Windows 11 Insider Preview Brings Back Classic Clock & Introduces AI Features

In a move that has delighted longtime Windows fans, Microsoft is bringing back a much-requested yet modest feature from Windows 10 to its latest Windows 11 Insider Preview builds: the classic digital clock with seconds in the notification center’s calendar. While perhaps not the most bombastic upgrade on the company’s agenda, this feature demonstrates Microsoft’s ongoing responsiveness to its community—even in the face of much grander user demands. But as Windows 11 continues to evolve, the return of familiar tools and the introduction of cutting-edge AI-powered features signal both a nod to the past and a bold stride toward the future.

Microsoft Listens: The Clock Makes Its Return​

Windows 11’s design overhaul, introduced in late 2021, delivered a sleeker, arguably more modern interface, but not without casualties—some of them deeply felt by power users. One such loss? The larger clock display in the notification center calendar, complete with hours, minutes, and seconds, which had been a standard feature in Windows 10. This omission, coupled with the reduction of other customization options, sparked a wave of feedback from users who rely on precise timekeeping for everything from presentations to day trading.
In the latest Insider Preview Build 26200.5651 (KB5060818), Microsoft is now explicitly addressing this concern. According to an official blog post, “We’re excited to announce that we’re starting to roll out a highly requested feature from Windows 10, the option to show a bigger clock with seconds above the date and calendar in notification center. To turn this option on, go to Settings > Time & language > Date & time and flip the switch for Show time in the Notification Center.”
With this update, users gain the flexibility to monitor hours, minutes, and seconds without crowding their primary taskbar clock, where the presence of a ticking seconds counter can often be more of a distraction than a help. Instead, those who require quick, glanceable time information (with seconds) can now access it within the notification center—striking a better balance between precision and minimalism.

How the New Clock Setting Works​

The process to enable this feature is intentionally straightforward:

• Open Settings.
• Navigate to Time & language > Date & time.
• Toggle on the Show time in the Notification Center switch.

This ease of access speaks to Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to reduce friction in the Windows 11 user experience, especially for features impacting productivity and daily workflows.
What bears noting is that the core taskbar clock is not changing in this update—the option to display seconds on the taskbar clock remains available but distinct. This fine-grained level of control over time display echoes the sort of customization that many power users have clamored for since Windows 10, even if the vertical taskbar or a reduction in built-in advertisements remain out of reach.

A Closer Look: Why the Notification Center Clock Matters​

To casual users, this update may seem minor. But a deeper dive into the Windows user community reveals a significant constituency for this feature. For professionals whose work depends on precise timing—such as financial traders, broadcasters, or those managing complex schedules—seconds matter. Furthermore, the ability to separate a detailed clock from the ever-visible taskbar ensures important information is just a click away, but not constantly intruding.
There is also an accessibility component: users with visual or cognitive processing preferences can customize their environment to reduce distractions or improve clarity. The new setting, therefore, is more than nostalgic—it fulfills a genuine productivity and accessibility gap.

Not the Only Classic Feature Users Want​

While the return of the notification center clock will please some, Windows 11’s audience is nothing if not vocal. The omission of the vertical taskbar—one of the top-cited pain points after upgrading from Windows 10—remains unaddressed. Similarly, the proliferation of built-in advertisements and prompts throughout Windows 11 is now a recurring source of frustration, often overshadowing the excitement of smaller usability wins.
Yet, Microsoft’s willingness to iterate and reintroduce older features signals a possible trend: the development team is actively listening. If the company continues down this path, further user-led quality-of-life improvements could be on the horizon.

AI-Driven Settings Search: The Future in Action​

While bringing back a clock may stoke nostalgia, Microsoft’s ambitions for Windows 11 extend far into the future—chiefly, through the rapid integration of AI-powered experiences.
The same Insider Preview build unveils one of the first practical applications of on-device AI within the Settings app: a new search feature capable of parsing natural language queries. Users can now type questions such as “how to control my PC by voice” or “my mouse pointer is too small,” and the AI will attempt to guide them to the relevant settings.
Unlike traditional, keyword-matching search, this AI leverages local processing—meaning it runs directly on the user’s device for both privacy and speed. The implementation uses an on-device AI model and is, at present, tied exclusively to Copilot+ PCs, with initial support rolling out for Snapdragon-powered systems. Microsoft says that Copilot+ devices running on Intel and AMD architectures will gain access soon.

Copilot+ PCs: The New Standard?​

The AI search capability is part of a broader Copilot+ initiative—a branding and hardware push that aims to define a new class of Windows PCs with advanced AI proficiency. These devices offer enhanced local AI compute for tasks such as image generation, language translation, and complex settings analysis.
Early reviews and testing from major publications, including The Verge and Windows Central, confirm that Snapdragon-based Copilot+ laptops do deliver impressive battery life and near-instant wake times thanks to both hardware and software optimizations. However, there are potential trade-offs: application compatibility, especially with legacy x86 software, is an area under close scrutiny, and some users remain wary of relying on emulation for critical Windows applications.
By making the AI settings search exclusive (for now) to Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft may be hoping to further incentivize adoption of this new hardware line. But it also raises the specter of fragmentation within the Windows experience, with features gated based on device class rather than OS version.

Recall Updates: AI-Powered Timeline Gets Tighter Privacy Controls​

Perhaps the most ambitious, and certainly most controversial, AI feature in Windows 11 is Recall—an automatically generated timeline of a user’s activities, capable of helping them find previous files, web pages, conversations, and more.
Since its initial rollout in April, Recall has attracted both intrigue and concern. On the one hand, it promises unparalleled productivity by making personal history instantly searchable—going beyond file attributes to parse content within documents, chat histories, and browser sessions. On the other, it raises serious questions about privacy, data retention, and user control.
In this Insider Preview, Microsoft introduces several changes aimed at addressing these concerns:

• New Reset Button: Users can now fully reset Recall and all associated data via Settings > Privacy & Security > Recall & Snapshots.
• Shortened Storage Duration: The default maximum storage for Recall snapshots is now 90 days, down from unlimited in prior builds. This puts a firmer cap on how much personal information the feature retains.
• Export Ability in EEA: Users within the European Economic Area (EEA) gain new rights to export Recall snapshots for use with third-party apps and websites, aligning with evolving data portability requirements under EU law.

These changes reflect Microsoft’s growing sensitivity to regulatory and consumer pressures around AI and data privacy. According to analysis from security researchers and privacy advocates, default data minimization settings and explicit controls over personal history are critical for user trust. Still, some warn that AI features as expansive as Recall remain difficult to fully audit, and advocate for clearer communication from Microsoft about what data is (and isn’t) being processed or uploaded.

Critical Analysis: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Road Ahead​

Strengths​

• Community Engagement: Microsoft’s decision to revive the notification center clock is a tangible sign of user-centric development. While modest, such changes restore agency to power users and reinforce the idea that feedback is heard.
• Thoughtful Customization: Granular control over UI elements, such as separate settings for time display, remains one of Windows’ enduring strengths. It lets users fine-tune their environment, boosting both productivity and comfort.
• Bold AI Integration: The expansion of on-device AI into search and settings—an area previously dominated by static menus and simplistic search bars—represents a major innovation. Done well, this could drastically simplify Windows’ notorious tangle of options.

Risks and Challenges​

• Feature Fragmentation: By tying new AI-driven experiences to Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft risks creating a two-tier ecosystem where only those with specific hardware can access headline features. This could alienate users on conventional PCs and raises uncomfortable questions about long-term support.
• Privacy Concerns: Recall’s broad capabilities are only as trustworthy as their privacy controls. While recent changes are positive, the pace of AI rollout must be matched with equally robust safeguards and clear, user-facing policies.
• Unmet Demands: The return of the clock is a welcome gesture, but for many users, highly requested features like vertical taskbar support, reduced pre-installed apps (“bloatware”), and an ad-free Start Menu remain ungranted. The pace and selection of these restores, therefore, will impact long-term goodwill.
• Update Reliability: Major version changes and frequent Insider updates sometimes lead to instability—something that is not lost on enterprise IT departments and advanced home users alike. There remains a balancing act between rapid innovation and ensuring rock-solid reliability.

The Insider Program: Where Features Are Forged​

All these changes are currently available to testers in the Windows Insider Program—Microsoft’s long-standing beta testing channel for upcoming Windows releases. The Dev Channel, in particular, is both a proving ground for new features and a stage for gathering real-world feedback before broader public release. Recent reporting confirms that features tested here typically see general availability within several months, provided they meet user expectations and prove reliable.
While the program has delivered substantial improvements over the years—and played a significant role in cementing Microsoft’s reputation for iterative development—it is not without frustrations. Features sometimes appear, vanish, or become hardware-exclusive with little warning. As such, enthusiasts and power users remain keen-eyed, dissecting each build for both its promises and its compromises.

What’s Next for Windows 11?​

With the return of the classic clock, the ongoing integration of pervasive AI assistance, and a heightened focus on privacy and user agency, Windows 11 continues to straddle its dual mandate: appealing to a younger, cloud-native generation while keeping faith with its vast base of experienced users.
Looking forward, several major trends are set to define Windows 11’s trajectory:

• Accelerated AI Innovation: Expect to see Copilot+, Recall, and similar features grow more powerful, and possibly extend to the broader PC ecosystem as hardware advances.
• Incremental Restoration of Legacy Features: The pressure for further classic feature returns—such as a vertical taskbar, enhanced window management, and fully customizable Start Menus—is unlikely to abate.
• Tighter Regulatory Compliance: With privacy laws evolving rapidly worldwide, features like Recall will need ongoing refinement, with defaults set ever more cautiously and export/deletion tools placed front and center.
• User Choice as a Differentiator: Ultimately, what will set Windows 11 apart may be its willingness to give users choice—whether that’s in UI design, hardware, or AI integration.

Conclusion​

The reemergence of the notification center clock in Windows 11 serves as a small but telling symbol of the OS’s evolution. Microsoft is listening, not just to the waves of feature requests, but to the subtler undercurrents around usability, privacy, and accessibility. Alongside this, the surge of AI-powered features—now tightly coupled with new classes of hardware—marks a decisive leap toward a more intelligent, adaptable Windows experience.
Yet these advancements are not without their perils. Feature fragmentation, privacy skepticism, and the persistent gap between what users want and what they get will shape the ongoing narrative of Windows 11.
For the millions who call Windows home—whether through nostalgia, necessity, or active choice—the next generation of Windows is already taking shape. It is part classic, part futuristic, part user-led, and part experimental. How well it balances all these faces will define the platform for years to come.

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Source: How-To Geek Windows 11 Is Bringing Back Another Windows 10 Feature