- Windows 11 build 23511 is now rolling out in the Dev Channel.
- The update rolls out with improvements for Spotlight, Start menu, Camera, and more.
- This release also addresses a bunch of problems with the operating system
Microsoft is now making available Windows 11 build 23511 for devices in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program. In this release, the company is rolling out a slew of fixes and improvements for existing features.
Build 23511 for Windows 11, according to the official changes, introduces some changes and improvements to Spotlight and Camera. The Start menu makes the “Recommended” section more useful with a rich preview when hovering over files. The System Tray includes a new Notifications icon, File Explorer improves “calculating” performance when selecting a lot of files, and the company fixes various problems with Snap Layouts and the Settings app.
In addition, build 23511 also ships with a bunch of fixes for File Explorer, Notifications, Taskbar, and Windows Ink.
Windows 11 build 23511 new features
Here are all the new features and improvements for the latest release of Windows 11 in the Dev Channel:
Spotlight for desktop improvements
Microsoft is adding new design changes for the Spotlight icon on the desktop that includes an updated hover full-screen interface with rich information about the background image and a minimized experience.
In both cases, the experience will include 4K portrait images and the ability to learn more about each desktop image.
Camera
When the camera streaming issue is detected, a notification will appear with the recommendation to launch the automated “Get Help” troubleshooter to resolve the issue.
Start menu
As part of the Start menu changes, the “Recommended” section now offers a richer preview when hovering over files for devices enrolled using an AAD account, but the company says that the feature will also come to users with a Microsoft account. Additionally, when right-clicking on cloud file recommendations, there is now an option to quickly share these files.
Furthermore, the “All apps” menu will now show a “System” label for system components.
Taskbar
Starting on Windows 11 build 23511, the bell icon for notifications will no longer show the counter. Instead, Notifications will now show as a bell in the system tray, and when new notifications come through, the bell will colorize based on your system accent color. When there are no notifications, and the clock is visible, the bell will be empty.
Other changes
Some other smaller changes include performance improvements for “calculating” when selecting a bunch of files for sharing. The Snap Layouts features fix several bugs causing some crashes that resulted in us turning off suggestions.
Also, the Settings app fixes instability problems with the new Home page, and it’s now possible to completely disable the “Phone Link” experience from the “Bluetooth & devices” page.
Fixes and improvements
This flight also ships with a bunch of fixes and improvements for Taskbar, Input, Settings, File Explorer, and more.
File Explorer
- Fixed an issue where copying files out of large archives or using “Extract All” might have been slower than expected for “solid” .7Z or .rar archives.
- Fixed an issue where when decompressing some of the newly supported archive format types, the folder names might become gibberish.
- Fixed an underlying issue where in some cases the context menu background in File Explorer was appearing transparent.
Notifications
- Fixed an issue that was preventing apps from opening when you selected inside a notification popup for that app.
- Fixed an issue causing Insiders to unexpectedly see a notification suggesting you turn off notifications for an app named NotifyiconGeneratedAumid_*.
Taskbar
- Fixed multiple explorer.exe crashes that were impacting taskbar reliability.
- Fixed an issue that was causing quick settings not to open when selecting the network, volume, and battery icons in the system tray.
- Adjusted the desktops switching animation to ease into the animation a little more.
- Fixed an issue where search was not actually hiding when set to hide in taskbar settings.
Dynamic Lighting
- Fixed an issue where writing in the address box in Microsoft Edge might not work correctly. Make sure Microsoft Edge is up to date with the latest version.
This release also has known issues with the Start menu, Windows Copilot, Dynamic Lighting, File Explorer, and Windows Ink.
Install build 23511
If you want to download and install the Windows 11 build 23511, enroll your device in the Dev Channel using the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Windows Update” section.
Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download build 23511 from the “Windows Update” settings by clicking the Check for Updates button. However, you will need a device that meets the minimum system requirements to receive the update if you are new to the Windows Insider Program.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].