Mini keyboard, Message Requests, and more hit Xbox Insiders soon

Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition
Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition (Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft has been aggressively updating the Xbox One's interface since launch, but it looks like the biggest changes are ahead. Today, the company revealed some of the tweaks coming to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha — Skip Ahead rings starting today. Some of the features mentioned below may not be available immediately so keep a lookout for them in the coming weeks. The biggest addition has to be mini virtual keyboard because the existing one is intrusive and cumbersome to use.

Mini virtual keyboard

  • Microsoft understands that navigating a virtual keyboard can be challenging because you have to use thumbsticks. In order to improve this, a new mini virtual keyboard option is available.

Improved uninstall

  • The new suggested uninstall feature will send you to a page that has titles suggested for removal if your hard drive is full.

Streamlined Xbox Game Pass Quests

  • Xbox Game Pass Quests will be accessible directly from the dashboard and profile.

Message Requests

  • With Message Requests, you can prioritize messages from your friends and anyone else.

Power Center restart

  • A new option to restart the console has been added to the Power Center.

Programmable button on remote

  • The Xbox media remote is being updated to allow the OneGuide button to be reprogrammed.

Those are the main features coming to Alpha and Alpha — Skip Ahead Xbox Insiders soon. Apart from that, Microsoft said that a small subset of users may be sent "experimental" features to test. It's unclear what they are.

Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.