Microsoft Releases Windows 11 Version 22H2 on the Release Preview Channel

Microsoft has just announced that Windows 11 version 22H2, the next major update for Windows 11 is now available for commercial devices in the Release Preview channel. The update is also available for any Windows Insider in the Release Preview Channel who manually check for updates in Windows Update.

Microsoft chose the Windows 11 build 22621 as the final 22H2 build, and it will keep receiving new servicing updates until Windows 11 version 22H2 is ready to roll out to the general public. There’s no release date yet for Windows 11 version 22H2, but it should become available for non-Insiders later this fall.

Curiously, today’s blog post from the Windows Insider team didn’t mention what’s new in Windows 11 version 22H2, but here are the main highlights:

File Explorer changes: The app is getting a new Home view, a new “pinned files” section in the Quick Access area, as well as a better OneDrive integration.

App Folders in Start Menu: The pinned section of the Start Menu now allow users to create app folders.

Taskbar improvements: The Windows 11 Taskbar is getting drag and drop support, a feature that was curiously removed in the original version of Windows 11.

Redesigned Task Manager: The app has received a fresh coat of paint and now has a left sidebar for navigation.

System-wide Live Captions: This new accessibility feature will be able to create live captions for any audio content that’s being played on Windows 11.

Windows Spotlight: The feature that automatically refreshes your lock screen wallpaper is now available on the desktop as well.

That’s just a short list of the new features coming in Windows 11 version 22H2, and we’ll take a closer look at the biggest changes very soon. If you want to do a clean install, Microsoft also released ISOs for the Windows 11 build 22621 and you can download them on the company’s website.