Microsoft’s First Big Update for Windows 11 is Now Available for Insiders

Windows 11 is getting its first big update later this month, and Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview channels can already install it on their PCs. Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer Panos Panay previously detailed the upcoming new features last month, and the Windows Insider team has now followed up without great fanfare yesterday.

One of the most notable changes in Windows 11’s upcoming February update is that Microsoft has added the clock and date to the taskbars of external monitors. This has been a popular request from Windows 11 users since the OS launched in October, and this update will also add a new weather widget to the Windows 11 taskbar.

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After Windows 11 introduced a new Chat app powered by Microsoft Teams, the February update now adds new mute/unmute buttons for Microsoft Teams calls in the taskbar. Another Teams-related taskbar addition in this update makes it possible to quickly share open application windows to a Microsoft Teams call.

Another big new feature in this Windows 11 update is the introduction of Android apps and the Windows Subsystem for Android, but Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview channels have already been able to test that since last month. Last but not least, the update also brings two new redesigned apps, Notepad and Media Player. Microsoft has yet to announce a release date for this Windows 11 update, but it should start rolling out to all users later this month.

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Conversation 4 comments

  • SvenJ

    11 February, 2022 - 10:55 am

    <p>For the life of me, I cannot understand why the new Chat app powered by Microsoft Teams, only (ONLY) supports consumer TEAMS. It is essentially useless on a business device. You can’t even add your Business TEAMS account. What business wants an employee to have their consumer TEAMS login set up. It might actually be useful in a business setting as a quick way to ping a colleague. I can’t believe they might think sticking this in the middle of the taskbar might coax people to try TEAMS for consumer. BTW, when you open TEAMS for consumer, guess what function you don’t have down the left side? Teams.</p>

  • wpcoe

    Premium Member
    11 February, 2022 - 6:40 pm

    <p>My first reaction about MS adding the date/clock to secondary monitors was "Good, I can stop using ElevenClock." However, I find that using ElevenClock is the only way to get Win11 to display a clock with seconds. Is there any hope that this update will also include seconds somewhere within the OS itself?</p>

    • ikjadoon

      14 February, 2022 - 10:52 am

      <p>This removal, and the seeming loss of calendar events in the taskbar, might have Microsoft believers pulling out the excuse of "it’ll get added later; be patient", but it’s just aggravating to be at the whims of Windows’ poor UI designers.</p><p><br></p><p>&gt;<em style="color: rgb(89, 89, 89);">If you created your Microsoft account using an email address that is not from Microsoft, that email address can’t be used to display calendar events.&nbsp;</em></p><p><br></p><p>Ah, great: <strong>that’s</strong> just what I wanted…</p>

  • byroncon

    21 February, 2022 - 6:46 pm

    <p>Foolish me, I’d imagined you’d be able to click on the clock and have it pop up with the calendar and all the other nonsense. Nope, none. They took that request and did the bare minimum. </p>

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