Windows 11 Moment 5 update new features

The Moment 5 update for Windows 11 was released on February 29 as an optional update.
The update will focus on rolling out changes to comply with the Digital Markets Act.
These changes include options to uninstall Edge, change the search provider for Windows Search, and improve file sharing.

On February 29, 2024, Microsoft began the rollout of the “Moment 5” update (and internally as “February 2024 Moment”) for Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 with some new features and improvements. This is the last feature drop the company makes available before transitioning to one feature update per year.

The Windows 11 Moment 5 update is a minor release compared to Windows 11 23H2, but it includes various changes and new features, focusing more specifically on modifying the operating system to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union (EU), which must be done by March 6, 2024. It’s important to note that since Microsoft is being forced to comply with the DMA, some changes will only apply to users located in the European Union.

In this guide, I’ll highlight what you need to know about this feature drop update for Windows 11.

TL;DR

List of new features part of the Windows 11 Moment 5 update:

New option to uninstall Microsoft Edge and most built-in apps (EU only).
New option to remove Bing from Windows Search (EU only).
Copilot new skills to change settings, plugins, and right-side alignment.
Photos app new Generative Erase to remove unwanted objects from images with AI.
Clipchamp app has a new option to remove silence.
Nearby Sharing faster speeds and configure changes.
New recovery option to reset PC through Windows Update.
New “Mobile devices” feature to edit pictures from your phone on your PC.
New Ink Anywhere feature to write in text boxes.
Widgets dashboard gets a new option to disable the news feed.
Voice Access gets a new “shortcuts” feature and support for multiple displays.
Windows Narrator gets a new preview feature for natural voices.
Cast changes improve troubleshooting and discovery.
Start menu now shows upcoming meetings.
Snap Layouts includes new AI suggestions to snap multiple apps together quickly.
Windows 11 gets USB4 version 2 standard with transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps.
Windows 365 Boot starts a computer into a Cloud PC.

New features

These are the new features and improvements arriving with the Moment 5 update for Windows 11:

Uninstall options for Edge and other apps

As part of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) changes affecting users in the European Union (EU), the company plans to release an option to uninstall Microsoft Edge, which will only be available for those users in the EU. However, it will be possible for users outside the EU to remove the browser, but this will require some additional steps.

Windows 11 uninstall Edge browser

In addition to removing the default web browser, the company will add the option to remove many other inbox apps, such as Photos and Camera.

Option to remove Bing from Windows Search

Also, the company plans to make changes to the Windows Search experience to allow users to ditch Bing in favor of other search providers, such as Google. However, again, this will only be available for those users governed by the Digital Markets Act.

Copilot new changes

The “Copilot” button will now appear on the right side of the Taskbar, next to the System Tray. As a result of this change, the system will now disable the “Show desktop” feature by default.

You can restore this configuration from Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, and under the “Taskbar behaviors” setting, check the “Select the far corner to the taskbar to show the desktop” option.

In addition, Microsoft is including plugins as a new feature, but they have been available for a while. The company also mentions additional skills that allow you to use the chatbot to change system settings, but again, it has been available for some time.

Apps updates with AI

As part of the AI integration on apps, this update marks the official rollout of the “Generative Erase” feature in the Photos app, which allows you to select and remove unwanted objects or imperfections from your images using AI, similar to Android’s Magic Eraser.

And the Clipchamp app is also getting a new option to remove silence or conversation gaps.

Settings Home page

The “Home” page in the Settings app now includes a new card to lure users into purchasing a Microsoft Copilot Pro subscription.

A similar advertisement is also available in the “Accounts” section.

Accounts settings with Copilot / Image: Mauro Huculak

Nearby Sharing enhancements

The Windows 11 Moment 5 update will also focus on improving existing features. For example, Nearby Sharing will improve the transfer speeds of files between devices, make it easier to set up the feature by automatically turning on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when turning on the file sharing feature, and you will be able to change the computer name from the “Nearby Sharing” settings to make it easier to find the device in the network. (The rename option is not different than the ones in the About and Home pages of the Settings app.)

Nearby Sharing with rename option / Image: Mauro Huculak

The Share interface will now show apps based on your account in the “Sharing using” section. For example, when using a Microsoft account, the Teams (free) app appears as a choice, but when using an Entra ID, you will see the Teams (paid) option.

In addition, the interface will now include options to share directly into WhatsApp, and the copy link interface has been updated and appears at the top of the experience. If the app isn’t installed, when clicking the app, it’ll install automatically

The same sharing option will also be available in the “Share” interface when sharing a link using the web browser.

New PC reset option through Windows Update

The Windows 11 Moment 5 update also introduces a new recovery feature that allows you to reinstall the operating system through Windows Update to repair the most common problems.

Moment 5 update new recovery option / Image: Mauro Huculak

The feature is labeled “Fix problems using Windows Update” and is available on Settings > System > Recovery. When you launch the feature, Windows Update will download the current version of the operating system to reinstall the system while preserving your files, settings, and apps.

Mobile devices and Snipping Tool

Starting with this feature drop, you can now receive notifications when new photos or screenshots are available from your phone, and then you can access and edit them directly from the Snipping Tool app.

To enable this feature, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices and click the “Manage devices” button, which will open the new “Manage mobile devices” app.

Manage devices settings / Image: Mauro Huculak

After connecting your Android phone, you can instantly access and edit your most recent pictures with the Snipping Tool.

Manage mobile devices app / Image: Microsoft

New Ink Anywhere feature

Microsoft plans to introduce the Ink Anywhere feature to allow users to use the digital pen to write in the text boxes.

Option to remove news feed from Widgets

Other changes include disabling the newsfeed from the Widgets board and allowing other companies to build plugins for users to plug in other news sources.

Widgets disable news feed / Image: Mauro Huculak

Also, the settings page now includes a new “Notifications” section where you can turn notification badges and announcements on and off.

Those users in the European Union region will be able to add other news feed sources from the Microsoft Store.

Voice Access new enhancements

In the Moment 5 update, Voice Access will support more languages, such as French (France), French (Canada), German, Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico).

The feature now supports multiple displays. As part of the support, you can also switch to another display quickly and use the drag-and-drop feature. The company is also enabling the “mouse grid” command to move the mouse pointer to a specific section on one of the monitors.

Finally, it’s now possible to create custom voice commands. You can start by clicking the “Voice shortcuts” tab from the left panel in the Voice Access interface. (Currently only English.)

Voice Access shortcuts / Image: Mauro Huculak

Windows Narrator new enhancements

Also, Windows Narrator will introduce natural voice previews with the February 2024 update, which allows users to listen to natural voices before downloading the voice model on the computer. The previews are available in Chinese, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Japanese, English (UK), French, Portuguese, English (India), German and Korean.

Narrator voice preview / Image: Mauro Huculak

Cast improvements on Quick Settings

In this update, Windows 11 will now suggest using Cast through a notification toast when performing multitasking activities, such as often switching between windows to complete a task or using Snap Assist to organize your screen space.

Cast find device option / Image: Microsoft

The Cast panel has been updated with the new “Can’t find a device” option if you face trouble discovering nearby displays that open up a support page with suggestions on how to fix connection problems. Also, at the bottom of the page, you will find a new “More cast settings” that opens the “Displays” settings page.

Start menu changes

After installing the Moment 5 update, the Start menu will now group recently added apps into a folder under the “Recommended” section. Also, as you hover over the group, the folder will open with all the apps.

On devices running Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise and if you use an Entra ID account, you will notice notifications to join Teams meetings starting in the next five minutes.

If you don’t want to use this feature, open Settings > Personalization > Start, and turn off the “Show upcoming meetings” toggle switch.

Snap Layouts suggestions

Starting with the feature drop update, Microsoft is also updating Snap Layouts with the ability to suggest the apps you can snap together from the Maximize button in the window or the layouts interface at the top of the screen. The suggestions aim to snap apps quickly with a single click.

USB4 version 2

The Moment 5 update also rolls out support for USB4 version 2 that introduces transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps (40Gpbs per lane with two lanes in each direction) through the now standard USB-Type C connector that uses a new physical layer architecture based on PAM3 signal encoding and newly defined 80Gbps active cables.

Windows 365 integration into Windows 11

Microsoft will further integrate its Windows 365 service into the operating system, and Windows 365 Boot will enable users to boot straight into a Cloud PC.

The company is working on a new personal mode feature for Windows 365 Boot. This feature lets users set up devices to boot into their Windows 365 Cloud PC directly. Additionally, within the Windows 365 Boot experience, organizations will have the flexibility to modify the “Windows 365 Boot” logo and name. Furthermore, a new fail-fast system has been introduced, enabling users to promptly identify network issues without waiting for a login failure.

Moreover, this update makes it easier to access and manage sound, display, and other device-specific settings on your local PC directly through your Cloud PC under the Windows 365 Boot setting.

During transitions between different computers, users will notice labels such as “Cloud PC” and “Local PC” on the desktop indicator. Additionally, the Cloud PC interface will now provide real-time updates regarding connection status and display a connection timeout indicator on the connection screen.

Furthermore, Microsoft has enhanced the Windows 365 Switch feature to streamline the disconnection process from the Task View context menu.

Release date

The Windows 11 Moment 5 update release date is on February 29, 2024, which aligns with the release “D,” when the company makes the update available for the following Patch Tuesday release as an optional non-security preview install.

The update KB5034848 (build 22631.3235 and 22621.3235) is available through “Windows Update” as an optional install for devices already running versions 23H2 and 22H2. The update should be fully available on March 12 as a mandatory update.

The update will install a regular monthly update, meaning full reinstallation won’t be required. Since this is a small update, you won’t need to download the Media Creation Tool or Installation Assistant to upgrade. Again, it’s not necessary.

Installation

If you want to install the Moment 5 update (February 2024 Moment) on your computer, open Settings > Windows Update, turn on the “Get the latest update as soon as they’re available” toggle switch, and click the “Check for updates” button. You can learn more about the installation process with these instructions.

This update doesn’t require reinstallation of the operating system. Instead, it’ll install as a regular monthly update through Windows Update.

Update February 29, 2024: The content has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect new changes.