For all the Windows enthusiasts out there, Microsoft is set to drop its Windows 11 “Moment 3” update tomorrow. The company has been testing out these features with Windows Insiders for some time now, and it’s finally ready to start rolling out the update to users via the May 24 optional preview update for Windows 11 22H2.
This is the second feature drop that Microsoft is making this year, it made the first feature drop this year back in February. The update featured tons of new features as well as quality-of-life improvements such as the injection of AI capabilities to the OS which saw Bing Chat make its way to the Taskbar’s search box, Phone Link support for iOS, and more.
Before debuting these Moment feature updates, users had to wait for the annual Windows feature update to take place in the fall. These updates are essentially designed to help deliver ‘continuous innovation’ to Windows 11 users throughout the lifecycle of the product.
Microsoft has already made a slew of announcements during its annual developer conference earlier today highlighting major changes coming to the Windows ecosystem, and while we’ve already covered the features part of the Moment 3 update in a separate post, here are some of the key features that you can look out for tomorrow:
Key features in the Windows 11 “Moment 3” feature update
First up, the Taskbar in Windows 11 is getting major upgrades and will now ship with a copy button which will let users instantly copy authentication codes once they pop up in the notifications. Microsoft will also be refreshing the look of icons in the Taskbar by animating them.
Next up, Task Manager will also feature kernel memory dump which is designed to help users identify and troubleshoot issues impacting the performance of their device while it is still running.
Additionally, users will also be able to download Windows updates instantly. Microsoft is incorporating a new toggle button in Windows Update that will let you download these updates immediately after they are available. You’ll no longer have to wait for the monthly Patch Tuesday updates.
The update is also expanding the Live Captions feature in Windows 11 accessibility to more users. Once this update ships, the feature will be available to ten additional languages across 21 regions.
It’s also worth noting that Microsoft is changing the Print key’s function. After an eternity of using it to quickly grab screenshots, it’ll now launch the Snipping Tool which also ships with a screen recording feature. However, you can revert back to the previous arrangement via the Settings app.
And finally, the Widget board in Windows 11 is getting a new design where the widgets will now be categorized in their own column on the left side. Users will also have the capability to rearrange them vertically. Microsoft will also be enhancing the pinning experience for widgets such that it will now be easier for users to pin installed widgets on the board.
Of course, we only hit some of the key features, be sure to refer back to our detailed post for more information regarding the new features that are part of the Moment 3 update. The company is living up to its promise and delivering on the big plans it indicated it had for Windows 11 this year.
Ultimately, these features are designed to enhance the user experience and promote productivity. The update should be available for everyone to download during next month’s Patch Tuesday update. Be sure to also catch up with everything that was announced today at Build 2023 as Microsoft gears up to debut Windows 11 version 23H2 later this year.