Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 Insider build less than a week after 22610, for Insiders on the Dev and Beta channels.
Update, May 10: There's a newer build 22616.100 available, but it's just a servicing pipeline update that introduces no new features, you can view that announcement here.
The firm highlighted a couple of changes with this build, firstly, an attempted fix for the “Show hidden icons” flyout in the system tray not appearing for some Windows Insiders, and secondly, the company is looking for feedback for people that like to game using their PC with an Xbox Controller; they are hoping people will try out the new controller bar feature, you can read up a bit more on that feature here.
Also noteworthy is the fact that Microsoft has prominently highlighted that the Dev and Beta Channels will be splitting off soon, and although they still aren't indicating when it will happen, it will be a nasty surprise for anyone hoping to stay on the more stable Windows 11 22H2 build that will RTM very soon, likely before the end of this month.
There are no new features in this build, as it mainly contains fixes and improvements, without further ado, here are the changes and improvements in build 22616:
[General]
- [REMINDER] The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This doesn’t mean we’re done, and the watermark will return to Insiders in a future build.
[Taskbar]
- As a result of feedback from Windows Insiders, we have decided to disable the changes to the system tray introduced in Build 22581 for now. The system tray and specifically the “Show hidden icons” flyout will now function the same way it did with the original release of Windows 11, including the ability to rearrange icons in the flyout. We hope to bring these changes back in the future after further refinement of the experience by addressing some of the feedback we have received. As we’ve mentioned previously, features we try out in the Dev or Beta Channels may not always ship.
[Other]
- Previously, we shared new requirements for internet and MSA on the Windows 11 Pro edition. Today, Windows Insiders on Windows 11 Pro edition will now require MSA and internet connectivity during the initial device setup (OOBE) only when setting up for personal use. If you choose to setup device for Work or School, there is no change, and it will work the same way as before.
Here are all the fixes in build 22616:
[General]
We fixed an issue where performance and reliability of explorer.exe could degrade over time, eventually resulting in a bugcheck, in the recent Insider Preview builds.
[Taskbar]
We fixed the issue causing the “Show hidden icons” flyout in the system tray to disappear completely for some Insiders, even though it shows as “on” under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and “Other system tray icons”.
[Input]
Fixed an issue which was leading to some apps crashing when pressing the half-width/full-width key while using the Japanese IME.
[Widgets]
Fixed an issue where if you tried to open the widgets board using a gesture from the side of the screen, you would see the widgets board open and then immediately close.
Fixed an issue where users were unable to use the swipe functionality to reliably invoke Widgets.
[Settings]
Fixed an issue that could cause Quick Settings to crash when projecting to certain wireless devices.
[Windowing]
Addressed an issue where using the 3-finger on-screen touch gesture for minimizing could cause animations to stop working across the system.
Fixed an issue impacting DWM reliability in recent flights.
Fixed an issue which was causing some apps like Settings to open blank if they were re-opened an upgrade or reboot.
[Task Manager]
We fixed an issue that was causing the process list to fluctuate between Apps & Background groups when clicking on Efficiency mode from the command bar
[Windows Sandbox]
Fixed an underlying issue which could cause some text in Windows Sandbox to appear as black boxes in certain cases.
[Other]
Fixed an issue leading to Windows Update notifications showing they were sent from “Windows.SystemToast.WindowsUpdate.MoNotification” instead of “Windows Update”.
There's just one set of known issues to be aware of in build 22616:
[Live captions]
- Certain apps in full screen (e.g., video players) prevent live captions from being visible.
- Certain apps positioned near the top of the screen and closed before live captions is run will re-launch behind the live captions window positioned at top. Use the system menu (ALT + Spacebar) while the app has focus to move the app’s window further down.
The Dev channel release is now known as the "NI_RELEASE" or Nickel branch in preparation for the major feature update to Windows 11 22H2 later this year. You can find our coverage of what's new and expected to ship in this Windows 11 build here.
Today's press release is linked here.
As noted above Microsoft has again reminded that Insiders can switch or change channels if they wanted from the Dev channel over to the Beta. If you are wondering how to do so, here's a handy guide we made that you can use.
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