What you need to know
- Microsoft is improving the share experience for Windows 11 users by making it easier to share URLs to apps like WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn directly from the Windows share window.
- The company made significant improvements and changes across the OS, including integrating AI into Notepad and a new feature that will auto-launch Copilot on PCs with wide screens.
- Microsoft is getting ready to ship the next Windows 11 feature drop in February.
Microsoft is kicking off the year in high gear, seemingly doubling down on its efforts to enhance Windows 11's user experience with many new features. The company has already started testing some features via the Windows Insider Program, including the Copilot auto boot feature for Windows 11 PCs with wide screens, integrating AI into the Notepad experience, and more.
The Redmond giant is also working toward enhancing the sharing experience on Windows 11. Users will be able to share URLs to apps like WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn directly from the Windows share window.
According to Microsoft, this feature will streamline the sharing process further for users as they'll now be able to share URLs across these platforms directly from Microsoft Edge and other browsers.
Windows 11's Moment 5 feature drop is coming
According to our Windows sleuth, Zac Bowden, Microsoft is getting ready to ship Windows 11's next big feature drop next month. The update is expected to ship with a ton of quality-of-life improvements, including upgrades to some of Windows 11's built-in accessibility features, improvements to the Windows 365 cloud PC integration, and the option to remove news from the Widgets Board.
Microsoft is also incorporating a new feature that will let users ink directly into text boxes across the OS. This feature isn't exactly new, as it has been available on the platforms for some time now, but it is still a neat addition (especially for PCs with a digital pen).
We're also likely to see changes inspired by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) across the OS, especially after Microsoft was listed as a gatekeeper last year by the EU Commission and given six months to comply. Failure to comply could cause the company to attract hefty fines.