.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
Windows Insiders are getting a slew of new features for Windows 11 today, as Microsoft is rolling out new builds across Canary, Dev, and Beta channels of the Insider program. The bulk of the news applies to the Dev channel, but there's something for everyone here, including a new widget for the Facebook app.
A new Facebook widget
Slowly, but surely, the ecosystem of Windows 11 widgets has been growing, and Facebook is now rolling out a new widget for its primary app. Facebook was one of the first to support the platform with a widget for the Messenger app, but the new Facebook widget lets you see all your notifications from the social network, like comments, new posts, and invites, without having to open the app.
The Facebook widget is available in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels, and you'll need to make sure you have the latest version of the Facebook app for it to work.
File Explorer gets a more useful Details pane
Exclusively for Insiders enrolled in the Dev channel, with build 23451, Microsoft is now testing a modernized Details pane that shows more information about a file, including suggested files that may be related to it, or even an email conversation where the file was included or mentioned. This new pane was reported on a few weeks ago, and it's finally starting to become available.
On top of suggested files and other content, this new pane also includes an activity history for the file and an easy share button. Plus, it has a modern look that fits in with the rest of Windows 11, making the experience a bit more cohesive.
Only some Insiders in the Dev channel will see this experience for now.
Windows Spotlight improvements
Also in the Dev channel, Microsoft is making some changes to the way Windows Spotlight looks, with a couple of treatments being tested. One will include a richer UI that shows more information about the picture being shown, related pictures, and both a minimized and full-screen experience. Both options will also include 4K portrait images, which should improve the image quality of Windows Spotlight backgrounds on high-resolution monitors.
Which treatment you'll see is random, so you may notice a bigger difference depending on what you get.
Other changes
Windows 11 build 23451 includes a handful of other improvements for Windows Insiders in the Dev channel. For one thing, the new widget picker experience, previously available only in the Canary channel, is now available. This update also adds animated widget icons, which were available in other channels before. Start menu account notification badging is now rolling out more widely, and Microsoft is also trying out a new experience to show more relevant content in the Recommended section of the Start menu. With this update, you may see website suggestions based on your browsing history.
On the topic of accessibility, Microsoft has improved the way Narrator works with Excel, so it reads content in a more efficient way. Meanwhile, support fort live captions has expanded to more countries and dialects.
The Canary channel also has some interesting news in that the new audio mixer should now be available to everyone with build 25357.
Fixes and improvements in Windows 11 build 23451 (Dev)
If you're in the Dev channel, Windows 11 build 23451 also includes the following fixes and improvements:
As for those in the Beta channel, Windows 11 build 22624.1690 (and 22621.1690) include the following fixes and improvements:
As per usual, Canary builds don't come with a detailed changelog. If you're enrolled in any of these channels, you can grab these updates now by heading into the Settings app and checking for updates. They'll also be installed automatically sooner or later.