Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Windows 11 brings back another highly requested Taskbar feature

Zak Islam
By

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.”

Related

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Zak Islam
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…
The Windows 11 Android app dream is dead
A photo of the TikTok app running on a Windows 11 laptop

Microsoft first brought over the option to run Android apps natively in Windows 11 in 2021, but the dream is coming to an end after just a few years. Today, the company quietly updated its documentation for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) to indicate that it will be ending support for the feature on March 5, 2025. Amazon has also published updated guidance for the same issue about its Amazon App Store on Windows 11, which powers the WSA.

What's causing this change is unknown, as Microsoft did not dive into specific details. Left to speculate, we can assume it's due to either lack of use or licensing issues, but until we hear more, it's left ambiguous.

Read more
Microsoft may fix the most frustrating thing about Windows updates
Windows 11 updates are moving to once a year.

Most Windows users will agree that one of the most annoying things about the operating system is the updates. While Windows Updates are necessary, they often tend to come up at the worst possible time, interrupting work and gaming sessions with persistent reminders that the system needs to reboot. Microsoft might be fixing that problem in the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 build, but it's still too early to bid farewell to those ill-timed reboots.

As spotted in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26058, Microsoft is testing "hot patching" for some Windows 11 updates. Hot patching refers to a dynamic method of updating that often doesn't change the software version and may not even need a restart. In the context of Windows 11, it's pretty straightforward -- Windows will install the update, and you won't have to reboot your system.

Read more
A new Windows 11 hardware system requirement may be incoming
A man sits, using a laptop running the Windows 11 operating system.

Microsoft appears to finally be putting its foot down on how far back it's willing to go when it comes to supporting older hardware. As of the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 build, Microsoft will require that your processor supports the POPCNT instruction. If you're wondering what that is and whether this will affect you, you're not alone.

This new addition was spotted by Bob Pony on X (formerly Twitter). According to the user, if the CPU doesn't support the POPCNT instruction or it's disabled, Windows won't work at all. Multiple system files now require this instruction, starting with the Windows 11 kernel. Long story short -- no POPCNT, no Windows 11 24H2.

Read more