Miscellaneous Windows Insider Program Updates

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New updates for Snipping Tool and Phone Link begin rolling out to Windows Insiders

Roll out of updates to Snipping Tool to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels to improve the overall capture experience on Windows 11 beginning today. Also, beginning to roll out is an update to Phone Link to all Window Insiders that introduces notification prompting to open capture in Snipping Tool for markup.

Text Actions with Snipping Tool
With this update to Snipping Tool (version 11.2308.33.0), we are introducing Text Actions, which detects text in your captured screenshots, making it easy to copy text from any image to share with others or paste in another app. To get started, click the Text Actions button in the toolbar to show selectable text before selecting and copying text with your mouse. You can also click the Copy all text button in the toolbar or use Ctrl + A and Ctrl + C to select and copy all text using your keyboard.

With Text Actions, you can also redact sensitive information in screenshots before sharing. Select Quick Redact from the toolbar to automatically hide emails and phone numbers or select any text and select Redact Text from the right-click menu to hide the text.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Snipping Tool.

Remote capture with Phone Link
We are also beginning to gradually roll out a new feature for Phone Link (version 1.23082.123.0 or greater on PC) that introduces the ability to effortlessly access and edit your most recent photos from your Android mobile device in Snipping Tool on your PC. Say goodbye to missed opportunities as you'll receive instant notifications on your PC whenever a new photo is captured on your Android device, provided both devices are connected via Phone Link.

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Paint app update adding support for layers and transparency begins rolling out to Windows Insiders

Update for the Paint app to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels (version 11.2308.18.0 or higher). This update introduces support for layers and transparency.

You can now add, remove, and manage layers on the canvas to create richer and more complex digital art. With layers, you can stack shapes, text, and other image elements on top of each other. To get started, click on the new Layers button in the toolbar, which will open a panel on the side of the canvas. This is where you can add new layers to the canvas. Try changing the order of layers in this panel to see how the order of stacked image elements on the canvas changes. You can also show or hide and duplicate individual layers or merge layers together.

We are adding support for transparency as well, including the ability to open and save transparent PNGs! When working with a single layer, you will notice a checkerboard pattern on the canvas indicating the portions of the image that are transparent. Erasing any content from the canvas now truly erases the content instead of painting the area white. When working with multiple layers, if you erase content on one layer, you will reveal the content in layers underneath.

When you combine layers, transparency, and other tools in Paint, you can create exciting new images and artwork! For example, when combined with the new background removal feature, you can quickly create interesting layered compositions.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Paint.

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Paint app update introducing Paint Cocreator begins rolling out to Windows Insiders

The update is going to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels (version 11.2309.20.0 or higher). Introduced With this update is Paint Cocreator, a new AI-powered experience powered by DALL-E that helps you create amazing artwork in Paint by describing in a few words what you'd like to create. You can optionally select an art style, and when you click Create, Paint Cocreator will generate three variations of artwork for you to choose from. Select any of them to add to the canvas to start creating!

We will be rolling out access slowly at first, so when you get the update, you must first join the waitlist by signing in with your Microsoft account and clicking on the new Cocreator button in the toolbar. You will get an email notification when you are in the preview, and we will give you 50 credits to get started. Each credit lets you generate a new set of images.

Microsoft is committed to responsible AI practices. When you use Paint Cocreator, we apply content filtering and have other safeguards in place to prevent the generation of images that may be harmful, offensive, or inappropriate, and we are continuing to optimize how Paint Cocreator works based on real-world usage and feedback. Paint Cocreator is available in preview to users in English in the following regions: United States, France, UK, Australia, Canada, Italy, and Germany. You can learn more about Paint Cocreator here.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Paint.

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Windows Photos gets background remove and replace, along with other improvements

This update includes more background edit capabilities as well as improvements and fixes. Examples of the edit capabilities are in the blog post. To get these new features, update your Photos app to version number 2023.11110.8002.0 or higher. This update is rolling out to Windows Insiders across all channels.

Background Remove and Replace
In our last update, we launched a new background blur feature. Now we're introducing the ability to easily remove the background in your photo or replace it with a different color. With a single click, you can remove the background and save the resulting image or copy it to the clipboard.

Another option is to replace the selected background with a solid color. Use the color picker to select the right hue, either by clicking on the palette, entering a hex color code, or setting the RGB values.

Filmstrip
The Filmstrip of thumbnails at the bottom of each photo was designed to enable a quick preview of other photos in the same folder and allow you to easily select multiple photos for comparison and review. Based on your feedback, we have redesigned the Filmstrip experience:

• By default, Filmstrip is turned off when opening a photo.
• To turn on Filmstrip, press the "F" key or click on the icon in the bottom left corner.
• To enable the best viewing experience and improve usability, we have moved Filmstrip below the photo, enlarged the thumbnails, and added a larger scrollbar at the bottom so it's easier to navigate and select the photo you're looking for.

Timeline Scrollbar
We have added the Timeline Scrollbar to all folders and made it dynamic based on time range of your photo collection, so you can locate the photo you're looking for with ease.

Share Individual Photos with OneDrive
We've also added the ability to share a photo that is backed up on OneDrive. Simply right click an image and select Share, Using OneDrive. You'll be able to send the link via email, or copy it to clipboard.

Other fixes and improvements

• Based on community feedback, we've made it easier than ever to print your photos by bringing the Print button to the top command bar when viewing a single image, as well as offering 7:5 aspect ratio in the Resize tool.
• Various performance and stability updates to improve the Slideshow feature, navigation between tabs, and opening images.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Photos.

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Spellcheck in Notepad begins rolling out to Windows Insiders

Notepad (version 11.2402.18.0)

With this update, Notepad will now highlight misspelled words and provide suggestions so that you can easily identify and correct mistakes. We are also introducing autocorrect which seamlessly fixes common typing mistakes as you type.

Getting started with spellcheck in Notepad is easy as misspelled words are automatically underlined in red. To fix a spelling mistake, click, tap, or use the keyboard shortcut Shift + F10 on the misspelled word to see suggested spellings. Selecting a suggestion immediately updates the word. You can also choose to ignore words in a single document or add them to the dictionary, so they are not flagged as a mistake again. Spellcheck in Notepad supports multiple languages.

This feature is enabled by default for some file types but is off by default in log files and other file types typically associated with coding. You can toggle this setting on or off globally or for certain file types in Notepad app settings or temporarily for the current file in the context menu. We've organized the settings page as well to make it easier to find and adjust Notepad app settings.

[We are beginning to roll out spellcheck in Notepad, so it may not be available to all Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.]

FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Notepad.

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Paint update begins rolling out to Windows Insiders

UPDATE 3/21: The update for Paint that introduces a new size slider for pencil, brushes, and eraser tools has begun rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels.

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Windows Photos begins previewing a Windows App SDK version to Windows Insiders

Preview version of the Photos app built with the Windows App SDK (WASDK) beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels on Windows 11. This change moves Photos to the latest Windows app development platform, with modern UI and other quality and performance improvements.

All the current Photos app features and functionality is still present in this version. However, given the extensive changes, this version may be a little rough around the edges as we continue to polish the experience. To get this experience, Windows Insiders on Windows 11 in the Canary and Dev channels can update the Photos app to version number 2024.11040.1002.0.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Photos.

To learn more about Windows App SDK, please visit: Build desktop Windows apps with the Windows App SDK – Windows apps | Microsoft Learn.

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via X/Twitter at https://twitter.com/SergioPedri/status/1775637317778341954:

We just started rolling out a new version of the #MicrosoftStore to #WindowsInsiders featuring some major performance improvements. The splash screen can now be entirely skipped in most cases and launching the app feels a lot faster! Try it out and let us know what you think!

[Corrine]

UPDATE 4/9: The below update for Notepad (version 11.2402.22.0) that introduces spellcheck has begun rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels.

See the above post, Spellcheck in Notepad begins rolling out to Windows Insiders, for details.