Windows 11’s Next “Moment” Update is Reportedly Coming in Early 2023

It’s been a little more than a year since Microsoft released Windows 11, and despite Microsoft moving to an annual release cycle for big Windows updates, the company has started releasing new features “when they’re ready.” We’ve had a recent example with File Explorer Tabs, which started rolling out to all Windows 11 users a little more than a month after the initial release of Windows 11 version 22H2 in September.

According to Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, Microsoft is expected to continue to spread out the rollout of new Windows 11 features in 2023 with different “Moment” updates released throughout the year. And the first of these upcoming updates may come as soon as February/March 2023.

According to Bowden, this next “Moment” update will bring some Taskbar changes that Microsoft is currently testing with Windows Insiders, such as the tablet-optimized taskbar, a redesigned Search button, Studio Effects in Quick settings, as well as changes to the System Tray overflow menu.

Other new features that may come with this early 2023 update for Windows 11 include energy recommendations in Settings, a full-screen Widgets board, and Search in Task Manager. Voice Access enhancements may also be part of this update.

The report says that this first “Moment” update for 2023 should be followed by a second one in May/June, though details are still unclear at the moment. “I have heard that Microsoft is working on delivering preliminary improvements for foldable PCs, for both single-screen and dual-screen form factors,” Bowden wrote.

As for Windows 11 version 23H2, which is expected to be released in Fall 2023, Bowden believes that it may not be packed with new features. “It will be delivered just like a Moment update, and not like a full new release of Windows like the 22H2 feature update was,” the report says.

The new “Windows as a Service” era has probably made it harder to keep up with new Windows updates, especially when Microsoft quietly introduces new changes such as the new OneDrive app that made its debut earlier this month. Anyway, the Windows Insider Dev Channel will remain the place where Microsoft experiments with new Windows features, even though Microsoft continuing to do A/B testing may still frustrate early adopters.