14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft keeps experimenting with various changes in Windows 11, and the most recent preview build shipped to the Dev channel is specifically focused on Start menu and widgets refinements.
The Redmond-based software giant says that users will start seeing badging on their profile icons in the Start menu whenever there’s action requiring them attention.
The Start menu is therefore playing a more important role in the overall Windows experience, making it possible for users to be up-to-date with the actions that need to be taken before shutting down to rebooting their devices.
“We are trying out a small change to the Start menu where some Insiders will see badging on their user profile notifying them that certain actions need to be taken,” Microsoft says.
When it comes to widgets, Microsoft says it’s trying a new approach that has the header being moved to other locations. New icons are also being used as part of this experiment.
“We’re trying out some different positions of the header with new icons for the Widgets board to learn how to best optimize the Widgets board for our users. By using monoline icons, our goal is to bring consistent, clean, and accessible icons to communicate action and features with simple visuals for users,” the company explains.
And last but not least, the latest Windows 11 preview build includes voice typing refinements that make it possible to sync settings across all devices where the same Microsoft account is being used to log in.
“We are rolling out a change to sync voice typing settings, Automatic punctuation and Voice typing launcher, across all devices signed in using the same Microsoft account. You can toggle this feature via Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences > Accessibility. This currently only works with Microsoft accounts today with AAD support coming later,” Microsoft explains.