Windows 11 Canary: Clock with Seconds in Notification Center and AI Actions in File Explorer

Microsoft’s latest Insider experiments have restored a small but widely requested convenience: the Notification Center can once again show a larger clock with seconds—and that option is appearing alongside a broader set of AI-focused trials in the Canary channel.

Background / Overview​

Windows 11’s development over the past two years has mixed big, AI-driven features with a steady stream of quality‑of‑life restorations that long-time users asked for after the jump from Windows 10. The recently reported Canary flight—identified in community coverage as Build 27938—bundles two plainly different but thematically connected moves: a UI restoration that returns seconds to the Notification Center clock, and early experiments to surface AI actions directly inside File Explorer.
Microsoft stages work through multiple Insider channels (Canary, Dev, Beta, Release Preview), and Canary is explicitly the earliest, most experimental ring. That means builds there can be rough, features are often server‑side gated, and items seen in Canary may not appear identically (or at all) for mainstream users. Use Flight Hub and the Windows Insider Blog for official confirmation; community reports are valuable, but they’re often ahead of the formal notes.

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What changed in this flight​

Bigger Notification Center clock — with seconds​

• A new toggle labelled Show time in the Notification Center appears at Settings > Time & language > Date & time. When enabled, the Notification Center flyout (the calendar + notifications panel) shows a larger clock including seconds (HH:MM:SS) above the date and calendar. This mirrors the behaviour many users remember from Windows 10 and answers requests from people who rely on second‑level precision. (blogs.windows.com, pureinfotech.com)
• The option is rolling out gradually to Insiders; not every device on the same build will necessarily see it immediately because Microsoft can gate features server‑side. Community writeups and hands‑on testing have confirmed the display and the Settings path. If the toggle is not present, some users have used third‑party tools (ViVeTool) to enable the flags—an approach that works but should be treated cautiously.

Why this matters: the seconds display is more than nostalgia. It provides immediate utility for:

• time‑sensitive troubleshooting (scripts, test runs),
• synchronization checks for timed tasks,
• accessibility or measurement needs where the extra granularity reduces friction.

File Explorer: “AI actions” in the right‑click menu​

• The build also surfaces a new AI actions entry in File Explorer’s context menu for supported image files (.jpg/.jpeg and .png reported initially). The entries tested so far include:
• Bing Visual Search (image-based visual lookup),
• Blur background (Photos integration),
• Erase objects (generative erase via Photos),
• Remove background (Paint’s auto-background removal).
  These are quick-access flows that either open the host app with the edit staged or perform a small, previewed model-driven transformation. (theverge.com, guidingtech.com)
• Microsoft’s design intent is clear: reduce context switches by bringing common, AI‑backed micro‑edits and lookups to where users already manage files—File Explorer—rather than forcing manual app swaps.

Privacy and controls for generative AI usage​

• Settings is gaining visibility pages (Privacy & security → Text and image generation or similar) that list recent app activity using Windows-provided generative capabilities, with per‑app toggles. This is part of a broader push to provide transparency and administrative control as on-device generative features become part of the platform. Early shots of the UI and coverage indicate Microsoft aims to add MDM/Group Policy controls for enterprise governance.

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How to turn the Notification Center clock on (step‑by‑step)​

• Open Settings (Win + I).
• Go to Time & language → Date & time.
• Scroll and toggle Show time in the Notification Center to On.

If you do not see the option, you may be on an Insider build that doesn’t yet have the feature enabled server‑side, or your device hasn’t been included in the staged rollout. Guides that tested the feature also document how advanced users have used ViVeTool to manually flip the underlying feature flags, but that is a third‑party trick and not supported by Microsoft. (pureinfotech.com, allthings.how)

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Verification and cross‑checking​

Key claims and steps in this report were verified across multiple, independent sources:

• The presence of the new toggle and its Settings path is described directly in Microsoft’s Insider Blog and Release notes for preview rollouts. The blog entry explicitly documents the UI and the Settings path.
• Independent hands‑on testing and explainers from reputable Windows tech outlets validate the behaviour and screenshots of the Notification Center clock, and provide practical enablement steps and alternatives. These include Pureinfotech and WindowsLatest, which also confirm the format (HH:MM:SS) and rollout caveats. (pureinfotech.com, windowslatest.com)
• The File Explorer AI action experiment is documented and contextualized by major outlets covering Windows platform work (for example, The Verge). These reports describe the same set of image actions and the broader plan to expand AI actions into other file types and document flows over time.
• The nature of the Canary channel—its experimental role and server‑side gating—was cross‑checked against Microsoft’s official Flight Hub and flighting documentation to ensure readers understand the stability and rollout model.

Where a single claim remains community-sourced rather than officially posted (for example, the specific community labelling of some Canary builds by number), that uncertainty is flagged in this article: Microsoft does not publish every Canary build blog post, so community reports are useful but secondary until Flight Hub or an Insider Blog post appears.

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What power users and IT should know​

Benefits​

• Precision without clutter: The Notification Center clock gives second precision without forcing a permanently ticking seconds display in the taskbar—handy during debugging or testing runs.
• Faster image workflows: AI actions cut the context-switch cost for quick edits and lookups. For users who frequently prepare images for presentations or documentation, a one‑click blur or background removal saves steps.
• Visibility for governance: The “Recent activity” view for generative model calls in Settings gives admins and privacy‑focused users a first layer of transparency about which apps tap OS-provided generative models. This is an important baseline for policy and auditing.

Risks and caveats​

• Canary instability: Canary-channel flights are early and may be unstable; some Canary builds have limited documentation and may even require reinstallation if they cause serious problems. Use test devices and image backups.
• Gated/gradual rollouts: Features like the Notification Center clock are often code‑complete in a build but server‑enabled for subsets of devices. If you do not see the toggle, it might not be missing due to a bug—it may simply be blocked for your machine or tenant.
• Third‑party flags (ViVeTool): ViVeTool and similar utilities can enable hidden features. They are useful for advanced testing but carry risks: they may expose incomplete functionality, produce compatibility issues, or make your device receive unsupported preview updates. Proceed with caution and avoid on production or domain-joined enterprise systems. (allthings.how, guidingtech.com)
• AI service dependencies and licensing: Some AI actions and document summarization flows may be tied to Microsoft 365/Copilot entitlements, or require cloud processing for certain workloads. That can mean inconsistent availability across consumer and enterprise devices. Expect licensing and hardware gating for some higher‑value actions.

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Practical advice and troubleshooting​

• If the new clock toggle is not visible:
• Make sure you’re on an Insider build that is known to have the toggle in the Dev/Beta/Canary lanes and that Windows Update has been applied. Check Settings > Windows Update and Flight Hub for build context.
• Confirm you’re in the correct Insider channel (Canary/Dev/Beta) for the experimental features you want to test. The Canary channel is the most experimental; Beta is more stable.
• Avoid registry edits unless you understand the implications. If you must enable flags, research the exact ViVeTool IDs and implications first; community guides list IDs but these are unofficial. (pureinfotech.com, allthings.how)
• If AI actions don’t show in File Explorer:
• Confirm the file types (.jpg/.jpeg/.png) and try invoking the right‑click menu on a supported file.
• Check that relevant host apps (Photos, Paint) are up to date, because the quick flows often stage edits in those apps.
• Some AI actions require online processing or licensing; ensure you have network access and the appropriate entitlements. (theverge.com, guidingtech.com)

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Implications for Microsoft’s product strategy​

This mix of small UX restorations and larger AI experiments is instructive. Two strategic threads run through the update:

• AI-as-actions, not as separate apps. Microsoft is integrating generative and assistive AI into shell surfaces—File Explorer, Settings, Notification Center—rather than confining them to single apps. That reflects a push to make AI practical and discoverable during daily workflows. The File Explorer AI actions are a direct embodiment of that strategy.
• Polish + governance. Reintroducing the clock with seconds is a low‑cost, high‑goodwill restoration that signals Microsoft is listening to user feedback. At the same time, adding visibility and per‑app toggles for generative AI indicates Microsoft knows transparency and controls must accompany the rise of on‑device and cloud generative capabilities. These controls will be crucial for enterprise adoption.

Taken together, the approach balances emotional UX fixes with systematic product changes that will scale into larger, policy-sensitive areas (privacy controls, tenant gating, licensing).

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Caveats, unverifiable items, and what still needs official confirmation​

• The specific build number (27938) has been used in community reports as a Canary identifier for this cluster of experiments, but Microsoft does not publish every Canary flight. Until Flight Hub or an Insider Blog post lists the exact build number and notes, treat community build tags as representative but not definitive. Microsoft’s flighting model intentionally allows features to be staged independently of the exact build number.
• Some early screenshots and step instructions published by independent sites include feature‑flag IDs used with ViVeTool. Those IDs are helpful for advanced testing but are not official; using them is at your own risk and can produce inconsistent results. This article flags those approaches so readers who are technically adventurous can weigh tradeoffs. (pureinfotech.com, guidingtech.com)
• Microsoft’s longer-term plans for commercial gating of specific AI actions (for instance, document summarization tied to Copilot/M365 licenses) have been signalled by multiple reports, but exact licensing rules and rollout timelines remain subject to change. Keep an eye on Microsoft announcements for final policy.

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Quick recap and final take​

• The Notification Center’s bigger clock with seconds has returned as a toggle in Settings (Time & language → Date & time → Show time in the Notification Center). The change is rolling out gradually to Insiders and was documented by Microsoft in official Insider posts. (blogs.windows.com, pureinfotech.com)
• The same Canary experiments include AI actions in File Explorer—right‑click shortcuts for visual search and one‑click edits that aim to make simple image workflows faster. Early reporting and hands‑on coverage from multiple outlets confirm the behavior. (theverge.com, guidingtech.com)
• Because the Canary channel is experimental and Microsoft gates features server‑side, expect variability: not every Insider on the same build will see every feature at the same time. Use test devices, keep good backups, and treat ViVeTool and other unofficial toggles as advanced options with risks. (learn.microsoft.com, allthings.how)

These are the kind of incremental changes that matter: small UI restorations that restore user trust, paired with practical AI tooling that embeds assistance where people already work. For power users, IT admins, and enthusiasts, the current flights are a useful preview—one that showcases both Microsoft’s willingness to listen and the company’s careful, staged approach to shipping AI into the operating system.

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Source: Windows Report Windows 11 Canary Preview Build 27938 Brings Back Bigger Clock With Seconds