fails to detect when a network’s speed is slow. Instead, it assumes that a fast link is present.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) and Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA).

Highlights for Windows 11, versions 22H2 and 23H2 (gradual rollout):

• This update affects OneDrive. You can use it as a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop.
• This update changes the units for DDR speed from MHz to MT/s.
• This update adds a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings home page.
• This update puts the show desktop button on the taskbar again by default.

According to a new report, the Microsoft Surface Duo 3 would have been a foldable with magnetic accessories and an open button.

Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 are more repairable than ever.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790 (KB5039307) to Insiders in the Beta Channel. Details as follows:

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Phone Link]

• We are gradually rolling out a new feature, which allows you to use your mobile device directly from the Start menu on your Windows 11 PCs, to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. With this feature, you can stay connected and effortlessly access your mobile device’s functionalities right from the Start menu. See this blog post for more details.

[Copilot in Windows]

• The evolved Copilot experience on Windows where it is pinned to the taskbar and behaves like an app is now rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel on Windows 11. We updated last week’s Beta Channel flight blog post with more details.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[File Explorer]

• Addressed contrast issues of certain elements in File Explorer (left navigation pane, view pane/folder view, status bar buttons on the bottom right) in light, dark, and high contrast themes. E.g., adjustments to make it easier to see when a file or folder is selected.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

[General]

• We fixed the issue where Settings was crashing when trying to look at wi-fi properties.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where when attempting to install an optional feature via Settings > System > Option features, it might crash Settings in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview build in the Beta Channel.

Known issues

[Start menu]

• [NEW] We are investigating an issue where the All apps list isn’t being read out by screen readers.
• [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some apps to not be sorted correctly in the All apps list when using certain display languages.

[Voice Typing]

• [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some Insiders to see errors when attempting to use Voice Typing.

[Widgets]

Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who have the new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars may see the following known issues:

• Swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• Unpinning Widgets from the taskbar may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• The Widgets board is incorrectly positioned when Copilot is in side-by-side mode.

We are gradually rolling out a new feature, which allows you to use your mobile device directly from the Start menu on your Windows 11 PCs, to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. With this feature, you can stay connected and effortlessly access your mobile device’s functionalities right from the Start menu.

Key features include:

• Effortless Connectivity: View your phone’s battery status and connectivity right from the Start menu on your Windows 11 PC.
• Unified Communication: Access your phone messages, calls, and photos directly from Start, ensuring you never miss an important update or moment.
• Continuity of Experience: Pick up where you left off with the latest activities from your phone, all seamlessly integrated into your Start menu experience.

This feature is gradually rolling out to the Windows Insider community and available only for Android users on Windows 11 who are already connected via Phone Link. iOS support will be coming at a later date. This experience can be managed via Settings > Personalization > Start (support link).

Requirements:

• Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790 and higher in the Beta Channel. (Other Insider Channels coming at a later date.)
• Phone Link version 1.24052.124.0 and higher.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Start Menu.

Give it a try and let us know your feedback and suggestions. You can also join the conversation on our Windows Insider community forums and social media channels.

As part of our ongoing effort to improve your experience with the Microsoft Photos app on Windows 11, we have some exciting updates to share. We listened to your feedback and made some changes to the Viewer and Media Import features that we think you will love. We’re beginning to roll this update out to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels. Here are some of the highlights of what’s new and improved.

Viewer & Import Enhancements

In this update, the Photos Viewer has been upgraded with a variety of new enhancements that will make your photo viewing more enjoyable and convenient.

• Easy Access to Key Photos Actions: Important actions such as “Start slideshow” and “Share” are now right on the main viewing screen instead of hidden inside the overflow menu.
• Dedicated section for Microsoft apps: We have grouped all the Microsoft apps shortcuts together so you can quickly and easily navigate to the full photo gallery from the viewer, open in Clipchamp or open in OneDrive.

Dynamic Zoom Slider: Rather than being limited to only pre-set image sizes, we’ve introduced a slider that lets you view your images anywhere from 10% to 800% of their original size. Effortlessly achieve your desired image size with our easy-to-use draggable slider, enabling precise adjustments for a better photo viewing experience.

Photo Metadata Information: The size and dimensions of your photos are now visibly displayed at the screen’s lower edge, fulfilling a feature many users have asked for.

Device Import Options: We’ve introduced a new feature that lets you choose and manage when to begin transferring photos and videos from local devices at your convenience.

Viewer Performance: This release also comes with our new multi-process performance lifts that improve viewer load time by 2.1 times.

To get the latest Photos experience, update your app to version 2024.11060.20004.0 or higher. This update is currently rolling out, so it may not be available right away. We appreciate your comments and suggestions, so please share your feedback with us!

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Photos.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.994 (KB5039304) to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. Details as follows:

This update includes the following features and improvements:

• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). It fails to verify the policies of some apps.
• This update addresses an issue that affects WDAC. It reports a certain class of its policies as not active or not authorized.
• This update addresses an issue that might cause DWM.exe to stop responding.
• This update brings Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Unified Write Filter (UWF). Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) API calls to shut down or restart a system throws an access denied exception.
• This update addresses an issue believed to be the underlying cause of some Insiders noticing stutters in some animations recently (dropping frames), particularly with Task View.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26241 to Insiders in the Canary Channel. Details as follows:

Changes and Improvements

[General]

• This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

[File Explorer]

• Drag-and-drop files with your mouse functionality between breadcrumbs is now available in the File Explorer Address Bar – thanks again Insiders that shared feedback about this!

Fixes

[Taskbar]

• Updated the app icon flashing in the taskbar to be a bit easier to see.

[File Explorer]

• As some Insiders have noticed, we’ve updated File Explorer so it’s a little easier to see when you have files or folders selected, by adding a thin border to the selected area.
• Fixed an underlying issue causing File Explorer to crash when going to Home for some Insiders in the last few flights.

[Notifications]

• We’ve updated the underlying logic for when we suggest turning off notifications for certain apps, so that it requires a longer period of time without engaging with notifications from that app in order to trigger.

Known issues

[General]

• [IMPORTANT NOTE] We are investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. The investigation is ongoing, however if you are impacted by this and really want to get onto the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel today – you can download the latest ISO and do a clean install and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.

[Task Manager]

• We’re investigating an issue where the colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.

Developer APIs and all app-facing behaviors are final for you to review and integrate into your apps, and Android 15 is now available in Google Play.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961 (KB5038575) to Insiders in the Dev Channel. Details as follows:

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[General]

• This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

Microsoft Store Update

Windows Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels running version 22405.xxxx.x of the Microsoft Store and higher will see the following improvement rolling out:

Fast, safe checkout with Microsoft Wallet: Make quick and easy purchases in Store using Microsoft Wallet. Not only can you earn Microsoft Rewards points in the Store, but you can also easily redeem your points for a gift card during checkout to apply towards your purchase. Wallet is fast, safe, and easy to use!

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785 (KB5039319) to Insiders in the Beta Channel. Details as follows:

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Start menu]

• When right-clicking on apps pinned to the Start menu, jump lists will be shown for apps that have them such as PowerPoint.

[Desktop Spotlight]

• We are trying out some new adjustments to the Windows Spotlight experience on the desktop to make it easier for Spotlight users to engage with this feature to change images, like or not like an image etc. There will be several changes that Insiders will notice highlighted in the images below.

[Windows Share]

• We are rolling out the ability to easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue causing the taskbar to not appear for a small number of Insiders in the last couple flights.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce when you were opening or navigating items in the breadcrumb flyouts of the open or save dialog.
• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce anything when opening or navigating items in the column header flyout in File Explorer.

[Start menu]

• Fixed the issue from the last flight where if you clicked your profile icon on the Start menu and chose “Change account settings”, it would not open account settings

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

[Other]

• This update addresses an issue that might stop your system from resuming from hibernate. This occurs after you turn on BitLocker.
• This update addresses an issue that affects exe. It leaks memory. This occurs during a Local Security Authority (Domain Policy) Remote Protocol (LSARPC) call.
• This update addresses an issue that affects exe. It stops responding. This occurs after you install the April 2024 security updates on Windows servers.

Known issues

[General]

• We are investigating an issue where Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work after installing this update.
• We’re investigating an issue where Settings is crashing when trying to look at Wi-Fi properties.

[Start menu]

• The “Most used” section at the top of the Start menu All apps list is showing even though the setting for it under Settings > Personalization > Start and “Show most used apps” is toggled off.

[Settings]

• Attempting to install an optional feature via Settings > System > Option features may crash Settings. Should you need to install an optional feature, please do so before taking the update to Build 22635.3720.

[Widgets]
Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who have the new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars may see the following known issues:

• Swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• Unpinning Widgets from the taskbar may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• The Widgets board is incorrectly positioned when Copilot is in side-by-side mode.

Snipping Tool Update

We are rolling out an update for Snipping Tool (version 11.2405.31.0 and newer) to Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels that introduces automatic save for screen recordings. This feature works the same as automatic save for screenshots. Your recordings will automatically be saved to Screen Recordings folder (inside your Videos folder). You can choose to turn this off in Snipping Tool settings.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Snipping Tool.

Microsoft Store Update

Windows Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels running version 22405.xxxx.x of the Microsoft Store and higher will see the following improvement rolling out:

Fast, safe checkout with Microsoft Wallet: Make quick and easy purchases in Store using Microsoft Wallet. Not only can you earn Microsoft Rewards points in the Store, but you can also easily redeem your points for a gift card during checkout to apply towards your purchase. Wallet is fast, safe, and easy to use!

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.