UPDATED 1/20/2025: Microsoft is now rolling out improvements for Windows Search, Click To Do, File Explorer, Magnifier, and more with the release of Windows 11 build 26120.2992 (KB5050083) in the Dev Channel.
In addition, the company is also making available Windows 11 build 22635.4800 (KB5050085) in the Beta Channel and is officially introducing top cards for the About settings page to show key technical specifications, such as processor, memory, storage, and graphics. Also, this release comes with changes for Widgets, Taskbar, and Windows Backup.
Furthermore, the software giant recently released Windows 11 build 27774 in the Canary Channel with the new Administrator Protection feature, new Windows Setup partition warnings, and more.
Windows 11 build 26120.2992 (Dev Channel)
These are the most interesting that Microsoft is officially rolling out in the Dev Channel with the update KB5050083.
Windows Search with semantic indexing
Starting with this release, Microsoft is updating the Windows Search feature with semantic indexing. Semantic indexing means that now the system uses AI to help you find files, settings, and apps using natural language anywhere in the system, including in the search box for File Explorer, Taskbar, Start menu, or Search (home).
For example, instead of remembering the document name, you can simply describe it (for example, “Brazil trip budget”).
If you’re in the Settings app, you search for the configuration you want to make rather than searching for the actual setting’s name (for example, “how to change background”).
Microsoft also recommends enabling the “Enhanced” index option in Settings > Privacy & Security> Searching Windows for the best search experience. Currently, this feature works for local files, but in the future, it will work for other storage providers, including OneDrive.
The improvements for search are supported in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Supported file formats include .txt, .pdf, .docx, .doc, .rtf, .pptx, .ppt, .xls, .xlsx for documents and .jpg/.jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .ico for images.
Click to Do with Refine
Build 26120.2992 is also introducing a new option known as “Refine” for the Click to Do AI feature under the “Rewrite” menu for Copilot+ PCs.
This option will allow you to proofread and refine the selected text while in Click to Do.
File Explorer context menu update
Microsoft is also making available an updated version of File Explorer that adds a “New” entry to create new folders when right-clicking items from the left pane.
Magnifier new zoom options
This preview also adds the reset zoom to fit the screen and reset the zoom to the last modification buttons to the Magnifier interface.
Windows Backup improvements
Finally, starting with this release, the system will restore a standard Taskbar when selecting to restore the computer from a previous backup through the Out-of-box Experience.
Battery Percentage
Alongside the official changes, this release introduces a new option to show the battery percentage in the Taskbar.
You can enable the feature from Settings > System > Power & Battery by turning on the “Battery percentage” toggle switch.
Windows 11 build 22635.4800 (Beta Channel)
These are the most interesting that Microsoft is officially rolling out in the Beta Channel with the update KB5050085.
About settings page with top cards
Microsoft is now officially introducing a top cards view at the top of the page to highlight some of the key hardware specifications, such as storage, graphics card, installed memory, and processor details.
Settings home with recommendations
As part of build 22635.4800, Microsoft is also rolling out dynamic cards on the Home page of the Settings app for commercial customers. These cards include “Recommended settings” and “Bluetooth devices.” The company is also pushing a new account card for those work, school, and Microsoft account types.
Widgets with third-party widgets
In this release, developers can now build dynamic and interactive widgets for the “Widgets” dashboard.
Windows Backup improvements
Finally, starting with this release, the system will restore a standard Taskbar when selecting to restore the computer from a previous backup through the Out-of-box Experience.
Windows Search
As part of the changes for the update KB5050085, users in the European Union can change the web search providers, meaning that they can now change Bing for another search engine to search the web within Windows 11. In addition to the new setting, Microsoft is also updating the search results page with different tabs to make it clear between local and web searches.
You can enable this improvement by running the vivetool /enable /id:54865932 command with the ViveTool on Windows 11.
File Explorer with Recommended tab
Microsoft is also working on bringing the “Recommended” tab to the “Home” page on File Explorer.
The “Recommended” tab is a section that suggests whether you want to resume working. It was previously available only for Microsoft Entra ID accounts, but it’s been discovered that it may be coming to those using a Microsoft account as well. In addition, the feature will not only surface cloud files but also local files.
If you want to try this feature, you have to run the vivetool /enable /id:51721485,48895801 with the ViveTool and restart the computer. If you can’t find the “Recommended” section, open the “Folder Options” settings, and from the “General” tab, turn on the “Show recommended section” under the “Privacy” settings.
When you have this section enabled, File Explorer won’t show the “Quick Access” folders.
Also, as part of the File Explorer changes, the company seems to be planning to update the dialogs for Copy, Open, Save, and others to follow the text size preferences from the “Accessibility” settings in the Settings app.
You may enable the text size improvement by running the vivetool /enable /id:47274802 command with the ViveTool.
Start with All categories
Microsoft is also working on making visual changes to the “All” menu in the Start menu with grids that rearrange apps in different categories. We’ve seen this before, but now, the feature seems to be working, even though you may have to enable it manually with the vivetool /enable /id:47205210,49221331,48433719 command.
Once you enable the feature and restart the computer, the next time you open the “All” menu, you will find a drop-down menu with different options, including “Category,” “Name grid,” and “Name list.”
Installation process
To download and install these Windows 11 builds, enroll your device in the Dev or Canary Channel through the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Update & Security” section. Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download the build from the “Windows Update” settings by turning on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option and clicking the “Check for Updates” button.
Alongside these improvements, both preview builds on Windows 11 ships with various known issues for Recall, Click to Do, Live Captions, File Explorer, Search, and more.
Update January 20, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes inside the preview for the Beta Channel.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech (est. 2010). With over 21 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
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