Microsoft Releases New Build of Windows 11 to the Dev Channel
- Paul Thurrott
- Aug 06, 2021
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Windows Insiders in the Dev channel have a new build of Windows 11 to test. It adds several small changes, but not the one major feature we’re all waiting for (Android app compatibility). Instead, we continue to get a steady drip of tiny changes.
The new build is 22000.120. This is the fifth official build of Windows 11 that we’ve received since the public launch in late June. None of the changes is particularly important and most can be correctly described as basic fit and finish work. For example:
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Microsoft Store improvements. The Spotlight area at the top of the Home view will now scroll automatically through all of the promoted content. The product detail page for games has been updated to display more images and information. And the Rating and review dialog has been updated.
File Explorer improvements. The File Explorer context (“right-click”) menu has been updated to be more compact for “mouse users” (e.g. the entire planet, or those not using Windows 11 in its new touch experience). Also, the New button in the File Explorer command bar now displays as a single, non-nested dropdown menu instead of a nested list.
Chat notification badges. The Chat (with Microsoft Teams) button on the default taskbar layout will now display notification badges. Well, at least for some people: In another disappointing example of A/B testing, “not everyone will see it right away at first” for some reason.
There are also numerous fixes, which isn’t surprising, though the sheer number of fixes this late in the game—Microsoft will “finalize” Windows 11 this month—is alarming. But these, too, can often be described as fit and finish work. My favorite change: When you configure the Calendar flyout to be expanded or collapsed, Windows 11 will actually remember the setting; it didn’t before.
The list of known issues is likewise alarming. There’s still a lot to fix.