Windows 11 still has years in its life. And being Microsoft’s latest desktop OS, it is expected to get new features continuously. And with a new year coming, that is certain. The question, though, is how many and what features we are getting in 2023. Looking back at rumors, leaks, and past reports of the features being tested with Windows Insiders, here’s what we can tell you.
Windows 11 22H2 Update’s “Moment 1,” rolled out last month, signaled the coming of more Moment updates for the OS. It delivered the Suggested Actions menu, Task Manager option when right-clicking the taskbar, File Explorer tabs, overflow menu, and more. There’s still no official list detailing the next ones included in the Moment 2 update of 22H2, but based on the past build releases with Insiders, it might consist of a full-screen widgets board. It can be recalled that weeks ago, we reported the Windows 11 widgets board panel getting a simpler layout by adopting some of the elements tested in Windows 11 Preview Build 25227 in the Dev Channel. Sadly, the change didn’t include the maximize button, but we have high hopes it will arrive in Moment 2 since it was still included in the last tests, like Preview Build 25262 in Dev Channel.
As for other features in Moment 2, there were earlier reports that it could include File Explorer live search, website recommendation in the Start menu, tablet-dedicated taskbar design (Microsoft was also spotted trying the same concept in Edge called “Touch Mode”), new energy recommendations, and System tray drag-and-drop support. The last three are also in the recently reported items by Windows Central, but it added that Moment 2 might also deliver more search bar options, Search in Task Manager, Studio Effects in Quick Settings, and Voice Access enhancements. These new features in Moment 2 are expected to arrive between February and March next year.
As for Moment 3, we reported weeks ago about its release, which could be in May 2023. The report from Windows Central, however, says it could be between May and June. Unlike Moment 2, certainty about the features coming to Moment 3 is more blurry. Nonetheless, Windows Central’s Zac Bowden shared rumors about changes in dual-screen devices and foldable PCs. This is promising, especially in the case of Surface Duo, which received the Android 12L update this year that hides the experimental “force desktop mode” feature. And with the recent report that Microsoft might launch a dedicated Insider Program for Surface Duo devices, let us expect some twist in 2023.
Microsoft hid a CLOUD DESKTOP MODE into the 12L Surface Duo update
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On the other hand, Moment 4 is reportedly not coming as “Moment 4.” Instead, it will be called Windows 11 Version 23H2, which signifies Microsoft’s strategy to release annual feature updates for the OS. The 23H2 update is expected to arrive between September and October, though there are zero leaks or rumors that could give us insights into its features. Will the release be huge as 22H2? We don’t know. But some of the things we might expect from it is the coming of tabs to the Windows 11 Notepad alongside more revamps in more Windows 11 apps. (With the recent activity of Microsoft concerning its apps, that is not impossible!)
Also, let us not forget about the leaks that directly came from Microsoft executives like Satya Nadella. During his keynote presentation at Microsoft Ignite, the Microsoft CEO showed a rather odd layout of the Windows system boasting a floating taskbar. As seen in the screenshots saved by fans, the taskbar is completely different. Instead of the conventional present straight one that runs side to side, it has rounded corners detached from the edge of the screen. And with Microsoft continuously testing rounded Search bars on the taskbar, there is a huge chance that the software company might be really considering more rounded elements for the OS in the future.