What you need to know
- Microsoft will bring new improvements to Windows 11 next month.
- Improvements include updates to Taskbar, in-box apps, and Android support (in preview.)
- No word yet on what day these updates will begin rolling out.
Microsoft has today announced that it plans to begin shipping a handful of new updates and experiences for Windows 11 customers next month, including improvements to the Taskbar, new Notepad and Media Player experiences, and even a public preview of Windows 11's Android app support feature. All of these improvements are already available to test in the Insider Program Dev Channel, meaning next month these features will become generally available for all users runnig Windows 11.
The news was unveiled by Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay:
Next month we're bringing new experiences to Windows that include a public preview of how you can use Android apps on Windows 11 through the Microsoft Store and our partnerships with Amazon and Intel, taskbar improvements with call mute and unmute, easier window sharing and bringing weather to the taskbar, plus the introduction of two new redesigned apps, Notepad and Media Player.
This news also confirms that Microsoft is willing to ship new features and improvements on Windows 11 outside of major feature updates. The next major feature update for Windows 11 (known as version 22H2) is currently in development, and isn't expected to ship until the second half of this year. So it's good to see that Microsoft is willing to bring some of those new features to users running the production build of Windows 11 sooner.
So, to recap, here's everything that will be made available on the shipping build of Windows 11 next month:
- A public preview of how you can use Android apps on Windows 11 through the Microsoft Store.
- Taskbar improvements with call mute and unmute.
- Easier window sharing.
- Bringing weather to the taskbar.
- Introducing two new redesigned apps, Notepad and Media Player.
Microsoft hasn't provided a date for when these updates will begin rolling out next month. We'll keep you posted on news regarding availability. In the meantime, Microsoft has also announced that Windows 11 is entering its final phase for rollout, meaning almost everyone who is eligible for the free Windows 11 update has been offered it.
