Skip to main content

Bid farewell to this small but helpful Windows 11 feature

Windows 11 logo on a laptop.
Microsoft

As Microsoft mentions in a December 12 blog post, Windows 11 users will soon no longer receive future updates for the suggested actions menu. The helpful feature would offer you related actions when you copy items like dates or phone numbers with actions to create an event or make a call.

Microsoft first introduced the feature in a Windows 11 2022 update. It made the suggested actions menu appear and gave contextual information based on the copied data. Microsoft describes the feature as follows: “Suggested actions that appear when you copy a phone number or future date in Windows 11 are deprecated and will be removed in a future Windows 11 update.”

Recommended Videos

The feature’s end of support may be due to the decrease in usage and the upcoming release of the Click To Do features, which offer similar usability. However, it’s important to remember that Click To Do is only for Copilot+ PCs, so those with an older Windows 11 computer are left out of the cool kids’ club.

Microsoft made it clear that the suggested actions menu is not going to be removed but deprecated, meaning it will no longer be supported and might stop working or cause other issues.

Microsoft also included Legacy DRM services, Paint 3D, Adobe Type 1 fonts, DirectAccess, NTLM, and more on its list of deprecated features. Not too long ago, Microsoft said goodbye to the Windows Control Panel in favor of the Settings app. Additionally, the nostalgic WordPad also stopped receiving updates as of September 1, 2024. It makes sense that the apps you have come to love will meet their demise, but time will tell what other features Microsoft will remove or end support for.

Judy Sanhz
Judy Sanhz is a Digital Trends computing writer covering all computing news. Loves all operating systems and devices.
Windows 11 to finally address this webcam deficiency
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x front view showing webcam.

The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build (26120.2702) was released a couple of days ago and it adds a new camera feature that probably should have been added ages ago. Once the build rolls out to all Windows 11 PCs, you'll be able to let multiple apps use your camera at the same time.

Microsoft says the reason it developed this feature is to "enable video streaming to both a sign language interpreter and the end audience at the same time" but users will surely find a range of uses for it.

Read more
Windows 11 may finally take iPhone collaboration to the next level
microsoft testing improvements on iphone to pc sharing connectivity phone link ios setup

Microsoft is now establishing file-sharing support between iPhones and its Windows 11 or Windows 10 PCs. Users will be able to connect the devices with the brand’s Phone Link app and Link to Windows app to enable the function. Currently, the feature is available to Windows Insiders users for testing purposes.

Microsoft has not shared other details about the iPhone to Windows file-sharing feature, just installation instructions. To use this function, you must install the previously released Phone Link for iOS app. Microsoft made the Phone Link for iOS app available last spring enabling iPhone users to receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, view notifications, and access contacts directly on Windows PCs.

Read more
Windows 11 can now run on unsupported systems, but there’s a catch
A laptop sits on a desk with a Windows 11 wallpaper.

Microsoft is now allowing users to update to Windows 11 on older, unsupported hardware, including systems that don’t meet the operating system’s strict hardware requirements.

While the company initially set these requirements — including the need for a TPM 2.0 chip and specific processor models — to ensure performance, reliability, and security, it has now provided a manual installation option for those who want to use Windows 11 on unsupported machines.

Read more