What you need to know
- Windows 11 Build 25197 recently rolled out to Insiders in the Dev Channel.
- The update brought back the new tablet-optimized Taskbar that had been introduced previously but was later removed.
- It also added the option to change all desktop backgrounds at the same time when using virtual desktops.
Microsoft shipped Windows 11 Build 25197 to Insiders in the Dev Channel late last week. That update brought back the tablet-optimized Taskbar that was in early Insider builds of the operating system but was later removed. It appears that the latest build also brought another feature to Windows 11, the option to change all desktop wallpapers at once when using virtual desktops.
The folks at Neowin spotted the feature while testing the OS. The changelog for Windows 11 build 25197 doesn’t mention the new wallpaper capability, but the option appears to have become available with the rollout of the update.
Virtual Desktops are an excellent way to split your workload on Windows 11 or Windows 10. Rather than having all of your programs laid out in a way that needs to accommodate all of your workflows, you can create specific virtual desktops for different categories. For example, you could have one virtual desktop for your work setup with productivity apps and then swap over to a different one that’s optimized for gaming.
Before the change, users had to switch each desktop wallpaper separately. Of course, you can still change your wallpaper on one desktop at a time if you’d like. Some people may prefer to have different backgrounds for their various virtual desktops, and that remains an option.
The new wallpaper change is relatively small, but it’s a nice addition. You can read about the more notable changes in Windows 11 Build 25197 in our full breakdown of the update from when it first shipped.