Major Windows 11 feature update
Brings Bing Chat to the Taskbar, tablet mode improvements, and much more.
Microsoft has unveiled the first big Windows 11 feature drop for 2023, which brings with it a handful of new features and changes that are designed to enhance the Windows 11 user experience. The update is available via Windows Update now and will roll out to all users as part of the March 2023 security update on March 14.
Microsoft touts several new features as part of this release, including an optimised Taskbar for tablets and 2-in-1 devices, an updated Teams Chat interface, full-screen Widgets, tabs in Notepad, and screen recording in Snipping Tool, among many other additions. The company has also announced Phone Link for iOS, which will roll out later in the year but is available in preview for Windows Insiders now.
Microsoft is also highlighting a new search box interface on the Taskbar, which ties in with Microsoft’s recent Bing Chat AI launch. The search box can now display the Bing Chat icon, and the Search panel now features the new Bing with the ability to launch into a chat session with suggested chat prompts quickly.
For business customers with PCs managed by Active Directory, the Start menu is being updated with AI that will better surface files and content that it thinks might be most relevant to the user. There’s also the new Cloud PC app, which lets businesses create PCs in the cloud for employees to connect to.
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new in this second feature drop for Windows 11:
• Bing Chat in Windows Search
• New search bar options for the Taskbar
• Touch-optimized Taskbar for tablets and 2-in-1 devices
• Modernised Taskbar system tray overflow menu
• Phone Link for iOS (preview)
• Tabs in Notepad
• Screen recording in Snipping Tool
• Search in Task Manager
• Energy recommendations in Settings
• Voice access improvements
• Redesigned Quick Assist app
• Full-screen Widgets panel with third-party widget support
• AI powered file recommendations in Start for AAD joined devices
• Windows Studio Effects in Quick Settings
All users will automatically get these new features as part of the March 2023 security update rolling out on March 14.