14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will begin the public rollout of Windows 11 on October 5, and as it turns out, some of the apps that come pre-loaded with the operating system would require Internet access on the first launch.
In other words, if you want to run these apps on your device, you first need to complete an initial setup that requires an Internet connection. Afterwards, you should be able to use the apps offline as well.
However, as GHacks notes, there’s a chance Microsoft uses this approach to reduce the footprint on Windows 11 devices, as the apps would be downloaded from the Microsoft Store and therefore only a shortcut would be placed on the device.
This means that the initial launch would come down to the actual installation of first-party apps, therefore helping users save space on their devices.
Of course, this isn’t necessarily good news on computers where a permanent connection isn’t available, but on the other hand, these users can just complete the setup of each first-party app when Internet access exists and then continue to run the apps in offline mode.
Windows 11 just around the corner
The new OS will go live in early October for the first wave of devices, and Microsoft says it plans to complete the rollout by the summer of the next year.
“The free upgrade to Windows 11 starts on October 5 and will be phased and measured with a focus on quality. Following the tremendous learnings from Windows 10, we want to make sure we’re providing you with the best possible experience. That means new eligible devices will be offered the upgrade first,” Microsoft explained in an announcement.
The new OS will show up in Windows Update just like any other regular update.