As we approach the first half of September 2025, it's time again to review the most significant changes that Microsoft has been working on for Windows 11 in the Windows Insider Program channels.
Currently, the software giant has made available six previews, some of which were part of the version 24H2 and 25H2, while others were not part of any specific development.
In the Canary Channel, we've seen builds 27943 and 27938. In the Dev and Beta Channels, the company rolled out the preview builds 26120.6682 and 26220.6682 as well as 26120.6682 and 26220.6682.
As part of the new features and changes in the Dev and Beta Channels, we've seen fluid dictation for Voice Access, Studio Effects for secondary cameras, a new hover-over menu for File Explorer, as well as improvements for Click to Do, Start menu, a new Advanced page that replaces the "For developers" settings, and more.
The Canary Channel has also been getting new features and visual changes, but they're nothing new since this branch is still catching up with improvements we've already seen in the other channels.
Here, I'll highlight the new visual changes and features that were released during the first half of September 2025.
1. Voice Access with fluid dictation
As part of builds 26120.5790 and 26220.5790, Windows 11 introduced the "fluid dictation" feature for Voice Access, which uses on-device Small Language Models (SLMs) to correct grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you dictate to minimize manual editing.
Since this feature uses on-device SLMs, it works offline, and no data is processed in the cloud. In addition, the feature works on any text box, excluding passwords and PIN fields.
If you want to turn on this feature, while in Voice Access, open the Settings menu from the top-right, select the "Manage options" menu, and choose the "Fluid dictation" option.
This feature is limited to Copilot+ PCs, and it's currently available for all English locales.
2. Studio Effects secondary cameras
Although Windows Studio Effects have been available for a while, the experience was limited to integrated cameras, but since builds 26120.5790 and 26220.5790, the company is expanding the enhancements to secondary cameras on Copilot+ PCs, including USB webcams and built-in rear cameras.
If you have another supported camera connected to your computer, from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, you can now select that device, and from the "Advanced camera options" page, you can enable the "Use Windows Studio Effects" feature.
After enabling the feature, you'll have access to Studio Effects from the camera's settings page.
3. File Explorer new context menu
In this rollout, Microsoft also made available a new version of File Explorer that updates the "Home" page with a new context menu that appears when hovering over files, offering commands like "Open file location" and "Ask Copilot about this file."
These commands are available to users logged in with a Microsoft account, but the company plans to extend them to work and school accounts, as well as to European users, in the future.
In the Canary Channel, the development continues porting previously available features across the operating system. For example, in File Explorer, the preview build 27938 added the new "AI Actions" menu to the context menu.
As part of these actions, you'll find options such as "Bing Visual Search," "Blur Background," "Erase Objects," and "Remove Background."
Currently, these actions are supported for ".jpg," ".jpeg," and ".png" file types.
4. Click to Do improvements
Starting with the release of builds 26120.6682 and 26220.6682, Windows 11 has introduced several visual changes for Click to Do.
For example, Microsoft is currently testing a Copilot prompt box in the Click to Do context menu to facilitate easier interaction with the chatbot. Furthermore, using the Phi-Silica AI model, the menu will also display AI prompt suggestions you can use with Copilot.
In the context menu, the company is also testing the use of tags for new and popular actions to help you discover more AI actions.
If you're using Click to Do on a touch-enabled device, you'll now notice a new visual animation when using the right edge gesture for a clearer visual cue as you swipe.
Finally, the "Summarize" action will now generate more brief and concise summaries from selected text.
5. Advanced settings page
Microsoft also plans to replace the "For developers" page with the "Advanced" settings. The new page includes a design that matches the style of the operating system and adds new features, such as support for file versioning.
On the version available with builds 26120.6682 and 26220.6682, the page includes six sections that feature settings for the Taskbar, File Explorer, Terminal, Dev Drives, Virtual Workspace, and For Developers.
On the "File Explorer" page, you'll find the same settings as before, but now there's a new version control built into the file manager that allows you to control information such as the branch name, last commit author, last commit message, and more. (Currently, this feature only integrates with Git.)
On the "Virtual Workspace" page, you will only find an entry to access the Remote Desktop settings.
Finally, the existing and most specific settings for developers are located in the "For developers" section.
6. Xbox Controller integration with Task View
When using an Xbox Controller on Windows 11, a long press will now open the Task View, allowing you to switch between apps and games more easily.
As a result, now, short-pressing the Xbox button opens the Game bar, a long press of the Xbox button will open Task View, and pressing and holding the button will turn off the controller.
7. SCOOBE with Microsoft subscription reminder
The company is also updating the Second Chance Out-of-box Experience (SCOOBE), which will now include a reminder when your Microsoft 365 subscription needs attention.
8. Recent activity for AI request
As part of build 27938, the Settings app is introducing a new "Recent activity" setting on the "Text and image generation" privacy settings page, which will display requests from third-party apps to utilize AI features.
As always, these preview builds include other minor changes and fixes.
What are your thoughts on these changes coming to Windows 11? Let me know in the comments.
More resources
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