Windows 11 preview build 25217 rolls out with support for third-party widgets

What you need to know

• A new Windows 11 Insider build is out for those in the Dev Channel.
• It features support for third-party widgets in the Widgets panel.
• There are a number of minor fixes to test as well.

Microsoft has rolled out a new Windows 11 preview build for Insiders in the Dev Channel, which features support for building third-party widgets that can be added to the Windows 11 Widgets panel. Developers can use the WinAppSDK 1.2 to build and test widgets using this build.

The build in question is 25217, and also includes a handful of other minor improvements. There's a new cloud-based text suggestion feature for Simplified Chinese IME users, and a number of other under the hood improvements to test.

Microsoft is also testing a new video calling experience in the Teams Chat flyout with a small group of Insiders. Now, when you open it, you will see a preview of your webcam at the very top, with a list of recent conversations below it. The Microsoft Store is also being updated with the ability to clearly list when a game is available on PC or Xbox Game Pass.

Build 25217 changelog

• Developers with packaged Win32 apps will be able to create and test 3rd party widgets locally if their machine is running in Developer Mode under Settings > Privacy & security > For developers. Developers will also need to be on the latest Insider Preview build from the Dev Channel to get the necessary update for the Widgets Board (version 521.20060.1205.0 or higher). For more information on widgets including pre-requisites please see Widget Design Docs and Widget Dev Docs.
• 3rd party widgets can only be tested locally on the latest Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel for this preview release. Once WinAppSDK 1.2 GA is out, users on released versions of Windows 11 can begin acquiring 3rd party widgets via the Microsoft Store for shipped versions of their app.
• Support for 3rd party PWA widgets will also be coming as part of a future Microsoft Edge release.
• We are trying out some changes that will allow you to easily type fresh, hot, and popular words in Simplified Chinese. The changes include an improved cloud suggestion and integrated search suggestion. The cloud suggestion adds the most relevant word from Bing to the IME candidate window. We’ve updated the back-end logic so that we can provide better, fresh suggestions.
• We began rolling out the new Tamil Anjal keyboard for the Tamil language with Build 25179 and starting today, it is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. To add it, make sure Tamil (Singapore), Tamil (Malaysia), Tamil (Sri Lanka), or Tamil (India) is listed under Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, and then click the “…” next to the language, select Language Options, and add Tamil Anjal (QWERTY) to the list of keyboards.
• We have disabled the new touch keyboard setting that first began rolling out to Windows Insiders in Build 25188 for now. We hope to bring this feature back in the future after further refinement of the design. As we’ve mentioned previously, features we try out in the Dev or Beta Channels may not always ship.
• We fixed the issue causing the taskbar to sometimes collapse when it should be expanded if there are no running windows on the desktop.
• We fixed an issue that would occur when using the left or right edge gestures resulting in the Widgets or Notification Center (respectively) to overlap with or look truncated by the taskbar.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the tablet-optimized taskbar to crash explorer.exe while switching apps.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the tablet-optimized taskbar to crash explorer.exe if you entered the overflow flyout.
• Fixed an issue where the close button for window preview thumbnails in Task View was drawing slightly outside the bounds of the thumbnail.
• Fixed an issue where when switching between windows in recent builds you might see the entire window flash black for a frame while rendering.
• Fixed an issue causing Miracast video quality to be very slow and stuttering in recent flights despite having a solid internet connection.
• Fixed an issue so that Quick Settings items can now be rearranged with touch again.
• Fixed an issue under Network and Internet > Advanced Network Settings, where certain networks were displaying the wrong link speed.
• Fixed an issue where remote desktop on ARM64 PCs was unexpectedly not using UDP and only TCP.
• When you open Chat from the taskbar, the focus will be on you with a preview of your own video, and the various ways you can connect with your people. It is now easier than ever to immediately start a video call with those who are using Microsoft Teams for personal use. For those who are not on Teams, not a problem- you can easily share a call link with anyone via SMS or email and get the conversation going directly within Chat.
• While finding games in the Store, we now clearly show when they are “available with Game Pass” as well as the current available price. On the detail page of such a game, we updated the button design and added a new section to let you know what is included in the subscription.