dev channel

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider builds are shipping a new, full-screen renewal prompt aimed at lapsed Microsoft 365 subscriptions — an eye-catching SCOOBE (Second‑Chance Out‑of‑Box Experience) screen that insiders and early reports describe as a full‑screen nag to renew rather than a...

Microsoft is quietly turning three of Windows 11’s oldest, most familiar utilities — Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad — into more capable, workflow-focused apps by adding an editable project format, in-capture markup, and on-device AI features for Copilot+ hardware, with the changes rolling out...

Microsoft is bringing a major workflow improvement to the Snipping Tool: a new “Quick markup” mode that lets you annotate screenshots before they're captured, plus simultaneous updates to Paint and Notepad that push these long-neglected utilities toward more advanced, productivity-focused use...

Microsoft is quietly rolling out another round of practical — and strategically significant — updates to three of Windows 11’s oldest built‑in utilities: Notepad, Paint, and Snipping Tool. Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels can already try a mix of incremental UX improvements and larger...

Microsoft’s latest Paint update reframes the long‑running app as a serious low‑friction image editor by adding an editable project file format and per‑tool opacity controls — features that put Paint squarely in the conversation as a free, entry‑level alternative to Photoshop for everyday tasks...

Microsoft is rolling out a fresh set of updates to three of Windows 11’s most ubiquitous utilities—Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad—to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels, delivering both small UX wins and consequential AI features that shift how everyday creation and capture...

Microsoft has started pushing a fresh wave of updates to three of Windows 11’s most familiar built‑in apps — Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad — to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels, and the changes are both practical and strategic: Paint gains a proper editable project format and...

Windows 11 now surfaces a one‑click path to a network speed test directly from the taskbar — but for now it’s a shortcut to Bing’s web tool (which itself delegates to Speedtest by Ookla), and it’s only available to Windows Insiders in preview channels. Background Microsoft has quietly started...

Windows 11 Insiders on the Dev Channel are getting a small but significant usability upgrade: Dev build 26220.6682 introduces a new three‑state behavior for the Xbox (Guide) button on connected controllers — a quick tap opens the Xbox Game Bar, a long press now brings up Task View, and a...

Microsoft has quietly added a one‑click way to check your internet connection from the Windows 11 taskbar: a new “Perform speed test” shortcut in the network menu and Wi‑Fi quick settings that launches Bing’s speed‑test widget in your default browser, giving users a fast, discoverable sanity...

Microsoft’s latest Insider preview quietly repurposes the Xbox/Guide button into a three‑state system control: a short tap still summons the Game Bar, a long press now opens Task View, and a sustained hold continues to power the controller off — a small UX tweak that signals a deliberate push to...

Windows 11’s latest Insider flight borrows a small but decisive interaction from the emerging generation of Windows-powered handhelds: a long press of the Xbox/Guide button on a controller now opens Task View, while a short tap still summons the Game Bar and a sustained hold continues to power...

Microsoft has tucked a one‑click internet speed check into the Windows 11 taskbar — but for now it’s a launcher that opens Bing’s web speed‑test widget rather than a native, in‑OS measurement tool. Background / Overview Windows 11’s network menu just got a new convenience: a Perform speed test /...

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 preview build sharpens Copilot’s presence in daily workflows with new taskbar animations, drag‑and‑drop content handling, and deeper on‑device AI integration — a set of changes that promise faster, more contextual assistance while accelerating Microsoft’s push to...

Microsoft has quietly added a one‑click internet speed test launcher to Windows 11 Insider preview builds, placing a “Perform speed test” / “Test internet speed” control directly in the Taskbar’s network menu and Wi‑Fi quick settings — but the button is a launcher that opens Bing’s web...

Microsoft is quietly testing a one-click network speed test shortcut in the Windows 11 system tray that launches Bing’s speed‑test widget in the default browser, putting a simple “Perform speed test” entry directly where users already go to check connectivity. Background Windows has long relied...

Microsoft is quietly turning the Xbox button on controllers into a native Windows multitasking tool: in the latest Windows 11 Insider builds Microsoft maps a short press of the Xbox button to open the Game Bar, a long press to open Task View (the system-level app switcher and virtual desktop...

Microsoft is quietly rolling out a one‑click pathway to check your internet connection from the Windows 11 taskbar: a new system tray shortcut that opens a network speed test in your default browser, currently visible in Insider preview builds. Background Microsoft has long leaned on lightweight...

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider preview builds quietly add a one‑click internet speed‑test shortcut to the taskbar network flyout — but the shortcut simply opens Bing’s web‑based speed test rather than running a native, offline measurement — and the same builds also include a subtle but...

Microsoft is quietly remapping the Xbox controller’s central Guide/Xbox button on Windows 11 so a short press still opens the Game Bar, a long press opens Task View, and a sustained press continues to power the controller off—an apparently small change that has outsized implications for...