Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23580 to the Dev Channel.

Changes and Improvements

[Copilot in Windows*]

  • Starting with Build 23580 in the Dev Channel, users with local accounts will be able to access Copilot in Windows for a limited number of queries before needing to sign in.

[Windows Share]

  • We have significantly improved nearby share transfer speed for users on same network. Before these changes, users had to be on the same private network but now users just have to be on the same network, which could be public or private. You can quickly turn on nearby share via Quick Settings and simply right-click on a local file in File Explorer, choose “Share”, and choose to share to a device listed under Nearby Share in the Windows share window.

Fixes

[File Explorer]

  • Fixed an issue where using mouse back and forward buttons didn’t react when hovering over the Recommended Files section of Home.
  • Fixed an issue where Gallery would stop displaying correctly if you applied Group By to all folders.

[Desktops]

  • Fixed an issue that made the desktop tooltips in Task view hard to read in contrast themes.
  • Fixed an issue that was causing taskbar icons to disappear after switching desktops.

[Search on the Taskbar]

  • Fixed an issue where if your taskbar was close to being full of icons and you used the search box, clicking the search box would open search and then it would immediately close.

[Windows Spotlight]

  • Fixed an issue which was resulting in Windows Spotlight wallpapers not showing correctly in the desktop thumbnail in Task View.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[Taskbar]

  • [NEW] The purple Chat button may show up again on the taskbar after updating to this build. This is unintentional. We’re working to resolve an issue where the button is incorrectly showing again.

[Copilot in Windows*]

  • When first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

Microsoft Store Update

Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels running version 22310.xxxx.x of the Microsoft Store and higher will see the following improvement rolling out:

Customize the install location of your games: When downloading games like Starfield, Halo Infinite, or Forza Motorsport, you will now be able to specify the installation drive. For example, when clicking the install button from Starfield’s page, you’ll be greeted with a new dialog providing you a chance to select a drive. You can change your default drive from the Microsoft Store’s settings page. Also in the settings page, you can specify the folder location of your games within that drive. These settings are synchronized with the Xbox app on PC to ensure a consistent gaming experience.

Game installation options in the Microsoft Store.
Game installation options in the Microsoft Store.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.

For developers

You can download the latest Windows Insider SDK at aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk.

SDK NuGet packages are now also flighting at NuGet Gallery | WindowsSDK which include:

These NuGet packages provide more granular access to the SDK and better integration in CI/CD pipelines.

SDK flights are now published for both the Canary and Dev Channels, so be sure to choose the right version for your Insider Channel.

Remember to use adaptive code when targeting new APIs to make sure your app runs on all customer machines, particularly when building against the Dev Channel SDK. Feature detection is recommended over OS version checks, as OS version checks are unreliable and will not work as expected in all cases.

About the Dev Channel

REMINDER: The Dev Channel has been rebooted. Windows Insiders who were in the Dev Channel on 25000 series builds have been moved to the new Canary Channel. Going forward, the Dev Channel will receive 23000 series builds. Insiders who were moved to the Canary Channel and want to move back to the Dev Channel can follow these instructions to do a clean installation of Windows 11 and then re-join the Dev Channel to receive 23000 series builds.

The Dev Channel receives builds that represent long lead work from our engineers with features and experiences that may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. It is important to remember that the builds we release to the Dev Channel should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows and the features included may change over time, be removed, or replaced in Insider builds or may never be released beyond Windows Insiders to general customers. For more information, please read this blog post about how we plan to use the Dev Channel to incubate new ideas, work on long lead items, and control the states of individual features.

In some cases, features and experiences may go out to the Canary Channel first before going out to the Dev Channel however the Dev Channel will provide better platform stability. As we get closer to shipping, some features and experiences will also make their way to the Beta Channel when they are ready.

The desktop watermark you see at the lower right corner of your desktop is normal for these pre-release builds.

*Availability of Copilot in Windows: Copilot in Windows in preview is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders in select global markets. The initial markets for the Copilot in Windows preview include North America, United Kingdom and parts of Asia and South America. It is our intention to add additional markets over time.

Important Insider Links

Thanks,
Amanda & Brandon

Source: Windows Blog