In this article, we will talk about the Windows 11 Moment 4 Update and all its New Features.
Windows 11 Moment 4 Update is a Major Feature Update for Windows 11 22H2 that was released on September 26th. Windows 11 23H2, will be released most likely in October and it will only change the Windows 11 Version.
New File Explorer
Microsoft completely overhauled the File Explorer, by adding a New Address Bar and Homepage. Along with that, we are also getting a New Gallery section that can gather photos from custom locations. The New Details Pane has more information, and with the other features in File Explorer, it better matches the Windows 11 Experience.
In the File Explorer Homepage, users who are connected with an Active AAD Account will also get Recommended Files from the Cloud.
Tabs will also get the ability to be torn out and merged into other File Explorer Windows.
New Share UI in File Explorer
The New File Explorer, also includes a redesigned Share UI which will allow you to Share File more easily.
New Windows Copilot AI Assistant
Windows Copilot AI is the New AI Assistant for Windows 11 which will help users have more productivity and efficiency when using Windows 11.
To get started with Windows Copilot, just click on the new button on the taskbar (or WIN + C) to launch Windows Copilot. Windows Copilot will use the same Microsoft account (MSA) or Azure Active Directory (AAD) account used to sign-in to Windows.
You can ask Windows Copilot a range of questions or take actions such as:
- “Change to dark mode.”
- “Turn on do not disturb.”
- “Take a screenshot”
- “Summarize this website” (Active tab in Microsoft Edge)
- “Write a story about a dog who lives on the moon.”
- “Make me a picture of a serene koi fishpond with lily pads.”
Additionally, you can now open Apps and do certain tasks in Windows 11 using the Copilot AI Assistant.
Never Combine Taskbar Icons and Labels
Microsoft is also adding the Never Combine Taskbar Icons Feature. In never combined mode, you’ll be able to see each window of your applications on the taskbar individually, as well as their corresponding labels. You can find this feature by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors.
New Option to Hide Date and Time in Taskbar
By right-clicking on the Date and Time, and then clicking on Adjust date and time, you will now have the option to Show or Disable the time and date in the System Tray.
New Start Menu Recommended Section Previews
For Cloud Files in the Start Menu Recommended Section, Microsoft will now show preview on hover, but for normal files stored locally, the previews will look as below.
New End Task Button on Taskbar Right-Click
To enable this New Option, make sure to go to the Settings App > System > For Developers and Enable the End Task Button.
This will allow you to End a Task, directly from the Taskbar Right-Click Context Menu.
New Task Manager Settings Page and Dialogs
Microsoft also redesigned the Task Manager Settings Page and a few Dialogs which weren’t matching the Windows 11 Experience.
New Homepage in Settings
Microsoft is introducing a new homepage in Settings that offers you a dynamic and personalized experience. It provides an overview of your device, quick access to key settings, and helps manage your Microsoft account.
Microsoft will show certain cards on this Homepage, such as: Recommended settings, Cloud storage, Account recovery, Personalization, Microsoft 365, Xbox, Bluetooth Devices.
New Dynamic Lighting in Settings
Microsoft is adding support for controlling RGB Lighting in Windows 11 Settings.
To have access to these new Options, you can navigate to Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting.
Dev Drive and VHD Settings
Dev Drive is a new form of storage volume available to improve performance for key developer workloads. Dev Drive is built upon Resilient File System (ReFS) technology and includes file system optimizations and features that enable developers to better manage their performance and security profile. It has been designed to meet a developer’s needs to host project source code, working folders, and package caches. It is not designed for general consumer workloads such as document libraries, installing packaged applications or non-developer tools.
To setup a Dev Drive, you can create one in free space on an existing drive or create a VHD/VHDX. This is done via Settings app under System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes, or via the command-line. A Dev Drive must be at least 50GB or higher in size and we recommend having 8GB or higher RAM on your device.
Network and Internet Improvements in Settings
Microsoft is also adding Improvements to the Network and Internet Section, such as the ability to View Wi-Fi security key.
New Volume Mixer in Quick Settings
The New Volume Mixer in Windows 11, allows users to select the Output Device, Spatial sound options and Customize the volume for individual apps.
You are also getting quick links to certain sound-related Options inside the Settings App in Windows 11.
HDR Wallpaper Support
Microsoft is also adding HDR Wallpaper Support in Settings, for those of you, who have an HDR Display.
New Windows Spotlight Experience
The New Windows Spotlight Experience includes a New Learn more about this Picture Menu.
New Virtual Desktops Animation and Label
Microsoft is also adding a New Virtual Desktops Animation when switching between Desktops and a Label will show up when doing so.
Native support for more archive formats
As announced at the Build conference back in May, Build 23493 from the Dev Channel adds native support for reading additional archive file formats using the libarchive open-source project such as .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar.zst, .tar.xz, .tgz, .tbz2, .tzst, .txz, .rar, .7z and more.
You can now finally open and extract these archive file formats by default in Windows 11, without the need of third-party tools like WinRAR or 7Zip.
Hopefully, in the near future, Microsoft will also add the ability to compress to these file formats and more settings that can be applied.
New Notifications
Microsoft is also improving Notifications, by allowing you to disable certain Notifications that you normally don’t interact with.
New Lock Screen Network, Firewall, Program Compatibility Dialogs
Microsoft is also redesigning the Lock Screen Network, Firewall, and Program Compatibility Dialogs.
New Widgets Section UI and New Focus Session Widget
Microsoft is also testing more Widgets UI and they added an Updated Pin Widgets Menu that matches the Windows 11 Experience. In addition to this, a New Focus Session Widget will be available.
New Windows Backup App
The New Windows Backup App, has a completely New Design that matches the Windows 11 Experience, and also New Options related to how Files, Settings, and more are Backed up inside Windows.
New Dev Home App
Dev Home is built as an open-source tool with an extension model to allow you to create your own customized Dev Home experience.
It has default integration with GitHub and a lot of other extensions.
New Paint App
First of all, Paint is getting layers, which is huge news, as Paint will now be able to edit more complex photos and be faster with the help of AI.
You can now add, remove, and manage layers on the canvas to create richer and more complex digital art. With layers, you can stack shapes, text, and other image elements on top of each other. To get started, click on the new Layers button in the toolbar, which will open a panel on the side of the canvas. This is where you can add new layers to the canvas. Try changing the order of layers in this panel to see how the order of stacked image elements on the canvas changes. You can also show or hide and duplicate individual layers or merge layers together.
Microsoft is also adding support for transparency as well, including the ability to open and save transparent PNGs! When working with a single layer, you will notice a checkerboard pattern on the canvas indicating the portions of the image that are transparent. Erasing any content from the canvas now truly erases the content instead of painting the area white. When working with multiple layers, if you erase content on one layer, you will reveal the content in layers underneath.
The Paint App is also getting a New AI Functions, which will allow you to remove the background inside an image, by just clicking a button.
New Snipping Tool App
Snipping Tool now has support for recording video and selecting a Microphone.
With this update to Snipping Tool (version 11.2308.33.0), Microsoft is introducing Text Actions, which detects text in your captured screenshots, making it easy to copy text from any image to share with others or paste in another app. To get started, click the Text Actions button in the toolbar to show selectable text before selecting and copying text with your mouse. You can also click the Copy all text button in the toolbar or use Ctrl + A and Ctrl + C to select and copy all text using your keyboard.
With Text Actions, you can also redact sensitive information in screenshots before sharing. Select Quick Redact from the toolbar to automatically hide emails and phone numbers or select any text and select Redact Text from the right-click menu to hide the text.
New Notepad App
We also have a New Notepad App version, which has the Autosave function, also with additional settings inside the App Settings.
You can now close the App, and Notepad will remember all the contents and tabs that you have opened.
New Photos App
Make the subject of your photo stand out by opening a photo in Edit mode and selecting the new Background Blur option. The Photos app automatically finds the background in the photo, and with a single click, instantly highlights your subject and blurs out the background. You can also customize the effect by adjusting the Blur Intensity or use the Brush Tool to modify the areas being blurred.
For photos stored in OneDrive (home or personal) accounts, you can now quickly find the photo you’re looking for based on the content of the photo. To use the new content search feature, make sure you’re signed into your Microsoft account, navigate to the OneDrive Personal section, and in the search bar at the top, enter what you’re looking for, for example:
- Car
- Beach
- Birthday
- Vacation
You can also now find photos based on the location they were taken. This feature is available to all photos in your collection including those stored in file systems, OneDrive, and iCloud.
New Phone Link App
The new Phone Link App has a lot of Improvements and Fixes, along with a New Toggle that can be found in the Settings App.
New AI Hub in Microsoft Store
Explore a new curated section in the Microsoft Store where Microsoft will promote the best AI experiences built by the developer community and Microsoft. This is a space where Microsoft will educate customers on how to start and expand their AI journey, inspiring them to use AI in everyday ways to boost productivity, spark creativity and so much more.
New Emoji
Microsoft is also adding the New Emoji 15.0 and New Updated colorful Emojis.
Voice Access and Live Captions Apps Improvements
The Voice Access and Live Captions Apps have received a lot of Improvements, such as Design changes and a lot of Languages and English Dialects added.
New Windows 11 Installation Process
Microsoft is also adding Presence Sensing inside the Installation Process, Voice Access and they are personalizing the after-installation experience, based on what you chose the purpose of the computer would be for.
For a more in-depth presentation of the Moment 4 Update, you can watch the video below from the YouTube channel.
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