On Tuesday, Microsoft launched Windows Insider Build 22557 for the Dev Channel, a large replace that mounted a number of issues customers didn’t like about Windows 11 whereas introducing new experiences, apps, and options to check out.
The new construct provides folders again to the Start menu, together with folder preview photos to File Explorer, and re-introduces drag-and-drop performance to the neutered Windows 11 taskbar — all criticisms levied on the authentic launch of Windows 11. According to a Microsoft blog post, the brand new construct additionally provides reside captions for recorded video, provides new contact gestures, tweaks Snap performance, Sleep settings, and applies the Windows 11 UI to Task Manager, as effectively.
Since the discharge rolled out contained in the Windows 11 Dev Channel as a part of the Insider preview program, there’s no assure that that the brand new options will migrate to the secure Windows 11 channel utilized by the overwhelming majority of individuals. However, given Microsoft’s pledge to deliver “continuous innovation” in addition to the mechanisms to do so, it might be that you simply’ll see these new enhancements before later.
Given our preliminary criticisms of Windows 11 that we expressed in our Windows 11 review, it’s price taking a look at what Build 22557 fixes earlier than shifting on to what it provides when it comes to new options. We’ll additionally embody an inventory of “tweaks,” or changes, about smaller modifications that the brand new construct makes. Those are much less vital, and we’ve left them for the top.
What Build 22557 fixes in Windows 11
Start folders: You can now create your individual folders inside the Start menu! That function was included with Windows 10, however had been faraway from Windows 11. Now you’ll have the ability to create small teams of associated apps inside Windows 11’s Start menu. For now, you possibly can’t rename these “folders,” however you’ll have the ability to in future builds, Microsoft guarantees.
Taskbar drag-and-drop: A small, vocal group complained bitterly concerning the lack of drag-and-drop taskbar performance inside Windows 11, which has now been mounted. In Windows 10, you possibly can drag a picture file to the taskbar, drop it on a pinned app (like Photos) and the file will open inside that app. That performance has been restored, in addition to the power to tug an app from the Start menu to the Taskbar, which routinely pins it.
Folder preview: File Explorer will now present previews of the objects saved inside a folder, resembling a folder filled with pictures. That, too, had been lacking in Windows 11 however is a function of Windows 10.
New additions to Windows 11 in Build 22557
Live captions: Closed captions are a helpful function for nearly anybody, even these with excellent listening to; they supply customers a well mannered strategy to watch a video with out distracting others. For folks with difficulties listening to, in fact, they’re much more obligatory. Captioned content material seems on just about all streaming providers, together with Netflix and YouTube, amongst others. In Build 22557, Windows itself generates the captions, auto-generating them on any content material with audio.
That implies that the captions could be auto-generated with nearly any content material, even movies saved in your Videos folder. The captions will seem on the highest or backside of the display screen, or in a floating window. Unfortunately, they solely help U.S. English for now.
Windows HDR Calibration and different modifications: A Windows HDR Calibration app will arrive on Windows PCs quickly. Microsoft can be tweaking the show refresh price on laptops with 120Hz shows, just like the Surface Laptop Studio. When you progress the cursor (and never simply the pen!) Microsoft will kick the show price to 120Hz to clean scrolling.
Optimizations for windowed video games: If you open a sport in full-screen mode, options like AutoHDR and variable refresh price (VRR) routinely activate. Now Microsoft is making use of those self same options to windowed video games and “borderless” video games.
An up to date Task Manager and effectivity mode: Task Manager has been up to date to evolve with Windows 11’s design ideas, persevering with the regular transition from apps that appear to be Windows 10 to ones that look extra like what Microsoft is providing in Windows 11.
Within the Task Manager you’ll have the ability to right-click on a course of and apply a brand new Efficiency Mode to a selected course of thread. You most likely received’t want to do that regularly, however the Efficiency (previously Eco) mode management is there to rein in a course of that seems to you to be taking on extra sources than it must. If you possibly can’t do it, it’s most likely an indication that Windows believes that it’s a core Windows course of and also you shouldn’t mess with it.
New contact gestures: Support for Windows tablets has been improved, with gestures that embody new methods to invoke the Start menu (a one-finger swipe up from the center of the taskbar) and a strategy to transfer between the pinned apps and the “All apps” menu inside begin (a one-finger swipe proper or left, relying on the context). Notifications could be triggered by swiping in from the appropriate.
Windows may also be dragged to the highest of the display screen (on this case, both with a mouse or with a finger). In this context, doing so will open up the Snap Layouts menu, the place you’ll have the ability to drop the window in on prime of the format, and use Snap Assist to rearrange the opposite home windows. Incidentally, Microsoft additionally tweaked the Snap window animation, and adjusted the Snap multitasking possibility as a part of the System > Multitasking menu inside Settings.
Email shared information: Normally, if you wish to share an area file, you both drag it to an electronic mail program, share a hyperlink to the file, or so on. Now you possibly can simply share the file by electronic mail by right-clicking on it and compose an electronic mail message proper from the file itself. You’ll want to put in a particular app, Outlook Desktop Integration, by way of the Microsoft Store to take action nevertheless.
Tweaks and modifications to Windows 11 in Build 22557
Offline setup simply went away: One of the “quirks” of Windows 11 is that it a.) requires an Internet connection and b.) Windows 11 Home requires a Microsoft account. Now, Windows 11 Pro will as effectively. Well, form of. “Similar to Windows 11 Home edition, Windows 11 Pro edition now requires internet connectivity,” Microsoft says. “If you choose to setup device for personal use, MSA will be required for setup as well. You can expect Microsoft Account to be required in subsequent WIP flights.”
In different phrases, it seems that you’ll have the ability to arrange a piece PC and be part of it to a piece or schooling area. But if you’d like a “personal” PC, it is going to be Microsoft account or bust. Since Windows Insider entry requires a Microsoft account, that’s no large deal. But it’s additionally an indication that each one Windows 10 Pro PCs could require a Microsoft account too.
Shifts to Focus: Microsoft tweaked Focus Assist inside Windows 11, tying it to the Clock app. Microsoft initially known as this Focus Sessions, and now simply Focus. Either manner, if you happen to activate Focus by way of the Clock app, Do Not Disturb could be turned on as effectively. Do Not Disturb may also be set (Settings > System > Notifications) to activate routinely at given occasions. Otherwise, turning on Focus can launch a Spotify playlist, open a timer, and disable taskbar badging and flashing purposes inside the taskbar as effectively.
Stuck cursors: If you’ve gotten a number of shows, does your cursor generally get “caught” or caught shifting between them? If it does, Microsoft recommends you go to the System > Display > Multiple shows > Ease cursor motion between shows submenu inside the Windows 11 Settings menu to unstick it.
Pinned information: Although most-recently used information are basically pinned to the Start menu’s “recommended” part, now you can manually pin them inside File Explorer, too. They’ll seem under the Folders within the Quick Access menu. If you’ve gotten a Microsoft 365 account, you possibly can pin information from there, too. Incidentally, now you can see the quantity of area left in your OneDrive cloud folder by hovering over it.
Sleep settings: Microsoft has additionally tweaked the Sleep and Screen off settings, in order that seems your gadget will now modify itself to attenuate vitality consumption. (It’s not fairly clear what’s occurring right here.)
Narrator tweaks: When navigating the online, you possibly can have Narrator learn the present merchandise (e.g., present web page, present time and so on.) and when you’ll want to kind a desk on the internet, Narrator will announce the type order you’ve chosen (e.g., ascending, descending), Microsoft stated. It will even present extra details about the textual content you’re including to or enhancing. Narrator additionally added a brand new voice, known as “Guy.”
Visual modifications to the taskbar and Quick Settings: You’ll see barely revamped icons for when your PC is charging, and whenever you’re casting your display screen to a different show. You can now add a Quick Setting to regulate your PC’s visible mode, such because the Surface Laptop Studio’s “vivid” mode. Finally, whenever you’re sharing your display screen in Teams, you’ll see a visible spotlight across the taskbar app that’s being shared.
Faster search: Searching for apps and settings inside the Search field shouldn’t simply really feel sooner, it must be sooner, Microsoft says.
Voice typing and voice entry: When “typing” by way of voice, profanity will now be hidden by way of a filter possibility, and the dictation will routinely add punctuation. But it’s also possible to “manually” add instructions like ““Press Enter”” by simply saying so.
New kaomoji: UwU and others have been added.
Other tweaks: A Windows pill just like the Surface Pro 8 ought to rotate the show between panorama and portrait mode extra shortly than earlier than, Microsoft says.
As PCWorld’s senior editor, Mark focuses on Microsoft information and chip know-how, amongst different beats. He has previously written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.