New Windows 11 Features Come to the Release Preview Channel

Microsoft plans to deliver more features to Windows 11 users next month, and now Insiders in the Release Preview can take a look.

“As Panos [Panay, I guess we’re all on a first name basis now] announced a few weeks ago, we have an additional set of experiences coming in October for customers on Windows 11 version 22H2, as part of delivering continuous Windows innovation and value,” the Windows Insider Program Team writes in a new blog post. “We are beginning to roll out some of those new features to Windows Insiders in Release Preview on Windows 11 version 22H2 Build 22621.608 (KB5017389).”

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Those new features include:

File Explorer enhancements. File Explorer is picking up a tabbed user interface, a new Favorites section in the Home view, OneDrive improvements, and, unreported by Microsoft, a new navigation bar layout.

Suggested actions. Microsoft is bringing a very limited set of suggested actions to Windows 11. When you type a future date, a future time, or a phone number, a pop-up will appear with app-related actions for things like creating an event in Calendar or calling that number with Teams.

Redesigned Taskbar overflow. The Taskbar’s overflow area—that part of the system tray in which you can hide tray icons—is being redesigned.

Sharing improvements. You will soon be able to, in Microsoft’s words, “discover and share to more devices, including desktops, using a nearby share.” Nearby sharing is an existing Windows feature that almost no one knows about, so I’m curious what that looks like.

Oh, and no worries about availability: this is the Insider Program, so not all users will see these new features right away. Because it’s not like they’ve been testing all of these features in the other channels for months, so they need to monitor the feedback. Wa-waa-waaah.

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