Reports indicate that Windows 11 22H2 “Moment 3” is about to be released by Microsoft. It will be the third major feature update since Windows 11 22H2 launched. Below are some of the features expected to arrive in the upcoming “Moment 3” release.
Widget Board - a redesigned widget layout
Windows 11 22H2 “Moment 3” is expected to arrive this month or in June. The first notable change is the Widget Board: Microsoft will move your own widgets to one side and separate them from the MSN news feed. The new Widget Board in Windows 11 will have two columns, with user-added widgets on the left and Microsoft’s built-in widgets on the right.
Widgets now also let users pin the ones they use frequently. Third-party providers are being allowed to create widgets for Windows 11 as well, with Facebook among them, offering a widget that updates notifications related to friends.
Updates to Notification Center & Taskbar
If you use Phone Link to connect your phone, Notification Center in Windows 11 will now let you copy OTP codes, including 2FA codes from apps, as well as other types of one-time codes. Beyond Phone Link, OTP copying will also work with other local apps such as Telegram, Skype, and Teams.
The Windows 11 taskbar is also getting a few small updates. The Wi-Fi signal indicator will add a VPN icon when a VPN is in use, while icons such as Start, Weather, and Search will show effects when users hover over them and open them. If the “Search Box” feature is enabled on the taskbar, users will see a Bing icon. Clicking it will take them straight to Bing Chat in Edge instead of opening the search box.
Updates to Settings
The biggest change in Windows 11 Settings is that Microsoft is adding an option to receive new features as soon as they are ready for your device, rather than waiting for the monthly patches. It is also separate from security updates.
Settings will also gain a page for viewing information about USB4-compatible devices and USB4 devices connected to the computer, along with the ability to copy detailed information to the clipboard.
On the privacy side, Windows 11 Settings is adding a permission for controlling apps that detect a user’s presence while using the computer, allowing users to turn access to the sensors used for this feature on or off. For example, some computers or apps use a webcam and infrared sensor to confirm that the user is sitting in front of the PC so it does not lock, or to automatically lock when the user walks away and unlock again when the user returns to the PC.
Finally, there is an option to show the touch keyboard on the computer screen.
New updates for File Explorer, Photos, Live Captions, and Voice Access
Microsoft also plans to add a “slideshow” photo-viewing mode to the Photos app, which is the default image viewer in Windows 11. Several transition effects and new music tracks will be added to Photos when users view pictures in “slideshow” mode, along with the return of a blemish-fixing tool that had been part of Photos but was ultimately removed when Windows 11 officially launched.
For accessibility, Live Captions will add support for Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and several additional English dialects. Voice Access is also gaining support for more languages, making the voice access feature easier to use and learn.
Finally, in File Explorer, Microsoft is adding quick access to features in the new Context Menu, with each first letter corresponding to an “access key” shortcut.
