The next update for Windows 11 is expected to launch on September 20.
News from Tom Warren of The Verge(Opens in a new window)who has an excellent track record on Windows rumors and was one of the first to hint at the initial launch of Windows 11. He attributes the date to “sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans. ” and says the Windows 11 22H2 launch will come via Windows Update a week after the Traditional Monthly Patch on Tuesday.
In fact, the specific date doesn’t matter much to most Windows users, as these feature updates usually take months to roll out to the entire base of hundreds of millions of PCs. Microsoft only releases feature updates for PC configurations that are tested for compatibility, and it takes months to verify that compatibility due to the large number of different hardware and software combinations in the ecosystem. multi-vendor PC status.
What’s in Windows 11 22H2?
(Credit: Microsoft)
Not the whole lot. Big changes happened last year with the initial migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Perhaps the most notable change in 22H2 will be the revamped File Explorer, which finally has matching tabs tabs in macOS’ Finder—although this feature may not be successful until its first release on September 20.
The Start Menu will also have icon folders, and the Taskbar will support drag and drop. New accessibility features will include live captioning for anything that produces speech audio on PCs and better Voice Access control on computers. The Snap layout will see improvements like calling up shortcuts.
New video editing software in the form of a template-based Clipchamp app will also arrive with the 22H2.
Clipchamp video editing app in Windows 11 (Credit: PCMag)
Additional tablet touch gestures are also expected with the update, including a swipe from the taskbar to invoke the Start menu and another to enter the Quick Settings menu. . And gadgets will get more live notifications on sports, finance and breaking news.
Widgets in Windows 11 (Credit: PCMag)
Microsoft’s current major update schedule is set to once a year, but important updates can also come in between these cycles. Take for example the new Media Player app, Paint app, Phone Links, Photos app and Weather icons that have been added to Windows 11 outside of any major updates. Those things might actually mean more to more users than anything in 22H2.
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How to download Windows 11 22H2
If you want to try out the new features right away, you can join the Windows Insider program and install it as a preview build—as an upgrade or as a download via a disk image file. If you can wait until September 20th (or later), you can simply go to the Windows Update section of the Windows Settings menu and press the button Check for updates button. If you still haven’t upgraded your eligible PC to Windows 11, you can also find that here. And if you don’t have a Windows license, you can now purchase a Windows 11-specific license from the Microsoft online store.
What’s the next really big version of Windows?
Microsoft recently suggested in a lifecycle support document that Windows 11 will expire in 2024, leading many analysts to suspect another very large update that we informally call Windows 12. coming soon. The schedule is expected to also include Moments or temporary feature updates that take place up to four times per year.
For more on Microsoft’s latest and greatest desktop OS, visit our Windows 11 page.
Microsoft Windows 11 Preview
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