Skip to main content

Windows 11 brings back another highly requested Taskbar feature

Microsoft has confirmed the weather widget that was initially introduced via Windows 10 will be integrated into Windows 11. A new voice access feature for the operating system has also been added.

The latest Insider preview build for Windows 11, dubbed . 22518, displays live weather content on the left side of the taskbar. Users will also be able to open the widgets board by hovering over the entry point.

Voice access feature for Windows 11.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Another addition to Windows 11’s latest preview build is voice access, which allows users to control several aspects of their PC and author text through voice commands.

Recommended Videos

The new feature lets you open and switch between apps, browse the web, and control the mouse and keyboard. For example, you can click an item like a button or a link by saying “click start” or “click cancel.”Similarly, you’ll be able to open an application by saying “open Edge” or “open Word.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Other elements that can be interacted with through one’s voice include searching and editing text, as well as interacting with overlays. Microsoft provided a full list of commands for voice access, but pointed out that it only supports the English-U.S option in the display language section.

Microsoft has also made it easier for new users to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux through the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft is also introducing the Spotlight collection to Windows 11, which will “keep your desktop fresh and inspiring.” New desktop pictures from around the world will be offered every day, accompanied by various facts pertaining to the picture itself.

Besides Insider preview build 22518, Microsoft recently released a redesigned Notepad. An updated user interface brings changes like rounded corners, but the most exciting inclusion is a dark mode component. The new-look Notepad also addresses a “top community feature request” by adding support for multilevel undo.

There’s currently no timeline for when all these changes will become available for all Windows 11 users, but expect a rollout sometime during 2022. As for the latest preview build that’s been released in the Windows 11 Dev Channel, Microsoft stated that it won’t be offered to ARM64 PCs due to an issue that it’s currently working to fix.

Regarding Microsoft’s plan for Windows 11 in 2022, one area of focus for the company largely revolves around performance, with the tech giant highlighting how improving the responsiveness of the new operating system will be a priority.

Zak Islam
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Zak Islam was a freelance writer at Digital Trends covering the latest news in the technology world, particularly the…
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
Bid farewell to this small but helpful Windows 11 feature
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

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."

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