Image: Microsoft
When Windows 11 launched last year, it was a radical update. It quite literally changed the face of the decades-old operating system with a new central taskbar and updated UI elements. But it wasn’t quite finished: Its dark mode was lacking, the taskbar was frustrating, and the new Start menu left a lot to be desired. The first major Windows 11 update (2022) is here to patch up some of those shortcomings.
This is an update with a lot of fixes (both functional and UI elements), and some great new features. If you’re already running Windows 11, this one’s easy to recommend. Go to Settings > Windows Update to start the process. While you wait, check out everything that’s new.
Snap layouts leave everything else behind
Windows has always been great at window management, and Windows 11's new Snap layouts feature was a nice update. You hover over the Maximize button to see an array of different window pairings you can instantly divide your screen into.
Now the Snap layouts feature is easier than ever to use. Drag any window to the top of the screen, and you’ll see these presets. Drag it over to a window pairing, let it go, and it’ll snap into place. It’s incredibly intuitive. In addition, there are also keyboard shortcuts for snapping windows into different positions.
Folders come to the Start menu
The new Start menu is starting to head in the right direction, with the ability to create folders and pin them freely. Drag apps on top of each other to create a folder, and keep them wherever you’d like. The pinned apps area is also larger now.
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Drag and drop in the taskbar (finally)
One of the biggest Windows 11 criticisms concerned the taskbar design. While you still can’t move it anywhere on the screen, some of the old taskbar features are coming through. Drag and drop finally works, so you can drag files or tabs and move them across different apps and windows using the taskbar icons (like you could in Windows 10). The time and date also show up on multiple monitors, so hurray for that.
New touch screen gestures make 2-in-1s more useful
Owners of 2-in-1 Windows laptops will really love this update: You can now swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see the taskbar and the running apps. Swiping up from the bottom-right corner now brings up Quick Settings.
There are new gaming updates
The new update also has some quality-of-life improvements for gamers. There’s a new Xbox controller bar at the top that makes it easy to navigate between games using the controller. Microsoft has also added support for Auto HDR and variable refresh rate for windowed games. Previously, these features were only available when playing in full screen. Latency for older games running in windowed mode in DirectX 10 and 11 has also been improved.
Smart App Control brings new security features
Every app you download from Microsoft Store is vetted by Windows 11. But what about apps you download from a random website? They could contain viruses or malware, especially as bad actors improve their stealth. The new Smart App Control feature uses new AI models to prevent malware from being installed on your PC. Business owners and admins will get an option to turn it on or off, or to only have it in Evaluation mode.
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen is also a big privacy player here. The feature will alert you when you enter your credentials into a known malicious website, so you don’t accidentally share your personal details with scammers.
Task Manager finally gets the Windows 11 treatment
Task Manager was a common eyesore in Windows 11, since it still used the older Windows 10 styling. Microsoft finally updated it with Windows 11's Fluent design, making it feel more at home with other native apps like File Explorer. What’s better, it has a new dark mode, too.
System-wide live captions
Live captions in Windows 11 were already quite good. While they were limited to media before, they now work throughout the entire OS. Press Windows + Control + L and live captions will activate for any audio that’s playing. There’s also a Microphone option, which converts anything being said in the room to live text on the screen. All this processing happens on-device, which means nothing is sent to Microsoft’s servers.
And many more features
With the 2022 update, Microsoft continues its push of adding new first-party apps. This time, they are adding a new Sound Recorder app, ClipChamp for easy video editing, and a new Family Safety app.
File Explorer sees some small, noteworthy changes. The Home section is renamed Quick Access—but the group on the right panel where you can pin files and folders, also called Quick Access, still remains. Folder previews, with the little thumbnails in folder icons, make a comeback. And you can now open the longer, original context menu using a Control + Right click shortcut.
This new update makes your PC more environmentally friendly, too. Windows will now attempt to reduce your carbon footprint by scheduling updates when lower-carbon energy sources are being used on the energy grid.
Finally, there are some new features that are making their way in October, including bringing tabs to File Explorer, an overhaul of the Photos app, suggested actions when copying, Taskbar overflow menu, and the ability to share to more devices.
[The Verge, Microsoft]
