Windows 11 is officially here, and it’s a pretty massive upgrade. While we had already gotten a close look at some of the major changes through a leaked Windows 11 build, there were plenty of things that Microsoft managed to keep under the covers, such as support for Android apps, a revamped File Explorer, brand-new Windows Store, and much more. Besides these major changes, Windows 11 also has several nifty features aimed at improving your video conferencing experience. One such useful feature is a universal mute button.

Muting and unmuting our microphones is a common scenario of virtual meetings. Most video conferencing apps make sure that toggles to turn on and off your microphone and camera are easily accessible. However, if you’re working on multiple apps while attending a call, it can be cumbersome to access these toggles. To address this, Windows 11 has a new universal mute button that cuts off microphone access across all apps with a single click. This button will reside in the bottom right corner in the system tray alongside Wi-Fi, sound, and battery indicators. With the universal mute button, you can mute or unmute yourself from any screen without having to open the video conferencing app.

Microsoft Team app running on Windows 11 witth the universal mute button shown in the bottom right corner

Windows 11 also integrates Microsoft Teams directly into the taskbar, replacing Skype as the flagship video conferencing app. It will also make it easier to share your desktop or an app during a meeting directly from the taskbar.

Here are the CPUs that are compatible with Windows 11

Windows 11 will be available to try out to Windows Insiders starting next week. It will start rolling out to the masses this holiday and will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users. In case you're wondering whether your PC or laptop can run Windows 11, here are the system requirements that you need to meet.


Featured image credit: WSJ