Windows 11 Insider Beta Channel

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300 (Beta Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Start menu]

• "All apps" is now just "All" on the Start menu. This change began rolling out with Build 22635.4291 earlier this week.
  

[Fonts]

• There is a new simplified Chinese font (Simsun-ExtG) with 9,753 ideographs supporting Unicode Extensions G, H and I. Included is the highly requested character for Biangbiang noodles. This character U+30EDD is said to be the most complicated Chinese character, as you can see in the image below. We are aware that some applications may not be able to display these new extension characters yet.
  
  • Unicode range G 30000-3134A (4,939 chars)
  • Unicode range H 31350-323AF (4,192 chars)
  • Unicode range I 2EBF0-2EE5D (622 chars)

[Security]

• Windows Search runs IFilters in the Less Privileged App Containers (LPAC). LPAC are like app containers, but they deny even more permissions by default. The intent is that a process running in a LPAC has access only to the resources needed by it. This model helps to minimize the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised process by limiting its access to sensitive system components and data.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[General]

• Fixed a high hitting explorer.exe crash impacting Insiders while using your PC in the last few Beta Builds.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue which was causing the items in the navigation pane to become very spread out (with unexpected padding between each item) for some people.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4367 (Beta Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[General]

• This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

[Windows Share]                                               

• We are adding the ability to share directly to apps that support sharing in Windows when right-clicking on local files in File Explorer or the desktop.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Start menu]

• Fixed an issue that was leading to some Insiders potentially seeing unexpected amount of spacing between items in the Start menu all apps list.

[Live captions]

• Fixed an issue causing live captions to crash on launch for some Insiders in the last 2 builds.

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue where if you had multiple windows open for an app on your taskbar, pressing WIN + multiple times wasn't cycling between the windows, for example, pressing WIN + 1.
• Fixed an issue for uncombined taskbar users, where app icons were unexpectedly showing instead of the window's icon next to the window name.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel

• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx).
  
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
  
• For Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
  
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
  
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
  

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4440 (Beta Channel)

New features gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

Modernized Windows Hello
At Microsoft, we are committed to security and enhancing user experiences. As part of this commitment, we launched enhanced passkey features in September 2023 and are now revamping the Windows Hello user experience. This represents a significant update to Windows Hello, aligning it with contemporary Windows visual design standards. The primary focus is on making authentication intuitive and seamless.

Modernized Windows Hello Visual Communication: The updated Windows Hello visuals are designed to facilitate fast and clear communication and appear on the Windows Sign-in screen as well as other authentication flows such as passkey, Microsoft Store and many more.

Revamped Windows Hello credential user experience for passkeys and the new administrator protection experience: We redesigned Windows security credential user experiences for passkey creating a cleaner experience that supports secured and quick authentication. Users will now be able to switch between authentication options and select passkey/devices more intuitively.

This experience will also apply for the new administrator protection feature ccoming to Windows 11, version 24H2 and higher and currently in preview with Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Passwordless experience.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[General]

• This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

[Input]

• We have temporarily disabled the new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 that began rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel with Build 22635.4145]https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2024/08/30/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-22635-4145-beta-channel/]Build 22635.4145 to address some issues. This feature will be roll out again in a future flight.
  

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Input]

• Fixed an underlying issue causing touch keyboard crashes and the IME candidate window to not appear for some Insiders in the previous flight.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4445 (Beta Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[File Explorer] [/B]

• We've added a New Folder option in the context menu when right-clicking locations in the navigation pane.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Taskbar]

• Fixed a few issues impacting explorer.exe reliability in the latest flights related to the taskbar, including an issue impacting some Insiders which could cause explorer.exe to crash sometimes when right clicking apps in the taskbar.
• Fixed an issue on secondary monitors for left aligned taskbar users, where the widgets text in the taskbar might overlap the date and time.

[File Explorer]

• We fixed an issue where the date/time properties of files were unexpectedly updated in some cases after copying them.
• We fixed an issue where the Details Pane icons weren't responding correctly to theme changes, making it hard to see if you switched from dark to light or vice versa.
• We fixed a black flash in File Explorer that appeared when duplicating a tab.
• We made a change to help improve performance of context menu launch and File Explorer navigation.
• We fixed an issue where when you did a search it may unexpectedly trigger the search happening repeatedly.

[Other]

• Fixed an underlying issue which could result in Snipping Tool screenshots being distorted on certain displays.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Beta Channel

[Settings]

• [ADDED] When configuring the Copilot key under Settings > Personalization > Text Input, we have modified the key behavior so that it will minimize the app it launches if that app is already in focus.
  

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4510 (Beta Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• We are rolling out the ability to share files directly from the jump lists on the taskbar, which appears when you right-click on an app with a jump list like Notepad the taskbar.

[Input]

• We are beginning to roll out the new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 again that began rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel with Build 22635.4145.
  

[Narrator]

• We have added new functionalities to Narrator scan mode. Skip past links (N') allows you to navigate to the text after a link. This is most helpful when navigating through long emails, news articles, and wiki pages. Jump to lists (L') allows you to quickly access a list on a web page or a document. To try these new features, you need to turn on Narrator first (Win key + Ctrl + Enter), then turn scan mode ON by pressing Caps Lock + Spacebar and finally use the new shortcuts – 'N' and 'L'. Please note that scan mode is 'ON' by default on most web pages (like news articles, wiki page, etc.).

[Speech in Windows]

• We have improved our speech-to-text and text-to-speech experience on Windows. Users of Narrator, voice access, live captions, live translations, and voice typing might see a message asking them to update their language files manually. The language files will be released separately through Microsoft Store.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Lock screen]

• Fixed an issue where you might unexpectedly see a message saying "You're offline. Widgets are unavailable".

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4515 (Beta Channel)

New features gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle

Ability to seamlessly resume OneDrive files in 1-click from your phone to PC
We are gradually rolling out the ability to seamlessly resume working on OneDrive files from your phone (iOS and Android) on your Windows 11 PC with a single click. With this feature, you will get a notification asking you if you want to pick up where you left off editing a OneDrive file like a Word doc that you last viewed or edited on your phone within a 5-minute time window preceding unlocking your PC.

Upon clicking on this notification, the same file that you were viewing or editing previously on your phone will open in your default browser on your PC.

Here are some important details about how this feature works:

• This feature works only when signing into OneDrive with a Microsoft account. Work and school accounts are not supported. And you need to be using the same Microsoft account signing into OneDrive on your phone and signing into your Windows 11 PC.
• This feature supports Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, OneNote notebooks/pages, and PDFs.
• The OneDrive file must be opened on your phone when your PC is locked. If you then unlock your PC within 5 minutes of accessing the file on your phone, you will receive the resume notification as noted above.
  
• For the best experience using this feature, you should be logged into OneDrive in your default browser on your PC.
• Your PC should be on Build 22635.4515 and higher in the Beta Channel.

This feature can be managed and turned off via Settings > Apps > Resume.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers -> Linked Phone.

Passwordless Improvements

As part of Microsoft's commitment to a passwordless future, on Windows, we are launching API support for third-party passkey providers. Microsoft has been engaging with passkey manager partners on developing this capability. We are committed to bringing a passwordless future to all customers – together with third-party credential providers, we will raise the bar on login security with passkeys for all users on Windows.

WebAuthn Plugin Authenticator APIs

We are releasing updates to WebAuthn APIs to support a plugin authentication model for passkeys. In the coming months, Windows customers will be able to choose a third-party provider as an additional choice alongside the native Windows passkey provider while maintaining the Windows Hello user experience. Messages in WebAuthn flows will be forwarded to the plugin and responses are returned to the WebAuthn client applications. This enables plugins to create and authenticate with passkeys when requested by the customer. This model allows plugins to use Windows Hello as a user verification mechanism to enable a seamless passkey experience. You will notice additional user experience updates to the passkey flows and Settings alongside the new capabilities.

If you are a developer for third-party passkeys, we invite you to integrate with Windows 11 to support customers in their passkey journey. To find out more about implementation detail, go to https://aka.ms/3P-Plugin-API.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Passkey.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Start menu]

• We are rolling out the ability to right-click and share local files under the Recommended section of the Start menu.

[Magnifier]

• We're adding a new keyboard shortcut CTRL + ALT + Minus for Magnifier users to quickly toggle between the current zoom and 1X zoom.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where sometimes you would be unable to navigate by entering a path in the address bar.
• Fixed an issue where the File Explorer address bar was unexpectedly overlapping with content while in full screen (F11) view.
• Improved performance of context menu launch for people when right-clicking on cloud files.
• Made a change to help ensure thumbnails for cloud files are displayed more consistently in search results within File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue which was causing some explorer.exe crashes in the last couple flights, including when trying to create new folders in certain locations.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4580 (Beta Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• The more simplified system tray with shortened form date/time we began rolling out with Build 22635.4010 is being temporarily disabled to address a few issues. Thanks to all the Insiders who gave us feedback on this experience.
  

[File Explorer]

• We're making a change so that when you launch File Explorer folders from outside of File Explorer (for example, from an app or from the desktop), by default they will now open in a new tab if you have an existing File Explorer window open. If you'd prefer that they continue opening in a new window, you can change this in File Explorer folder options, under General > Browse Folders.
• When "Retore previous folder windows at logon" is enabled in File Explorer, we will also now restore all the extra tabs which you previously had open in each File Explorer window. As part of this work, we have also updated the logic for the "Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in" setting via Settings > Accounts > Sign in options, so that when you enable this, we will automatically enable the File Explorer specific setting for you too.
• We're adding a new option to snooze or turn off the "Start backup" reminder in the File Explorer address bar, for those that aren't already backing up their Documents, Pictures, or Desktop folders. This option is available when you right-click "Start backup".

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Input]

• Fixed an issue for Pinyin IME users, where switching between windows (like with ALT + Tab) may unexpectedly switch the IME from Chinese to English.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

[Other]
This update includes fixes for the following issues:

• [Bluetooth LE Audio] Fixed: Some devices, like hearing aids, do not stream Bluetooth audio.
  
• [Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) printer] Fixed: Windows stops responding when you use an IPP USB printer.
  
• [Motherboard replacement] Fixed: Windows does not activate after you replace a motherboard.
  
• [Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA)] Fixed: This update brings profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
  

Microsoft Store Update
For Win32 apps that are "provided and updated" by their publishers, the Microsoft Store will now support updating directly in the Store. Previously, these apps could only be updated outside of the Microsoft Store. Insiders can head to the Downloads page and click Get Updates. If any installed apps of this type have updates, it'll be displayed on the pending list. You can perform the update by clicking the update button; it won't start automatically.

You can also head to the product page and see an update button.

Windows Insiders across all channels running Microsoft Store version 22411.1401.x.x and higher will see this improvement.

Click here to read more about recent updates to the Microsoft Store!

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.