Windows 11 event: Here are all the new OS features that we spotted
Microsoft’s hybrid work event yesterday spent lots of time talking about Windows 11 features we already know about thanks to the Windows Insider Program, but that doesn’t mean the event was devoid of any new feature announcements. If you paid close attention, there were a handful of new features unveiled that we haven’t seen before, and some features that we have seen but haven’t officially gone into testing yet.
Either way, we thought it’d be a good idea to round up all the new features we noticed get shown or talked about during the event and its three breakout sessions. Microsoft isn’t saying if these features will be ready in time for the next major feature update, known as version 22H2, or if they’ll be coming earlier or later than that. It’s also unclear when these features will show up for Insiders to start testing.
Tabs in File Explorer
Source: Windows Central
Other platforms have had tabs in their respective file explorers for many years, so Microsoft is definitely playing catch up in this area. That said, it’s better late than never. Tabs in File Explorer have already appeared in a couple of Windows Insider builds (albeit unofficially) in a rather unfinished state. Hopefully over the coming months we see this feature build out to become a fully fledged tabbed experience.
Microsoft also demoed an updated “home” experience with a slightly tweaked UI. We already have the updated home layout in the Insider Program, but the tweaked UI design isn’t in public builds yet. It’s subtle, but the version of File Explorer shown at the event looks to be more consistent with the rest of the Windows 11 design language, so hopefully we’re going hear more about this UI update for File Explorer soon.
Context IQ Features
Source: Microsoft
The company did say that it intends to introduce these contextual enhancements in other areas of the OS as well, and we already know that a feature called “Suggested Actions” is in development that will provide quick actions for common tasks such as creating an event in the Calendar app, or adding a contact to your contacts list when highlighting specific types of text and data.
Improved Widgets Panel
Source: Microsoft
We know that Microsoft is planning to open up the Widget Panel to developers at some point, though this was not announced at the event yesterday. Perhaps we’ll see Microsoft talk more about the extensibility of the Widgets Panel at Build 2022, which has just been announced to be taking place on May 24-26. For now, we’re still waiting for a full screen Widgets Panel to arrive.
Video call enhancements
Source: MIcrosoft
Camera and mic effects announced include background blur, auto-framing, noise suppression, voice clarity, and eye contact. Some of these features are already available in your favorite video calling apps, but Microsoft is building these effects into Windows 11 natively, meaning these will work across any app that utilizes your camera, as long as you have a neural processing unit inside your PC.
So far, Microsoft is touting the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s as one of the first devices with a neural processing unit built-in, meaning it supports all of these new camera effects coming soon. These should work in Teams, Slack, or any other app that uses your camera.
Organizational messages
Source: Microsoft
Cloud PC integration
Source: Microsoft
Here are the cloud integration features announced:
- Windows 365 Boot: Allows you to log directly into your Cloud PC and designate it as the primary Windows experience on the device.
- Windows 365 Offline: Allows you to work in Windows 365 even when disconnected, and when internet is restored, your Cloud PC will automatically resync with the service without data loss, so the user experience and workflow is persistent.
- Windows 365 Switch: Gives you the ability to move between your Cloud PC and local desktop just like you would between windows in the Task Switcher, using the same familiar keyboard commands, mouse or a swipe gesture.
- Windows 365 App: Provides another way to get straight to my Cloud PC from the Task Bar or Start menu. All with desktop path to my Cloud PC, providing a personal, customized welcome experience to tailor my settings, profile, and work style.
Microsoft highlighted these experiences as “the future” of the Windows desktop experience for commercial customers, which implies these features aren’t around the corner. Microsoft is committed to delivering them, but it may be some time before they start showing up in the product.
App folders on desktop?
Source: Microsoft
To me, this looks like an app folder, which Windows 11 doesn’t currently support on the desktop. You can create app folders in the Start menu, but not the desktop. Hopefully, this wasn’t just a concept blunder and we actually see this show up as an official feature soon.