(Credit: Jeffrey Hazelwood/PCMag; Windows)
Microsoft continues to hype major changes to Windows 11 that address some of the biggest complaints about the operating system. These changes will likely arrive on stable Windows 11 builds sometime later this year, perhaps as part of the big annual update (codenamed 26H2) that I expect in the fall. But you don’t have to wait: Many of the fixes and improvements Microsoft is promising are already available in the latest Windows Insider builds via the experimental channel. I’ve been running the latest builds on my PC, and I’ll show you the coolest features Insiders like myself are testing. I’ll keep this article up to date as I get my hands on new Insider features, but bear in mind that things might change or even disappear before they reach stable versions of Windows.
You don't just have to take my word for it either; it's easy to opt into Windows Insider builds and try things out for yourself. I recommend running Insider builds only on a secondary PC, however, since you might experience bugs, crashes, or freezes. The beta channel is more stable than the experimental channel I use, so that's the best place to start if you’re curious about where Windows is going from here.
1. A Taskbar You Can Finally Move
Windows 11’s taskbar is now movable in Insider builds. You can place it on the left, right, or top of your screen. With a vertical taskbar, you can activate taskbar labels for an even wider, sidebar-style experience. It’s especially useful on an ultrawide monitor.
2. A Taskbar You Can Shrink, Too
You can make the Windows taskbar itself smaller in Insider builds. When you activate the Show smaller taskbar buttons option in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, the taskbar itself shrinks, freeing up more screen space for applications. Windows 11 already has an option to show smaller taskbar buttons, but enabling it only makes the buttons smaller.
3. Long-Awaited Windows Update Controls
Windows 11’s current Insider builds give you more control over Windows Update. The release version of Windows lets you pause updates for only 35 days at a time from the Settings app, but current Insider builds let you extend this pause indefinitely. Previous versions of Windows 11 required you to update before you could extend the pause period.
As part of this restrained approach to updates, you also don't have to run Windows Update when you set up a new PC. You can shut down or restart your PC without canceling an update, even if one is in progress. Both changes can save you time.
4. A Widget Board That Doesn’t Harass You
Windows 11’s Widgets board is one of the worst parts of the operating system, delivering noisy viral headlines with an animated taskbar icon. In Insider builds, Windows 11’s Widgets panel no longer shows viral headlines in the default Widgets view, but you can still click the Discover feed to see them. It’s part of a cleanup effort to promote “calm.”
5. Fewer Copilot AI Features Throughout Windows
Microsoft is removing some Copilot AI features entirely and rebranding others. For example, Notepad no longer has a Copilot icon in Insider builds. Instead, it has an AI Writing Tools menu with the same AI features. The Photos app and Snipping Tool also lose their Copilot icons. Microsoft is increasingly distinguishing its Copilot AI chatbot from miscellaneous AI features throughout Windows.
6. More Files Results and Fewer Bing Searches in the Start Menu
Microsoft is testing a change that prioritizes local files on your PC over Bing web results when you search in the Start menu. However, Windows still requires you to modify registry settings if you want to turn off Bing search results in the Start menu entirely.
7. New Touchpad Gestures for Easier Scrolling
Windows 11 is getting new touchpad actions. For example, Insider builds let you scroll up and down by moving a single finger along the edge of your touchpad. Some laptops already include this feature, but now it’s available for all Windows machines. Windows 11 also supports automatic scrolling. If you move your fingers to the edge of your touchpad, pages will continue to scroll.
8. Speech and Vision Accessibility Improvements
Insider Builds of Windows 11 offer new accessibility features, including a Screen tint option that overlays your screen with a customizable color to reduce eye strain. Different people might prefer different colors. The OS also gains a voice isolation feature for Voice Access, which is one of our favorite speech-to-text tools. This will help Voice Access hear your voice in environments with a lot of background noise that would otherwise make it hard to hear.
9. Feature Flags That Let You Easily Test New Tweaks
The Feature flags page in the Insider Program settings section now lets you toggle experimental changes before they’re active by default in Insider builds. Many of the features above are accessible only by toggling feature flags. For example, I was able to move my PC’s taskbar only after activating the Alternate taskbar positions flag. Enabling these features for testing requires just a few clicks, whereas previously it involved a more complicated process involving third-party software, such as ViVeTool.
Get the Lowdown on All the Latest Windows Features
Microsoft says these changes are just the start. In March, Pavan Davuluri, president for Windows and devices, wrote about the company’s “plan to raise the bar on Windows 11 quality this year, with a focus on performance, reliability, and well-crafted experiences.” I’ll continue updating this list as I get access to more experimental features in the latest Windows Insider builds and as others move into full production.
Other recent changes have already arrived in the stable version of Windows 11, including the Low Latency Profile for faster app launches and Xbox Mode for a full-screen gaming experience.