by Windows 11 has a new preview build that includes a whole bunch of fresh bits and pieces, including one major change and a few other minor tweaks to the taskbar and improvements on the accessibility front.
Microsoft just moved Build 22621.1343 to the Release Preview Channel and put a search box back on the taskbar.
As Windows 11 users no doubt know, the operating system changed the traditional Windows 10 search box and turned it into a button that you had to click before you could type your search query into a box at the top of the search box.
However, with this new preview we have the traditional box back in the taskbar where you can type your query directly.
Other minor changes to the taskbar include an adjustment for the system tray, where icons now have a rounded focus (when moused over). And for tablets (2-in-1s), there’s a touch-optimized taskbar that’s easier to use with your fingers (and moves completely out of the way when folded to maximize screen real estate on a smaller display).
Along with some work on the taskbar, there are also a number of accessibility-related additions.
We’re talking about increased support for braille devices and additional voice access capabilities (especially with the “click” command, which lets you verbally instruct the cursor to click on different items on the screen), as well as better scrolling using voice controls.
Alongside the new features are the expected bug fixes and tinkering. Microsoft also states, “We improved the reliability of Windows after you installed an update,” which sounds like a useful change to us. It’s a pretty broad statement of course, but more stability after the update has to be a good thing.
For the full list of feature launches and fixes — long in this case — see Microsoft’s blog post (opens in new tab).
Analysis: smoothing the search and further developing accessibility
Microsoft has certainly done a good job here, with an emphasis on the taskbar and accessibility as mentioned, and a tasty boner for 2-in-1 laptop users.
We’re happy about the change to the rather clunky search button, or at least that’s how we thought it was. Not that we often search in Windows that much, mind you, but having the box right there is a definite boon – we’ve always seen the button as a step back that caused unnecessary fiddling.
That said, not everyone wants a big box on the taskbar, but the good news for those folks is that there are taskbar settings for how you want the search feature — you can turn it back into a button if you want.
The new language features, and there are many of them, are also commendable additions. Granted, voice clicking (and now scrolling) can be a pretty slow way of navigating the desktop, but it’s clearly going to be an invaluable option for some people.
Because these changes are in Release Preview, the final stage of testing before features are rolled out into the full release of Windows 11, we can hope to see some of these features sooner rather than later. Maybe even in the next big update called Moment 3? Watch this space…
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