pinned apps

Winsage
May 7, 2025
Microsoft announced significant upgrades for Windows 11, including enhancements to the Start menu, Copilot AI, and utilities like Paint and the Snipping Tool. The Start menu will become larger, more customizable, and user-friendly, allowing users to view all apps at once, hide recommended shortcuts, and increase the size of the pinned apps panel. A "phone companion" feature will be integrated into the Start menu. These changes are expected to roll out to the Windows Insider channel within the next month. File Explorer will introduce AI actions for document summarization and image editing directly from the right-click menu. Notepad will gain AI text generation and summarization features, along with lightweight formatting options like bold, italic, lists, and Markdown support. Copilot Vision will allow users to interact with AI regarding on-screen content. Some features will debut on Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon chipsets, including an AI agent in Settings to assist users with adjustments and the Click to Do feature for scheduling meetings and launching Immersive Reader mode. The Photos app will introduce a relight feature for dynamic lighting control. Paint will gain capabilities for creating custom stickers from text prompts and an AI-powered object select tool. The Snipping Tool will receive enhancements like intelligent screenshot cropping, text extraction, and a color picker. The Narrator on Copilot+ PCs will be upgraded to provide rich descriptions of images.
Winsage
April 26, 2025
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.5305 (KB5055636) has been released to the Beta Channel for users on Windows 11, version 23H2. This update is the last for the Beta Channel based on version 23H2, as all Insiders will soon transition to version 24H2, which is currently available as an optional upgrade in the Beta Channel. New features include a profanity filter setting for voice typing that allows users to manage profanity masking. Administrators can now allow users to unpin specific pinned apps on the taskbar using a new PinGeneration option. Fixes include resolving a crash issue in File Explorer when using touch, fixing a problem with the Windows Spotlight flyout, addressing a character insertion issue in password fields when using the touch keyboard, and correcting a display issue in the Settings app. A known issue involves some Insiders experiencing a bug with Xbox Controllers via Bluetooth, which can be resolved by uninstalling a specific driver in Device Manager. Updates for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will continue based on version 23H2 through an enablement package, and features may be gradually rolled out using Controlled Feature Rollout technology. Features may evolve or be removed based on feedback.
Winsage
April 11, 2025
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3863 (KB5055613) has been released to the Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. This update includes new features such as natural language search functionality in the Windows search box for Copilot+ PCs, allowing users to find settings easily. Additionally, the Narrator feature has been enhanced to provide detailed descriptions of images for accessibility. Other updates include improvements to widgets, fixes for issues in Settings, File Explorer, Taskbar, Desktop Icons, Input, and Graphics. Known issues include non-functionality of Quick Assist for non-administrator users and problems with the Windows Recovery Environment. Users can provide feedback through the Feedback Hub.
Winsage
April 8, 2025
Microsoft is enhancing the user experience of Windows 11 with a redesigned Start menu that is larger and more customizable. A Windows leaker, phantomofearth, shared a video on Bluesky showcasing the new design, which allows users to disable the recommended feed of files and applications. The updated Start menu features a spacious layout with a scrollable page, where the 'All' list is positioned below recommendations that can now be turned off. The pinned list is limited to two rows but can be expanded. Microsoft is testing this revamped Start menu in the 24H2 builds of Windows 11 and has backported the feature to the 23H2 versions, indicating a near-future rollout for all users. The new design aims to address user frustrations by consolidating elements into a single page and enhancing the “All apps” view for easier access, allowing applications to be displayed in categorized or list formats and accommodating up to eight pinned apps per row.
Winsage
April 8, 2025
Microsoft has introduced an updated Start menu for Windows 11 in an Insider preview build, addressing user concerns since its 2021 release. The new design allows users to pin up to eight apps per row, compared to the previous limitation of three rows, and enables users to hide the Recommended feed. The All Apps list is now located at the bottom of the menu for immediate visibility and easy scrolling. Additionally, users can toggle the Phone Link panel on and off with a button press. These changes aim to attract Windows 10 users considering a transition to Windows 11.
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