Microsoft has just released a new Windows 11 test build in the Release Preview channel, the final stage of testing for preview builds, and this is an exciting - or depressing, in some respects - look at what will eventually be the 24H2 update for the OS.
As you’re likely aware, 24H2 will be the next major update for Windows 11, and possibly the last version of the operating system before the next-gen incarnation arrives (whether that’s Windows 12, or something else entirely).
Microsoft has published the usual release notes on this new build, which is version 26100.1297 for the Windows 11 24H2 preview. Microsoft clarifies that not all the features will be delivered to all testers straight away - some will, but others will be rolled out gradually. So, if you’re a tester in the Release Preview channel, you’ll have to be patient and wait for some functionality to arrive over time.
Let’s dive into some highlights of the documented changes - for the full list, check out Microsoft’s blog post - all the while bearing in mind that these are features we expect will be part of the 24H2 update later this year. (Although that’s not guaranteed, as Microsoft could still drop things, even at this relatively late stage of development).
Changes aplenty from Settings to the Start menu
To kick off, the Settings app is getting a number of changes, including an Xbox Game Pass ‘recommendation card’ on the home page which has been in the works for a while and hasn’t been met very positively. It’s also getting a dedicated ‘Linked devices’ page - to manage any linked hardware with, such as your Xbox, for example - and the ability to add a recovery email address for your Microsoft Account straight from the Settings app.
Windows Share is being revised to prevent accidentally closing its window (by clicking anywhere outside of it), and additional capabilities are being thrown into the mix, such as being able to swiftly generate and share a QR code for a web link.
Windows Backup is also getting beefed up, and will now back up the sound settings of your PC (including the sound scheme). Task Manager is also benefiting from some tweaks to make it more reliable, as well as numerous accessibility improvements (such as bringing in Tab key navigation).
File Explorer has finally been graced with its long-awaited drag-and-drop functionality for the address bar, and the Windows 11 lock screen is getting new widgets. Currently, there’s just a weather widget, but you’ll now get sports, traffic, and finance widgets as part of this update. Sadly, you can’t pick and choose from the new widgets separately - you get them all, or none of them (though Microsoft is working on changing that, we’ve been promised in the past).
Windows 11’s Start menu has also been the subject of some controversy for similar reasons to the Settings app, recently seeing the addition of more of Microsoft’s ‘recommendations’ (which are regarded as ads by some). In this preview build, it’s getting a new account manager that will show you the benefits of your Microsoft Account (or rather, remind you of what you’re lacking, and that you should subscribe to various Microsoft products), as well as allowing you to manage account settings. As we’ve seen before, apparently this account manager feature will obscure a part of the Start menu that offers shortcuts to actions such as signing out of, or locking, your PC.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the new take on 24H2 adds the PC Manager app to Windows 11 PCs in China - so, will this come to other regions eventually? It’s a PC file and storage management tool with performance tuning abilities, but it has been a vehicle for more Microsoft adverts in the past - even hilariously suggesting one viable system 'repair' was to change your default search engine back to Bing.
A rough ride in store for Microsoft?
If a lot of these features and changes sound familiar to you, that’s because most of them have already been aired and tested previously in earlier preview channels. (Canary, Dev, and Beta all come before the Release Preview channel, which is the final stage of testing before the finished version is deployed).
There’s good and bad here, certainly. However, Microsoft might be in for a particularly rough ride when people see that there are a few ad-related features apparently marching on through to 24H2 - which is on course for release later this year (though perhaps not quite as early as we thought) - as many people are already frustrated with Microsoft’s continued, persistent, jamming in of adverts in key parts of Windows 11.
Frankly, I think there’ll have to be some serious improvements with performance and features elsewhere to help Windows 11 users look past Microsoft’s continued badgering with adverts. Microsoft seems pretty confident that it has enough goodwill with its customers, or maybe that its adverts won’t be especially bothersome or distracting, but I’m curious to see how the features delivered in this update will be received - and the reception the additional ‘recommendations’ will get in particular.
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