In this article, we will talk about the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build for the Beta Channel, which is the Build 22635.4805.
Microsoft is making some changes to the Beta Channel:
- They will no longer release 2 different builds for the Beta Channel, and everyone will now be on the same build
- Insiders who want all the new features will need to toggle on the get the latest updates as they are available setting in Windows Update
- Features will be tested in 2 different ways: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes gradually rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel.
New Snap Flyout and Snap Bar
Microsoft is adding multiple variants to the Snap Flyout and the top Snap Bar to improve productivity and to add multiple ways of quickly snapping apps in Windows 11.
Also Inline messaging will now appear when you accidentally invoke the Snap Bar when dragging an app to the top middle of your desktop or Snap Flyout when hovering over the Minimize or Maximize button of an app. This messaging is designed to provide guidance on snapping app windows and educating users on the keyboard shortcuts for quickly snapping app windows in the future.
New Drag to Share Feature
Microsoft is experimenting with a new file sharing UI in Windows 11: the “Drag Tray”. When dragging a file, the tray shows up at the top of the screen with a drag here to share hint and lists a few apps. Has a more options button to open the share sheet.
Microsoft is experimenting with a new file sharing UI in Windows 11: the "Drag Tray". When dragging a file, the tray shows up at the top of the screen with a drag here to share hint and lists a few apps. Has a more options button to open the share sheet. (hidden, Beta 22635.4805) pic.twitter.com/LXpkTwKZu2
— phantomofearth 🎂 (@phantomofearth) January 24, 2025
Voice Access Improvements
The Voice access feature is getting support for more languages: Chinese (PRC/Taiwan) and Japanese.
New Gamepad Layout for the Touch Keyboard
After being temporarily disabled to address some issues with Build 22635.4400, Microsoft is beginning to roll out a new Gamepad keyboard layout for the touch keyboard in Windows 11 again. This change introduces the ability to use your Xbox controller to navigate and type. This includes button accelerators (example: X button for backspace, Y button for spacebar) additionally the keyboard keys have been vertically aligned for better controller navigation patterns.
Narrator Improvements
Microsoft have added new functionalities to Narrator scan mode. Jump to list item (I’) allows you to quickly access and jump to a list item on a page or a document. Beginning and end of element (Comma (,) and Period (.)) allow you to quickly jump to the beginning or end of large tables, lists or landmarks. This is most helpful when navigating through long emails, news articles, and wiki pages. To try these new features, you need to turn on Narrator first (Win key + Ctrl + Enter), then turn scan mode ON by pressing Caps Lock + Spacebar and finally use the new shortcuts – ‘I’, ‘,’ and ‘.’. Please note that scan mode is ‘ON’ by default on most web pages (like news articles, wiki pages, etc.).
New PC Game Pass Card in the Settings App Homepage
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers coming to Settings homepage will begin to see a new card for referring a PC Game Pass subscription to their friends to try PC Game Pass for free. This new card will only appear on the Settings homepage if you’re signed into your PC with your Microsoft account and meet the required eligibility criteria.
For more information about this Build, you can check this article from the Microsoft Blog.
For a more in-depth presentation of the New Build, you can watch the video below from the youtube channel.
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