25 Best New Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) Features
Jun. 14, 2022We have added the 20 best Windows 11 22H2 features, including Start Menu changes, Taskbar improvements, new accessibility additions, and much more. You can expand the table below and move to your desired section.
Another great feature of Windows 11 22H2 is that you can now add more pinned apps to the Start menu and reduce recommended items. This was again one of the biggest frustrations of the new Start Menu, and Microsoft has delivered a much-needed change.
To pin more apps, you need to open the Settings app and go toPersonalization -> Startto add more pins. In case you like Microsoft’s smart recommendations, you can also give it more space in the Start menu. And if you don’t like recommendations at all, you canremove the ‘Recommended’ section from the Windows 11 Start menu.
Windows 11 22H2 update also brings “Search Highlights” to the Start menu. If you press the search icon in the Taskbar, it will nowdisplay recent apps and important eventsfrom around the world and your personal calendar, trending searches, and more.
Enterprise users will also see recent activity from Microsoft 365, contacts from your organization, etc. It looks like a meaningful addition to Windows 11’s Start menu to keep you updated on all the happenings around the world. If you don’t like the feature, you candisable Search Highlights in Windows 11using the linked guide.
Many users were miffed that you could no longer drag and drop files onto the Taskbar. It was a nifty way to easily open files in a dedicated program. However, that changes with the Windows 11 22H2 update. Now, you candrag and drop files on pinned appsin the Taskbar. This will be helpful to users who want to edit media files or share code snippets with a code editor.
The new quick Bluetooth settings menu is one of my favorite additions in Windows 11 22H2. Similar to Wi-Fi, you can nowchoose your Bluetooth devicefrom the Quick Settings itself. No need to open the Settings page to connect to a paired device. This Taskbar update is going to prove helpful to users who use wireless Bluetooth devices on their Windows 11 PCs.
Here’s how it works. In the taskbar, hover your cursor over the app whose contents you want to share in a meeting. You will see a “Share this window“option with the Teams logo, which upon clicking will share the window in the video conferencing app right away. Microsoft mentions the API will be open to developers as well, andvideo conferencing apps like Zoomand Google Meet will be able to take advantage of this feature.
Along with ‘Share this window’, there is another new feature in Windows 11 22H2 that lets you mute the microphone with a global shortcut. Just press “Windows + Alt + K” and the microphone will be muted instantly. Press the same shortcut key, and it will be unmuted.
This is one of thehidden Windows 11 features, and you should definitely use it. The feature currently works only with Microsoft Teams but as third-party developers implement the API, you will find this shortcut working on other apps as well.You can alsomute/ unmute the microphone from the Taskbarand check the apps which are using the microphone with past history of mic usage.
In case you want the feature right now, follow our guide on how toget a universal mute switch for video calls in Windows 11/ 10. It utilizes Microsoft PowerToys, which is one of thebest Windows 11 appsand lets you configure your own hotkey to mute the mic. The best part here is that it works on all apps.
Further, Microsoft is working on small things to improve the cohesiveness of Windows 11. As part of the Windows 11 22H2 update, you get a new charging icon that looks clean and readable. It shows a small lightning bolt indicator for charging to make itmoreglanceable. On the other hand, if you cast your Windows 11, a ‘cast’ icon will appear on the Taskbar. Pretty cool, right?
These files will appear on the Home page, along with Quick Access folders and Recent files, pulled from OneDrive and Office documents from Microsoft 365. Basically, File Explorer in Windows 11 22H2 is now well-integrated with your web files too.
The File Explorer in Windows 11 22H2 has also received OneDrive integration. On the top-right corner, you will find a OneDrive icon to let you view the sync status and storage information with just a click.
You already know that you can right-click on any folder or file and choose “Copy as path” to copy the path of the folder/ file. But with the Windows 11 22H2 update, you can select the file and press “Ctrl + Shift + C” to copy the path instead of the folder. This is again a minor update but will be massively helpful to users who use ADB, Command Prompt, or PowerShell.
One of the meaningful updates in Windows 11 22H2 is the new Task Manager, which got updated after almost a decade (first major update since the Windows 8 days). The Task Manager on Windows 11 now follows thenew Fluent design languageand is built on WinUI3 and XAML Islands. The new Task Manager looks and behaves like a modern app and follows the system accent.
Not to mention, the new Task Manager on Windows 11 22H2 supportsboth light and dark modes. In addition, there is anEfficiency mode(earlier calledEco mode) in Task Manager that will allow you to force offensive apps to consume less power and offer better battery life. You can right-click on any app and choose ‘Efficiency mode’ to have it consume less power. Note that you can’t use Efficiency mode for system processes.
Snap layouts is already one of thebest features of Windows 11, and it’s going to be even better on Windows 11 22H2. You can now drag the title bar of a window to the top-center of the screen, and all the Snap layouts will appear right there. You can drag the app to your preferred layout and it will snap there.
Among the many UI changes to Windows 11 in the 22H2 update, I love the updatedflyout UIfor adjusting volume and brightness. You no longer get the metro-styled flyout UI while changing volume and brightness. The new flyout slider follows the Windows 11 aesthetics, and it looks beautiful.
The revamped Photos app will come with a fresh photo management UI along with a gallery view, improvements to photo browsing, and OneDrive integration to back up your photos to the cloud. There is also a “Memories” experience on the new Photos app.
Moreover, the Eye Contact feature along with Automatic Framing (similar to theCenter Stage feature on iPad) allows you to connect with the participants in a better way, even if you move around. You will find this feature under Settings -> Bluetooth and devices -> Cameras -> Integrated Front Camera.
The WSA-supported countries are as follows: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City / Holy See. No, we are not getting WSA in India, but you canenable it using our guide linked here.
In case, your region isyet to get official WSA supporton Windows 11, you can follow our guide and learnhow to install Android apps on Windows 11. This will work in all regions, irrespective of Microsoft’s official support.
Microsoft is slowly fixing the UI inconsistencies in Windows 11 and it hasbrought the Mica effect to legacy apps. No matter if you are using the Run prompt or an obscure Control Panel window, the title bar will have the Mica effect. It looks beautiful and makes Windows 11 even more cohesive in terms of look and feel.
We hope that Microsoft now brings dark mode to legacy windows and apps as well. In case you want to try a modified version of Windows 11 that fixes all the major UI inconsistencies, go ahead andtry out Rectify11.
One of the best new things about the Windows 11 22H2 update is thatFocus and DND are now integrated together, providing you a simple one-click option to start a Focus session from the Taskbar. It will disable all the notifications (except for priority notifications, which you can customize) and add an overlay Focus window on your desktop to keep track of your progress.
You can further add your custom timer, integrate Spotify, and add Microsoft To Do lists to find your tasks in one place. To learn more aboutFocus sessions in Windows 11, follow our linked article.
Further, swipe up in the bottom-right corner to open the Quick Settings panel. My favorite touch gesture is the3-finger swipe downto minimize all the apps. You can also swipe left and right with 3 fingers to switch between apps. All these gestures make Windows 11 22H2 a responsive and fluid OS for touchscreen devices.
The much-touted Live Caption feature is now live in the Windows 11 22H2 build. It was anupcoming Windows 11 feature, already present in the Dev and Beta builds, and now users in the Release Preview channel can also experience the system-wide accessibility feature. Simply open Windows Settings and move toAccessibility -> Captions. Here, you can enable “Live captions”. After that, press “Windows + Ctrl + L” to launch live captions while watching a video or listening to a podcast.
Whatever audio is being played on your Windows 11 PC, this feature will accurately transcribe the speech on the screen in real-time. And it works even when you are offline. We’ve been using this feature for quite some time, and we can say that it’s fast and accurate.
Having said that, bear in mind that Live Caption is only available inEnglish (US)at the moment. To learn abouthow to use Live Captions in Windows 11, follow our linked guide.
Currently, as expected, this feature only supports English (US). To turn on Voice Access, open the Settings app and navigate to Accessibility -> Speech -> enable “Voice Access”. You can find out more information aboutVoice Access in Windows 11from our linked article.
Natural Narrator is a new feature in Windows 11 22H2 that will read the contents available on the screen. It can be helpful while reading emails, articles, or books. Microsoft has introduced three natural-sounding voices, includingJenny, Aria, and Guy. Again, these voices are available only in English (US) as of now.
You can enableNatural Narratorin Windows Settings by navigating “Accessibility-> Narrator”. The best part is that after downloading the speech recognition files, it also works when you are offline. Microsoft uses its on-device text-to-speech engine to narrate whatever content is available on the screen.
Windows Spotlightis among the new features in the Windows 11 22H2 update. It brings Bing wallpapers to your desktop, and the feature is integrated within the Settings app. You can enable Windows Spotlight from Settings ->Personalization -> Background-> Personalize your background.
In the drop-down menu next to it, choose “Windows Spotlight”. This will add a Windows Spotlight shortcut on your desktop where you can shuffle new pictures and find out more information about the picture.
In Windows 11 22H2 update, the lock screen has received a minor update. It nowshowsmedia controlsin an updated design language, consistent with Windows 11’s aesthetics. Apart from that, the accessibility flyout menu on the lock screen also received fresh updates to its design. These are small UI changes but go a long way in making Windows 11 consistent design-wise.
Basically, animations on high refresh rate displays will look more fluid on Windows 11. So if you own a high refresh rate laptop or monitor running Windows 11, the next major update will make the experience even better for you.
As part of its ongoing effort to move away from the Control Panel, the company has made great strides inmigrating core Control Panel functionalities to Windows Settings. And with the Windows 11 22H2 update, more tools and features from Control Panel have moved to Settings, which is great for new users. You can now uninstall Windows updates from the Settings itself. Also, Advanced Network Settings has been fully migrated to Windows Settings.
Apart from that, the Settings app now houses controls for Network Discovery, File and Printer Sharing, and Public Folder Sharing. Not to mention, when your press “Windows + X” to open the Quick Links menu, you now get the “Installed apps” option instead of “Apps and Features”. This will redirect you to the Settings app and not the Control Panel.
All in all, Microsoft has done a superb job at migrating key features from Control Panel to Windows Settings. (Tip: runningappwiz.cplstill opens Programs and Features in Control Panel).
Smart App Control is perhaps one of the best Windows 11 22H2 features if we take security into account. We already have the SmartScreen feature that asks you to reconsider your decision before opening an unsigned app from an unknown publisher. However, most users ignore the warning and run untrusted apps by clicking on “More info”. This leads malware and viruses onto the user’s PC, which Microsoft aims to fix with the Windows 11 22H2 update. A new Smart App Control feature that sits inside Windows Security analyzes malicious apps usingAI and code certificatesand blocks them from running on your PC.
David Weston, the Vice President of OS Security and Enterprise at Microsoftsaid thatSmart App Control can even block malware when the antivirus is disabled. The best part here is that Smart App Control isenabled by defaultif you have performed a fresh install of Windows 11 22H2. But the weird part is that if you disable this feature, you can’t turn it on unless you reinstall Windows 11.
In a major attempt to improve security on Windows 11, Microsoft is taking some brave decisions and enablingCore Isolation (Memory Integrity) by default. If you have performed a fresh install of Windows 11 22H2, Core Isolation will be enabled by default. However, if you have upgraded your PC with Core Isolation turned off, it will keep the settings as it is.
Werecommend you enable Core Isolationto protect your PC from sophisticated malware attacks. The performance impact is almost negligible if you have asupported CPU to run Windows 11(Intel 8th-gen and above, AMD Zen+ and above ). You can enable Core Isolation from Windows Security -> Device Security.
Microsoft isworkingto reduce carbon emissions while installing Windows 11 updates, and it’s taking up this initiative with the Windows 11 22H2 update. Windows 11 will use data fromelectricityMaporWattTimeto find the regional carbon intensity data at your location and will only update your PC when your local power grid is using one of therenewable energies, including wind, solar, or hydroelectric power.
If your Windows 11 PC is plugged in and your local power grid is using renewable energy, you will see the text highlighted in the screenshot on the Windows Update settings page. As Windows 11 is slowly climbing the charts with a 10 percent market share, it’s good on the part of Microsoft to make Windows Updates energy-efficient.
Earlier, the requirement was only applicable to Windows 11 Home, and evenPro users will now come under this purview. If you are curious, you can learn about thedifferences between Windows 11 Home and Profrom our article.
Nevertheless, if you upgrade to Windows 11 22H2 from 22H1 with a local account, you will not be asked to link a Microsoft account, which is a relief. Anyway, if you want to get away with the online account requirement, head over to our guide onhow to create a local account on Windows 11 after a fresh install. We have mentioned some nifty tricks that work on all Windows 11 editions.
List of New Windows 11 22H2 Update Features
Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.
