Summary
- Windows 11 widgets move to the right, resembling Windows 10.
- Additional features include easier file sharing via QR codes.
- Windows 11 will be able to backup sound settings so you can restore them on new PCs.
Windows 11 is going to look more like Windows 10 very soon, thanks to a new update Microsoft is now testing with Insiders. If you're enrolled in the Beta channel, today's update is moving the Widgets button to a new location — new to Windows 11, that is.
Explaining the Windows Insider Program channels for Windows 11 betas
Microsoft's Windows Insider Program can be confusing if you're new, so here's everything you need to know for testing the Windows 11 beta.
Windows 11 widgets move to the right
Throwback to Windows 10
With this update, which comes via build 22635.3420, Microsoft is moving the Widgets button to the right side of the taskbar when your taskbar is aligned to the left. This is to make it so you can see more Widgets content, since left-aligned taskbar previously hid the text next to the Widgets icon in order to make it blend it with the rest.
This change means the Widgets button now looks very much like the News and interests button that Microsoft added to Windows 10 just before Windows 11 came out. It's in the same position and serves a nearly identical purpose. The difference is that the Widgets panel still takes up the entire height of the screen. However, this change also means the panel will now flow in from the right side of the screen, rather than the left, joining Copilot and the notifications list.
This all applies exclusively to left-aligned taskbars, so if you're using the taskbar icons in the center, nothing is changing for you.
Better sharing and backups
In addition to the new location for the widgets, this update has a couple of other notable changes. For one, Microsoft is making it possible to share URLs and links to cloud files via QR codes when using the Windows share window. This should make it easier to share files with smartphones next to you.
Microsoft is also making it possible to drag and drop files between "breadcrumbs" — the different divisions in a folder path — in File Explorer, so if you want to move an image out of a sub-folder, that's much easier now.
Meanwhile, the Windows Backup has received a couple of improvements. For one thing, Windows can now back up your sound settings, including your chosen sound scheme, so you can restore them, when setting up a new PC. You'll also be able to sign into your Microsoft account directly within the app to create a backup.
This update also adds a richer lock screen experience with more widgets, such as weather, stocks, and sports.
The usual fixes
Aside from these new changes, the update also brings the usual array of fixes and minor improvements. Some of these are exclusive to users who have enabled the toggle to get the latest updates as soon as they're available, while others are available to everyone in the Beta channel. If you're curious, here's the full list of fixes:
Fixes for users with the toggle on
[File Explorer]
- Fixed an issue causing File Explorer to crash on launch for a small number of Insiders in the previous flight.
[Multiple Desktops]
- Fixed an issue where the option to set a different wallpaper on each desktop wasn’t working.
[Search]
- Fixed an issue which could potentially result in no app results showing in search anymore.
[Task Manager]
- Fixed an issue where Task Manager was holding onto process handles sometimes, leading to processes not stopping when you closed apps if you’d had Task Manager open.
Fixes for everyone in the Beta channel
- New! This update affects Windows Hello for Business. IT admins can now use mobile device management (MDM) to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine. To do this, they can turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.
- New! This update improves the Remote Desktop Session Host. You can now set up its “clipboard redirection” policy to work in a single direction from the local computer to the remote computer. You can also reverse that order.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels The app labels in the taskbar sometimes do not have the correct length, which cuts off the label text. This occurs when this setting is set to “When taskbar is full” or “Never.”
- This update addresses an issue that affects certain Neural Processing Units (NPU). They do not show in Task Manager.
- This update addresses an issue that affects a network resource. You cannot access it from a Remote Desktop session. This occurs when you turn on the Remote Credential Guard feature and the client is Windows 11, version 22H2 or higher.
- This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). It prevents a stop error that occurs when you apply more than 32 policies.
- This update addresses a deadlock issue in CloudAP. It occurs when different users sign in and sign out at the same time on virtual machines.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the Group Policy service. It fails after you use exe to apply an audit policy to the system.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the Settings app. It stops responding when you use it to remove Bluetooth devices.
- This update addresses an issue that affects Notepad. It fails to print to certain Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) printers when you use a print support app.
- This update addresses an issue that affects dsamain.exe. When the Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) runs evaluations, it stops responding.
- This update addresses an issue that stops some apps and features from being available. This occurs after you upgrade to Windows 11.
- This update affects MSIX applications. It helps their UI to localize correctly for all languages when you upgrade your OS.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) PowerShell module. It does not load.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the existing AppLocker rule collection enforcement mode. It is not overwritten when rules merge with a collection that has no rules. This occurs when the enforcement mode is set to “Not Configured.”
- This update addresses an issue that affects Transport Layer Security (TLS), version 1.3. It causes Azure App Services to fail. This occurs when the web server attempts to connect to a third-party Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard and the candidate window for the Japanese and Chinese Input Method Editors (IME). They do not show after you come out of Modern Standby. To learn more, see Microsoft Japanese IME and What is Modern Standby.
- This update addresses an issue that affects some wireless headphones. Bluetooth connections are not stable. This occurs on devices that have firmware from April 2023 and later.
- This update addresses an issue that affects USB audio. It fails on some processors. This occurs after you pause, play, or resume from sleep.
- This update supports DST changes in To learn more, see Interim guidance for Kazakhstan time zone changes 2024.
- This update supports DST changes in To learn more, see Interim guidance for Samoa DST changes 2021.
- This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Greenland. To learn more, see Greenland 2023 time zone update now available.
- This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in To learn more, see Interim guidance for DST changes announced by Palestinian Authority for 2024, 2025.
- This update addresses an issue that affects Secure Launch. It does not run on some processors.
- This update addresses a reliability issue. It affects a Virtual Remote App product when you use a custom shell to open it.
- This update addresses an issue that affects Containers that you create or deploy. Their status does not progress past “ContainerCreating.”
- This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for some mobile operators.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the COM+ component. Some applications that depend on it stop responding.
- This update addresses an issue that affects the time service. You can configure it using mobile device management (MDM) or a Group Policy Object (GPO). But the Windows Settings app does not match what you have configured.
- This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use LoadImage() to load a top-down bitmap. If the bitmap has a negative height, the image does not load and the function returns NULL.
As per usual, if you're enrolled in the Beta channel, you'll get this update as soon as possible automatically. You can always speed up the process by checking for updates yourself. Considering the timing of these changes, it's likely we'll see them hit general availability in May.