Tech

Windows 11 gets its first big update

It was an open secret that Microsoft had prepared a good set of new features for Windows 11. Not half a year has passed since its launch, but the dynamics of Windows updates is not something that Redmond takes lightly. And even though it seems certain that the operating system will eventually go from two to one big update a year, no one expects all the news of a year to be concentrated in a single release.

In this regard, the insider program is a great “snitch”because what we can see in its three channels tells us a lot about what we can expect in the short and medium term in Windows 11. In this way, when something is shown in the Beta channel we will know that it points to the medium term (months), while that if it makes an appearance in Preview, we will most likely only have to wait a few weeks until it starts arriving for all users as an update.

This is what has allowed us to hope a first Windows 11 update on these dates And while we already had an idea of ​​what to expect, here’s a rundown of the biggest new additions to this, let’s call it that, Winter Update.

Microsoft announces news for Windows 11

Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 (US only)

Undoubtedly one of the star functions of Windows 11 is the possibility of using apps for Android thanks to the Android subsystem for Windows. Although not all apps will be able to work, since said subsystem does not incorporate Google services, there are many developments that do not depend on them and, therefore, can run without problems in the Microsoft operating system.

Throughout these months we have already told you about some systems to be able to install Android apps in Windows 11, but what we were really waiting for, since it was announced by Microsoft in the presentation of Windows 11, was the arrival of Android apps in the Windows app storeby including the amazon app store (the one used by the company’s devices) in the Microsoft Store.

And why the Amazon app store, instead of Google’s? Precisely because of what I indicated before: Windows 11 allows you to run Android binaries, but it does not have Google services, and that is precisely what the Amazon repository offers you, a wide selection of apps that do not depend on Google services for its correct operation. In this way, users will be able to download and use this entire catalog of software without compatibility problems.

The bad news is that, At the moment, the Amazon app store will only be available, on Windows 11, for users in the United States, without Microsoft having advanced dates of its arrival in other geographies. Maybe with Sun Valley 2, sometime in the second half of this year? For now, in the rest of the world we will have to continue using alternative methods, but at least we can hope that the Amazon Appstore will be available to us before the end of the year.

Microsoft announces news for Windows 11

Windows Media Player and Notepad redesigned

Today, when asked about the reason for the name of Windows, we remembered the history of this operating system. Present in our lives for some decades now, Windows did not arrive alone, but with a small but very useful set of tools and applications, some of which have lasted until the present. Such is the case of Notepad, which is actually even older than Windows itself.. and that close to turning forty (next year), she has anticipated the dreaded “crisis of the 40s” with a change of look that, things as they are, suits her quite well.

It is not a spectacular change, this must be clarified, but jokes aside, it is true that it was already needing a facelift, which comes with this Windows 11 update. Do not expect, yes, a great change, because in this case redesign it means adding a handful of new features and whatnot. Mainly the change consists of equating its appearance to that of Windows 11 and, yes, a novelty that will be celebrated by many: the increasingly popular dark mode will finally be available in Notepad.

This can be manually adjusted at will, but it can also be configured so that the change from light to dark mode occurs automatically, if we have configured Windows 11 to switch between day and night mode automatically. Other new features are levels in the Undo/Redo function, improvements to the search and replace function and that emotes, which are currently displayed in black and white, will finally be displayed in color.

Microsoft announces news for Windows 11

The Windows media player also updates its design, in a movement that supposes confirmation that Groove has not achieved the objectives set by Microsoft and that, therefore, he has already started his farewell. And no, it is not an interpretation, this is what we can read about it in the information provided by the company about this Windows 11 update:

«Media Player replaces the Groove Music app; if your music collection is in Groove Music today, your library and playlists will migrate automatically.»

As for the news that comes to Windows Media Player from the hand of the Windows 11 update, in addition to the fact that it also has the dark mode, accessibility has also been improvedwith new and/or improved keyboard shortcuts, which make it easier to control.

Microsoft announces news for Windows 11

Taskbar improvements

No, The news of the Windows 11 taskbar that we told you about a few days ago has not yet come the turnThose will still have to wait a few months. If you are one of the people who are waiting for them, join the fingers crossed campaign that many people have already started so that their arrival takes place with Sun Valley 2. However, there is something new in this update, in relation to this component Windows interface key.

The most notable thing is that we see that Windows 11 is going to bring back something that is present in Windows 10, but surprisingly did not jump directly to Windows 11. I mean weather information which, in Windows 10, is displayed in the news access next to the systray. And it is that, if you have not yet made the jump to 11, you should know that now that information is in the access to the widgets, but that the temperature or the current situation are not displayed. This is reverted with this update, where the widget menu will also automatically drop down when hovering over it.

Another novelty has to do with Teams, and that is that now the taskbar will have a new control that will be shown when we are on a call with this service, and that will allow us to control a basic function: disable and reactivate our microphone. Until now, doing so required access to the Teams app interface, which could be a bit awkward if you were using another app during the conversation.

And one last novelty that the Windows 11 update brings, which will not be useful for many users, but which will be tremendously well received by those for whom it has been designed, is that now in a system with two monitors, it will be possible to configure the system so that the clock is displayed on the second screen.

Thus, in order not to be a major update, the truth is that this Windows 11 update yes it brings a good set of novelties. And if you’re wondering when you’ll be able to apply it to your system, Microsoft has already started its deployment, so in principle you won’t have to wait too long to start enjoying these new features.

More information: Microsoft

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