Microsoft is poised to unveil a fresh array of features for Windows 11, continuing its commitment to “continuous innovation” aimed at enhancing user experiences. As the company prepares for the next feature drop, testing is already underway, with a broad rollout anticipated on July 8, coinciding with the upcoming Patch Tuesday updates.
Key Enhancements in the Upcoming Update
The forthcoming update promises several noteworthy improvements:
- Taskbar Enhancements: The Taskbar will now feature dynamically resizing icons that adjust when space is limited, catering to users with smaller screens. Additionally, the indicator pill beneath open applications has been widened for better visibility.
- Sharing Made Easier: Users will benefit from a visual preview when sharing links or web content via the Windows share window, along with an option to select a compression level—High, Medium, or Low Quality—when editing and sharing images.
- [PC Migration] A new PC-to-PC migration experience is being rolled out, allowing users to transfer files and settings seamlessly during the setup of a new device. Initial glimpses of this feature can be found in the Windows Backup app, with full functionality expected in a future update.
- [File Explorer] Performance improvements have been made for extracting archive files, particularly benefiting users who frequently copy large quantities of files from extensive 7z or .rar archives.
- Privacy Features: The Screen Curtain feature in Narrator enhances privacy by blacking out the screen while content is read aloud, ideal for use in public or shared environments. Users can activate this feature with simple keyboard shortcuts.
- Enhanced Narrator Experience: Narrator now offers an easier way to discover and learn about its features through guided prompts and steps, accommodating both new users and those exploring advanced options.
- Voice Access Improvements: Voice access now supports navigation and dictation in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, along with the ability to add custom words to the dictionary across all supported languages.
- Enterprise-Focused Settings: The Settings homepage for PCs managed by IT administrators will now feature tailored cards for enterprise use, including options for recommended settings and device information.
- Region Settings: Users will now see the selected country or region during device setup reflected under Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region.
These features are currently available for testing through the Windows Insider Release Preview Channel. For those preferring to wait, the general availability of these enhancements is set for July 8. Additionally, users who have enabled the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle in Windows Update may start experiencing these new features as part of a non-security preview update towards the end of June.
