For Windows 11, Microsoft enhanced Windows 10’s Your Phone app, renaming it Phone Link. Microsoft has also updated the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE) with the ability for advanced users to set the user folder name during the initial setup. As a result of this change, on the “Sign-in options” page, you’ll now find a new “Enhanced sign-in security” option to set up external fingerprint sensors with this technology.
Windows Share with pin option
To find out the differences, read our Windows 11 Home vs. Windows 11 Pro comparison. The company no longer directly sells Windows 10 licenses in its online shop. The new OS is an option for all PCs that meet the requirements (more on that in a moment), and new computers ship with it preloaded.
Microsoft adds new features in what it calls “continuous innovation.” In other words, in addition to an annual big update, you get new features and changes throughout the year at no additional cost. Lately, the biggest changes in Windows have come exclusively to Copilot+ PCs, which are now available in both long-battery-life Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs and those from Intel and AMD. These NPU-equipped devices get new AI-powered features like Click to Do, Cocreator image creation in the Paint app, Recall, semantic search in OS components, and Super Resolution in the Photos app. As always, not every experiment will make it to general release, but these previews give us a clear look at the priorities shaping Windows 11’s future. If you’re testing the builds, keep an eye out for feedback opportunities — your input could help decide which of these features stick around when the update rolls out to everyone.
Much of the work on the initial Windows 11 release went toward redesigning the interface rather than building wholly new features, so the OS is https://p1nup.in/ more familiar than you might expect. It borrows ideas from ChromeOS, though you can still place app icons on the desktop background, which Google’s lightweight desktop OS doesn’t allow. With lightning-fast search results in a refreshed design, the new streamlined search experience makes finding apps, files and settings faster and easier, with results appearing and updating instantly as you type. One of the more irksome things about Windows 10 is the inconsistent settings of windows and dialogs.
- The search function started life in Windows 11 as a mere button, but it can once again display as a real entry box that you type in.
- The OS also adds APIs for programming assistive apps, and even the Windows Subsystem for Linux now has accessibility options.
- Copilot+ PCs get more buttons here for exclusive features like Live Captions, Recall, and Studio Effects.
- Windows is committed to being the best, most secure platform for agentic experiences.
Games & Quizzes
Microsoft has also noted that its Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) feature now supports external fingerprint sensors on Windows 11. From Start menu tweaks to AI tools, Microsoft is packing plenty into this update. Manus is a general AI agent that can take on various tasks on your PC. With the new Manus AI action in File Explorer, you can get help with complex tasks like creating a website using the documents in your local folder with just one click. Simply select the document, right click and select “create website with Manus,” and Manus will build a website for you in just minutes – no uploading, no coding.
The 24H2 update introduced new three-finger swipe gestures to show the Task View and to minimize (but not close) an app on the desktop. You can use the Task View button in the taskbar, but it’s not as immediate as a swipe of the thumb. I’d argue that switching tasks is more important to tablet users than accessing Widgets, which is what swiping your left thumb in from the edge now accomplishes.
The big day has arrived, and whether you like it or not, you need to take action! October 14, 2025, is when support for Windows 10 will end, unless you purchase an Extended Security Update (ESU), of course.
Setting up a wireless display is another option for separating computing tasks, and Windows 11 doesn’t make that process too difficult. Windows 11 ushers in the age of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the desktop. Copilot, the company’s new AI system, assists with many tasks, from summarizing documents to writing cover letters to creating unique images. Microsoft has even added a Copilot key on the PC keyboard and markets a new line of AI Windows PCs under the Copilot+ banner.
- Windowing and multitasking remain more advanced in Windows than in its competitors.
- Inside the search box, this update will now show more results, depending on the query.
- Whether you need a hand sorting through your recent vacation photos or need to extract info from a PDF, Copilot Actions can do the heavy lifting for you based on the context of what’s on your PC.
- Each of the 12 group winners will secure their place, with the four remaining berths to be decided in the play-offs, involving the 12 pool runners-up and four best-ranked UEFA Nations League section winners.
- Windows 11 greatly benefits from a radically modernized, more consistent design and Microsoft’s Copilot AI tool, making the desktop operating system a leader in usability and innovation.
For all PCs, the 2024 update of Windows 11, also known as version 24H2 (2024 second half), reengineers much of the underlying kernel code for better performance and security. You get to Windows’ Snap Layout feature by hovering the cursor over the maximize button at the top right of any window. When you hover over the maximize button, you see a choice of layouts—two windows side-by-side, three with one large and two small, and so on, as shown above. The layout thumbnails even show you the app icons of running apps to help you choose where to place them. For decades, the Windows Start button lived in the lower-left-hand corner. Getting used to it being in the center instead could be one of the bigger adjustments you need to make in Windows 11.
Start Menu and Taskbar
Since its initial release, early adopters of Copilot Vision have inspired us with their creative use cases, from troubleshooting settings, to getting step by step guidance, and even learning complex editing tools. Today, we’re taking an exciting step forward with a new wave of updates that make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC – with Copilot at the center of it all. We are making the most powerful AI more accessible by integrating it into the Windows experiences people are already using every day.
Windows Search
The panel includes Cast (for external displays and audio), Nearby Sharing (like AirDrop for PCs), Night Light, and Project. Copilot+ PCs get more buttons here for exclusive features like Live Captions, Recall, and Studio Effects. You can still hover over each of the three icons in the taskbar to see their status, but I prefer to have just sound settings pop up when I press the speaker and just Wi-Fi options when I press the Wi-Fi icon. I wasn’t crazy about the new taskbar in Windows 11’s initial release, but subsequent updates have rectified my issues with it.
Of special note is the updated Clock app, which has a way to help you complete tasks. Its Focus Sessions feature integrates with Spotify to give you appropriate background music for your tasks. It also works with the To-Do app, so you can check off those tasks upon completion. Snap Layouts appear as options in the taskbar, so you can either open a group of apps or a single app. You also see layouts preserved when you open a group of apps on an external monitor multiple times. Snap Layouts also works on touch tablets, but using it isn’t particularly intuitive.
Go to the official Windows 11 page and in the Download Windows 11 Disk Image section, select Windows 11 (multi-edition for x64 device) from the dropdown menu. Download and install a copy of Rufus, a tool to write bootable USB sticks. For this, you will need a copy of the Windows 11 ISO image and a spare 8GB USB flash drive.
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Simply type in the Manus app, “Please use the image files on my device and generate a great professional looking website”. Currently at the third and final round stage, Suriname, Jamaica and Honduras top their respective groups, but there is plenty to play for in the three groups of four teams, with two games remaining. As for new gaming technology, Windows 11 introduces Auto HDR and DirectStorage. The first expands the color space to reveal superior clarity even with non-HDR game titles.
The neural processing units, which power AI, will become very prevalent in computers, as evidenced by nearly every PC at the 2024 Computex trade show. Microsoft has also released Windows 11 build in the Canary Channel, introducing a new “Position of on-screen indicators” setting. This setting allows you to adjust the position of hardware indicators, such as volume and brightness, on the screen. Finally, as a result of this new layout, the “Start” page no longer includes the layouts setting, and it introduces a new option to show all the pins app by default. Also, the “All” section now displays apps grouped by category, with the option to switch views.
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Our hardware team ran benchmark tests for gaming and productivity performance on the same PC with Windows 10 and then again after upgrading to Windows 11. The team found that Windows 11 performs just as well or even better in terms of frame rates and has a slight edge in the productivity tests. In any case, you can still speed up Windows 11 with a few tricks if you notice it getting sluggish.
However, the software giant notes that this change is rolling out really slowly, and it can take a few releases before it’s available to every Insider. Although the Administrator Protection isn’t a new feature through the Windows Insider Program, it’s worth pointing out that the feature is yet again available through the Windows Security app. Soon, you can instantly schedule a Zoom meeting by invoking Click to Do and simply hovering over an email address visible on your screen—no app switching, no copying details, no interruptions. We’re also introducing another new AI action in File Explorer to edit with Filmora, allowing you to jump right into video editing easily and seamlessly. We’re excited to introduce even more ways to get things done easier with new AI actions in Windows.