Microsoft has unveiled two new Windows 11 preview builds aimed at Insiders on the Canary and Release Preview Channels, each packed with innovative features designed to enhance user experience.
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The Canary build 27881 introduces several noteworthy features:
- Speech recap in Narrator: Users can now monitor what Narrator has spoken, follow along with live transcriptions, and easily copy the last spoken strings.
- Profanity filter setting for voice typing: This feature allows users to disable the profanity filter, enabling voice typing to include profanity without masking it with asterisks.
- Needy state pill UI for taskbar icons: The pill indicator for apps requiring attention has been redesigned to be wider and more noticeable.
- Accessibility flyout in quick settings: Assistive technologies are now categorized by vision, hearing, motor, and mobility, facilitating easier navigation.
- Windows Share improvements: Users can now edit and enhance images directly from the Windows Share window, with the added ability to share content through the context menu in File Explorer or on the desktop.
- New FAQs section in Settings: This section on the ‘About’ settings page addresses common questions regarding the system and Windows 11.
- Touch Input: The touch visual design has been updated, described by the Windows Insider team as “animating bubbles” when dragging a finger across the screen.
For those looking to perform a clean install, ISOs for the Windows 11 Canary build 27881 are available for download on Microsoft’s website. Additionally, all Insiders on the Canary and Dev Channel can access an updated Snipping Tool that now includes GIF export for screen recordings.
Moving to the Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.4482 for Insiders on the Release Preview Channel, this build offers early access to features slated for the upcoming June optional update and July Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 version 24H2. Key features include:
- Taskbar icons: A new option allows the taskbar to automatically resize icons to accommodate more apps when space is limited. The pill indicator has also been enhanced for better visibility, alongside added text descriptions for assistive technologies in Quick Settings.
- Windows Share: Links or web content shared via Windows Share will now display a visual preview. The image editing feature also introduces three compression levels: High, Medium, or Low Quality.
- Screen Curtain in Narrator: This privacy-centric feature blacks out the screen while Narrator reads content aloud.
- Settings homepage on managed PCs: The homepage now features cards tailored for enterprise use, including “Recommended settings” and “Bluetooth devices.”
- App defaults in the EEA: The default behavior of the “Set Default” button for selecting a new default browser in Settings has been updated. Additional file and link types will now be associated with the new default browser, which will also be pinned to the Taskbar and Start menu unless opted out.
- New PC-to-PC migration experience: This feature facilitates the transfer of files and settings from an old PC to a new one during setup. Currently, only the landing and pairing pages are available in the Windows Backup app, with the full experience expected in a future update.
Lastly, Microsoft has also released the Windows 11 23H2 Build 22631.5548, a minor update for Release Preview Insiders still utilizing the 23H2 version. This update addresses issues found in the previously released build 22631.5545 from June 12. For Windows 10 Insiders, build 19045.6033 is now available, rectifying issues from build 19045.6029 released on the same date.
