If you blink, you might just miss Windows 11 becoming a whole new beast all over again.
Windows 11 updates have a reputation: they arrive quietly, but the ripple effects can be anything but subtle. With each new feature drop, Microsoft seems determined to answer our prayers, our texted complaints, and the Twitter rants we thought no one noticed. The 24H2 update (and its close friends) have delivered another basket of goodies. Here’s a hands-on look at five more new features that may not just surprise you—they might leave you wondering how you ever put up with their absence.
Multi-Format Archive Support. You can now create and open 7Zip and TAR files directly, thanks to native support. If you spent your formative years hunting for WinRAR cracks just to open an old homework folder, this is nothing short of life-altering.
Context Menus Reimagined. Quick actions—Copy, Paste, Rename—are obvious, labeled, and finally large enough that you won’t need to squint or click four times by mistake. It’s the little things.
Direct Metadata Access. Curiosity about your PNG files’ insides can now be satisfied without third-party tools. File Explorer lets you view and even edit file metadata, reducing the urge to install something sketchy from “DefinitelyNotAVirus.org.”
Shared Files, Sorted. Ever wondered where that OneDrive-shared sheet ended up? There’s a new tab under ‘Home,’ corralling all your shared files in one place.
Breadcrumbs Make a Comeback. The beloved address bar breadcrumb navigation is back. This means you can drag and drop files from one deep folder to another without opening twenty windows, losing your place, and reconsidering your life choices.
These aren’t just tweaks; they’re the kinds of features that finally make File Explorer feel modern and friendly to both weekend warriors and file-hoarding power users.
Centralized Controls. No more jumping between the ancient Control Panel and the shinier Settings app. Essential power and battery functions—what happens when you press the button, close the lid, or stare at the screen too long—are in one place.
Energy Saver Renaissance. The feature formerly known as Battery Saver has leveled up to “Energy Saver” with proactive suggestions on how to save power or cut emissions. There’s a slick new tray icon to remind you it’s working (or suggest you charge your device before you end up writing the end of your report on your phone at 2% battery).
Sustainability Focus. Also, for the eco-warriors: new recommendations pop up to help you reduce your carbon footprint without sacrificing productivity. Metered connections and background activity management just got smarter.
Scrollable Quick Settings Layout. There’s a new, scrollable setup for the Quick Settings pane. You can now add more toggles and reorder them. No more fierce debates over which icon gets booted to make room for Flight Mode at the airport.
Wi-Fi 7 Support. The future is now. If your hardware is up for the challenge, Windows 11 adds compatibility for Wi-Fi 7, promising faster, more stable, more magical internet (actual magic not guaranteed).
Date/Time Compactness. Minimalists and control freaks alike can breathe a sigh of relief: you can now switch to a smaller date/time representation in the system tray, or remove the notification icon entirely. Your tray, your rules.
Web Application Functionality. That means you treat Copilot like any other power app. No more half-baked integrations or getting stuck in a tiny window off to the side.
Multi-Voice Storytelling and Screen Casting. Microsoft’s AI ambitions are on full display: Copilot can now speak with different voices to tell you stories, walk you through tasks, or even take screenshots and perform on-screen actions for you.
Intelligent Interaction. This is voice interaction that finally feels worthy of sci-fi. Want Copilot to help write a blog post, answer your in-the-moment questions, or even control elements of your PC? It’s here, and it’s hungry for your dorkiest requests.
This feature isn’t reserved for just the tinkerers—AI on your desktop is officially mainstream.
File Explorer Integration with Android. That’s right—you can access your phone’s files in File Explorer, just as if you’d plugged in a USB stick. Managing files across phone and PC now feels, dare I say, iOS-like in its simplicity.
AI-Powered Text Suggestions. Replying to texts from your desktop is easier with auto-suggested responses. Quick, accurate, and just a little bit uncanny—say goodbye to “K thx bye” typos before your next work meeting.
Start Menu Phone Companion Panel. The cherry on top: a dedicated Phone Link panel can now live right by your Start menu, displaying real-time notifications, recent calls, and your phone’s battery without opening the main app.
Not to forget, using your phone as a webcam is now a snap—a delight for anyone whose built-in laptop camera suffers from extreme potato-vision.
This isn’t a timid experiment; it’s Microsoft conceding that, yes, Android users deserve first-class treatment, too.
Semantic File Search. Find what you want just by describing it (“that document from last Friday’s marketing call”). No more Sherlock Holmes cosplay when you lose yet another JPEG in the digital haystack.
Supercharged Image Tools. Photos and Paint are infused with AI, letting you upscale, erase, or modify images without an ounce of Photoshop prowess or a Creative Cloud subscription.
This is AI not for show—but for solving real workflow headaches.
Sure, not every new button or toggle will rock your world. But if you’ve ever cursed the File Explorer, squinted at your battery status, missed an urgent notification, or stared mournfully at your Android phone during a clunky file transfer, these updates might make you believe that Microsoft genuinely listens.
So go ahead—dive into those settings menus, poke at a breadcrumb, or tell Copilot an embarrassing story. Windows 11 just took a quiet leap, and, quirks aside, it’s the best Windows has felt… maybe ever. As always: backup early, update often, and don’t forget to enjoy those unsung little features. This time, they might just steal the show.
Source: Thurrott.com Hands-On Windows 136: Five More New Windows 11 Features
Five More New Features of Windows 11 That Actually Matter (and Might Even Delight You)
Windows 11 updates have a reputation: they arrive quietly, but the ripple effects can be anything but subtle. With each new feature drop, Microsoft seems determined to answer our prayers, our texted complaints, and the Twitter rants we thought no one noticed. The 24H2 update (and its close friends) have delivered another basket of goodies. Here’s a hands-on look at five more new features that may not just surprise you—they might leave you wondering how you ever put up with their absence.1. File Explorer: The Renaissance Nobody Saw Coming
Remember the days when File Explorer updates were about as exciting as a pie chart at an accountant’s conference? Forget that. File Explorer has been reborn in Windows 11, and this isn’t just a lick of paint. There’s real substance atop the style.Multi-Format Archive Support. You can now create and open 7Zip and TAR files directly, thanks to native support. If you spent your formative years hunting for WinRAR cracks just to open an old homework folder, this is nothing short of life-altering.
Context Menus Reimagined. Quick actions—Copy, Paste, Rename—are obvious, labeled, and finally large enough that you won’t need to squint or click four times by mistake. It’s the little things.
Direct Metadata Access. Curiosity about your PNG files’ insides can now be satisfied without third-party tools. File Explorer lets you view and even edit file metadata, reducing the urge to install something sketchy from “DefinitelyNotAVirus.org.”
Shared Files, Sorted. Ever wondered where that OneDrive-shared sheet ended up? There’s a new tab under ‘Home,’ corralling all your shared files in one place.
Breadcrumbs Make a Comeback. The beloved address bar breadcrumb navigation is back. This means you can drag and drop files from one deep folder to another without opening twenty windows, losing your place, and reconsidering your life choices.
These aren’t just tweaks; they’re the kinds of features that finally make File Explorer feel modern and friendly to both weekend warriors and file-hoarding power users.
2. Power and Battery Settings: It’s Not Just for Laptop Nerds
If you’ve ever frantically clicked icons in your system tray looking for a half-remembered energy saver toggle, good news: Windows 11’s power management overhaul is here.Centralized Controls. No more jumping between the ancient Control Panel and the shinier Settings app. Essential power and battery functions—what happens when you press the button, close the lid, or stare at the screen too long—are in one place.
Energy Saver Renaissance. The feature formerly known as Battery Saver has leveled up to “Energy Saver” with proactive suggestions on how to save power or cut emissions. There’s a slick new tray icon to remind you it’s working (or suggest you charge your device before you end up writing the end of your report on your phone at 2% battery).
Sustainability Focus. Also, for the eco-warriors: new recommendations pop up to help you reduce your carbon footprint without sacrificing productivity. Metered connections and background activity management just got smarter.
3. Quick Settings and Wi-Fi 7: Speed, Simplicity, and More
Quick Settings is your digital equivalent of the kitchen junk drawer—rarely organized, often ignored, but desperately important when you need a pen (or in this case, Wi-Fi, brightness, and Bluetooth controls).Scrollable Quick Settings Layout. There’s a new, scrollable setup for the Quick Settings pane. You can now add more toggles and reorder them. No more fierce debates over which icon gets booted to make room for Flight Mode at the airport.
Wi-Fi 7 Support. The future is now. If your hardware is up for the challenge, Windows 11 adds compatibility for Wi-Fi 7, promising faster, more stable, more magical internet (actual magic not guaranteed).
Date/Time Compactness. Minimalists and control freaks alike can breathe a sigh of relief: you can now switch to a smaller date/time representation in the system tray, or remove the notification icon entirely. Your tray, your rules.
4. Copilot App: The Sidekick Level-Up
Once a sidebar oddity, Copilot is stepping up and out of the shadows. With this update, Copilot transforms into a legitimate web app—maximize it, pin it to your desktop, laugh as it takes on new, more conversational roles.Web Application Functionality. That means you treat Copilot like any other power app. No more half-baked integrations or getting stuck in a tiny window off to the side.
Multi-Voice Storytelling and Screen Casting. Microsoft’s AI ambitions are on full display: Copilot can now speak with different voices to tell you stories, walk you through tasks, or even take screenshots and perform on-screen actions for you.
Intelligent Interaction. This is voice interaction that finally feels worthy of sci-fi. Want Copilot to help write a blog post, answer your in-the-moment questions, or even control elements of your PC? It’s here, and it’s hungry for your dorkiest requests.
This feature isn’t reserved for just the tinkerers—AI on your desktop is officially mainstream.
5. Phone Link and Better Android Integration: Crossing the Divide
It’s here, at last: the seamless Windows-and-Android romance. Microsoft’s Phone Link app isn’t just a glorified text message mirror anymore.File Explorer Integration with Android. That’s right—you can access your phone’s files in File Explorer, just as if you’d plugged in a USB stick. Managing files across phone and PC now feels, dare I say, iOS-like in its simplicity.
AI-Powered Text Suggestions. Replying to texts from your desktop is easier with auto-suggested responses. Quick, accurate, and just a little bit uncanny—say goodbye to “K thx bye” typos before your next work meeting.
Start Menu Phone Companion Panel. The cherry on top: a dedicated Phone Link panel can now live right by your Start menu, displaying real-time notifications, recent calls, and your phone’s battery without opening the main app.
Not to forget, using your phone as a webcam is now a snap—a delight for anyone whose built-in laptop camera suffers from extreme potato-vision.
This isn’t a timid experiment; it’s Microsoft conceding that, yes, Android users deserve first-class treatment, too.
Special Mentions: The Little Big Things
Every Windows update hides a few gems—or quirks. Here’s a rapid-fire sprinkle of them worth your attention.- Super Resolution in Photos — AI upscaling, so your blurry old concert snaps finally look as legendary as they sounded that night.
- Generative Erase for Paint — Move over Adobe: Paint’s new AI eraser really works and is (almost) fun.
- Touchscreen and Gesture Options — Want edge swipe precision? Full-screen apps are no longer disturbed by mysterious floating toolbars.
- Accessibility Upgrades — Improved speech-to-text, Narrator, and language support make Windows 11 an even friendlier operating system for everyone.
- Voice Clarity — AI-powered filtering on calls and chats for cleaner, crisper communication, no matter which platform you’re using.
- Bluetooth LE Audio Enhancements — Crystal-clear audio and hearing aid controls, straight from Windows settings. About time.
Copilot+ AI: The Windows Future, Now
If you’re eyeing a Copilot+ PC (those rare unicorns with hefty on-board AI chips), you’ll see bonus superpowers:Semantic File Search. Find what you want just by describing it (“that document from last Friday’s marketing call”). No more Sherlock Holmes cosplay when you lose yet another JPEG in the digital haystack.
Supercharged Image Tools. Photos and Paint are infused with AI, letting you upscale, erase, or modify images without an ounce of Photoshop prowess or a Creative Cloud subscription.
This is AI not for show—but for solving real workflow headaches.
The Aftermath: The Little Update That Could
The real charm of these five-and-then-some features? Windows 11 quietly becomes not just friendlier or faster, but smarter—sometimes downright clever. Each new update is a behind-the-scenes handshake with the future, from hardware support (Wi-Fi 7, anyone?) to subtle improvements in accessibility, security, and snappy multitasking.Sure, not every new button or toggle will rock your world. But if you’ve ever cursed the File Explorer, squinted at your battery status, missed an urgent notification, or stared mournfully at your Android phone during a clunky file transfer, these updates might make you believe that Microsoft genuinely listens.
So go ahead—dive into those settings menus, poke at a breadcrumb, or tell Copilot an embarrassing story. Windows 11 just took a quiet leap, and, quirks aside, it’s the best Windows has felt… maybe ever. As always: backup early, update often, and don’t forget to enjoy those unsung little features. This time, they might just steal the show.
Source: Thurrott.com Hands-On Windows 136: Five More New Windows 11 Features
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