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On September 21, 2023, during a special event in New York, Microsoft announced it would ship a big feature update for Windows 11 on September 26. The day has arrived, which means those using stable Windows 11 releases can download and install the Windows 11 Moment 4 update.
The Moment 4 update contains plenty of important and long-anticipated changes. Copilot, Microsoft’s newest AI-powered assistant, is now out of preview with a fresh new icon on the taskbar. The taskbar finally lets you ungroup icons and show labels, and it houses a redesigned volume mixer with per-app sliders and easier output device switching. File Explorer also got multiple improvements, such as various archive formats support (RAR, TAR, 7Z, and more), better tabs, modernized UI elements, and more. Finally, there are new features for Paint, the Photos app, and Snipping Tool.
Windows 11 Moment 4 is now available as an optional update (KB5030310) via Windows Update. You can ignore it for now, but Microsoft will make it mandatory with the release of November’s Patch Tuesday updates.
Here are the new features included in today’s update:
Introducing Copilot in Windows – the intelligent assistant at your fingertips
We’re harnessing the power of AI to assist you in work, creation and play with the preview of Copilot in Windows¹. Designed to accelerate your tasks, reduce friction and save you time, it can also provide you with personalized answers, inspiration and task assistance.
Unleash your creativity with AI-enhanced tools in Paint
We’re excited to announce that we are updating our most popular inbox apps like Paint, Snipping Tool, Notepad and more with AI capabilities optimized for digital creation.
To enhance your work with even greater creativity, we’re bringing layers and intuitive background removal to Paint.
Save time and produce your video with less effort using Microsoft Clipchamp
When it comes to storytelling with video, editing matters just as much as the scenes themselves. Microsoft Clipchamp can help you make it all come together with enhanced AI tools like Auto Compose. This new feature built into Clipchamp will help you get a head start on editing with just a few simple questions on the type of video you are developing. From there, Clipchamp will provide recommended scenes, edits and a narrative for you – all based on your input and creative assets and a few simple clicks. When your work is complete, easily save it to OneDrive or Google Drive, send to your social channels like Tik Tok, Instagram and LinkedIn, or upload to YouTube.
Snipping Tool gets an AI upgrade
Earlier this year, we announced the addition of screen recording capabilities in Snipping Tool. Now, along with recording visuals from your screen, you can also capture sound using audio and mic support, all within Snipping Tool. Need to record a tutorial on YouTube or record an online class? Snipping tool now makes it easier than ever to get it done.
To help further streamline your workflow with Snipping Tool, we are introducing two new text actions – text extraction and redaction.
Moreover, protecting your privacy and sensitive information is paramount and with text redaction, we help you take that extra step to secure your confidential information. You can completely black out any text you don’t want to show – such as an email address within your screenshots or a category of information. Quick redaction makes maintaining privacy faster without any manual effort on your part.
Find and edit your favorite photo memories with ease
We’ve added new functionality to our Photos app to make finding, sharing and editing photos easier.
Today, we are launching background blur and enhanced search capabilities within the Photos app. Looking for that favorite set of photos from a trip but can’t quite remember where you placed them? Enhanced search capabilities make finding specific photos saved in OneDrive³ easier than ever. Now, with our enhanced search capabilities, finding specific images in the Photos app, especially those backed up in OneDrive, is easier.
Simply type in keywords and objects you remember from the image to quickly locate the photos and memories you’re seeking. Whether you’re searching by objects, locations or dates, the Photos app streamlines the process, presenting you with relevant photos in an instant.
Need to make a few edits to the photo background? Background blur offers you a way to effortlessly enhance image resolution and achieve stylish blur effects. And, when you are ready to share, the new slideshow feature offers you an easy way to relive those memories and share with your friends and family.
Windows Backup
It’s never been easier to move to your next PC
We know that when you buy a new PC you want to spend your time using the device, not setting it up. That’s why we’re making moving your important details to your new Windows 11 PC easier than ever before with Windows Backup.
Using Windows Backup, you can select your preferred backup options across most files, apps, settings and credentials4. When you move to a new Windows 11 PC, you’ll have the option to restore content from any of your backed up PCs, directly from the cloud, by logging in using your Microsoft account6. Windows Backup will make sure that everything is where you left it on your old PC5 – just how you like it. And, if you need more than 5 GB of free cloud storage, it’s easy to increase with an upgrade to a Microsoft 365 subscription7.
For even greater set-up simplicity, sign into Microsoft Edge with your Microsoft account where you can opt to sync your browsing history, favorite websites, passwords and other browser data to make moving from one device to the next seamless.
Accessible by default
Voice access expansion
Tools like Voice access have made it possible to set up and navigate your PC easily using your preferred inputs, like voice, and based on your needs. Starting today, Voice access works in more places8, including during log-in so you can get started with voice from step one. You can now dictate complex and non-standard words through the new spelling experience, and the corrections functionality will fix words that were recognized incorrectly.
Natural languages in Narrator
Last year, we introduced three new voices8 to make listening more natural and enjoyable when using Narrator. Now, we are expanding to support even more languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean and English (U.K., India).
Easier than ever to stay secure
Windows 11 offers an unprecedented range of security benefits to protect your information and your PC to keep it secure. And we are investing in even more new experiences like Passkeys, Smart App Control and Adaptive Dimming, all designed to make it easier to stay protected.
You only need to smile to sign in – replace passwords with passkeys
With the integration of Passkeys, Windows 11, with Windows Hello, will make it even more difficult for hackers to steal your passwords. Passkeys are the cross-platform future of secure sign-in management and eliminate the need for passwords. A passkey creates a unique, unguessable credential and allows you to sign in using your face, fingerprint or device PIN. Passkeys on Windows 11 will work on multiple browsers including Edge, Chrome, Firefox and others.
Presence sensing improvements to increase security and reduce energy use
Reducing energy usage is becoming increasingly more important and today, we are announcing another way to conserve energy with Adaptive Dimming. If your PC presence sensor detects you are no longer paying attention, it will slowly dim your screen and save energy. This can also serve as an alert to refocus, keeping you in the flow.
Wake on Approach, Lock on Leave, and Adaptive Dimming are all powered by presence sensors and starting today, if your PC has this sensor, you can enable these important features all within your startup experience or in Settings. This means you have control over these features – both turning them on or off and the information collected. This functionality will also extend to external monitors if offered by the manufacturer.
The security feature updates don’t stop there. We know that our business customers expect a secure PC environment for their employees and today we are rolling out additional features to add that extra layer of protection.
Windows Hello for Business can eliminate the need for passwords
Windows Hello for Business can protect user identities by removing the need to use passwords from day one. Your IT manager can now set a policy for Microsoft Entra ID-joined PCs to remove the password requirement when accessing secured company resources. Once the policy is set, it will remove passwords both for device unlock as well as in-session authentication scenarios. Users are expected to navigate through their core authentication scenarios using strong, phish-resistant credentials like Windows Hello for Business and FIDO2 security keys.
Empowering IT professionals with Config Refresh
We know mistakes happen and teams can change important settings or tamper with the registry settings that IT wants to reset. Config Refresh is designed to allow settings in the PolicyCSP on a Windows 11 device to be reset every 90 minutes by default, or every 30 minutes if desired. And, in situations where helpdesk may need to reconfigure a PC while troubleshooting, Config Refresh can also be “paused” for a period of time, after which it will be re-enabled. Starting today, Config Refresh is available to our Windows Insiders and coming soon to all customers.
Securing applications with Intune
Another feature designed to help with malicious apps is Intune with App Control for Business (formerly Windows Defender Application Control). Many organizations cite application control as one of the most effective means of defending against executable file-based malware and with this feature, apps must earn trust before running in order to enable a more secure PC environment for employees.
Customers using Microsoft Intune (sold separately) to manage their PCs are now able to configure App Control for Business in the admin console, including setting up Intune as a managed installer.
Commercial productivity
Windows 365 Boot streamlines access to your Windows 365 Cloud PC
Windows Hello for Business can protect user identities by removing the need to use passwords from day one. Your IT manager can now set a policy for Microsoft Entra ID-joined PCs to remove the password requirement when accessing secured company resources. Once the policy is set, it will remove passwords both for device unlock as well as in-session authentication scenarios. Users are expected to navigate through their core authentication scenarios using strong, phish-resistant credentials like Windows Hello for Business and FIDO2 security keys.
Empowering IT professionals with Config Refresh
We know mistakes happen and teams can change important settings or tamper with the registry settings that IT wants to reset. Config Refresh is designed to allow settings in the PolicyCSP on a Windows 11 device to be reset every 90 minutes by default, or every 30 minutes if desired. And, in situations where helpdesk may need to reconfigure a PC while troubleshooting, Config Refresh can also be “paused” for a period of time, after which it will be re-enabled. Starting today, Config Refresh is available to our Windows Insiders and coming soon to all customers.
Securing applications with Intune
Another feature designed to help with malicious apps is Intune with App Control for Business (formerly Windows Defender Application Control). Many organizations cite application control as one of the most effective means of defending against executable file-based malware and with this feature, apps must earn trust before running in order to enable a more secure PC environment for employees.
Customers using Microsoft Intune (sold separately) to manage their PCs are now able to configure App Control for Business in the admin console, including setting up Intune as a managed installer.
Commercial productivity
Windows 365 Boot streamlines access to your Windows 365 Cloud PC
Whether your employees are full-time, contractors, shift workers or seasonal staff, Windows 365 Switch provides the flexibility to transition between their Cloud PC and local desktop.
With a familiar swipe gesture, shortcut keys or a simple mouse click on the taskbar, it is easier than ever for employees to securely access their personalized apps, content, data and settings on whichever device they choose to work from.
Windows 365 maintains secure access and data policy controls between personal and corporate environments, which is great for organizations looking to enable Bring-Your-Own-PC scenarios, onboard employees within minutes, reduce management and security headaches, and ensure your workforce is always up and running.
Mobile Application Management (MAM) for Windows
In addition to employees switching between their local and cloud PCs, we know that there are also times when organizations want to empower employees with access to company information on a personal PC, all while balancing their security needs.
Whether an employee needs to borrow a family member’s computer to quickly make some edits to a Word doc or write out an email that would be time consuming on their phone, Mobile Application Management for Windows makes this possible. Employees can now access organizational resources through Microsoft Edge from an unmanaged device, all while giving IT the ability to control the conditions under which the resources can be accessed.
AI-powered recommendation in File Explorer and Start
In addition to employees switching between their local and cloud PCs, we know that there are also times when organizations want to empower employees with access to company information on a personal PC, all while balancing their security needs.
Whether an employee needs to borrow a family member’s computer to quickly make some edits to a Word doc or write out an email that would be time consuming on their phone, Mobile Application Management for Windows makes this possible. Employees can now access organizational resources through Microsoft Edge from an unmanaged device, all while giving IT the ability to control the conditions under which the resources can be accessed.
We are bringing AI-powered recommendations to File Explorer and the Start menu for our business customers running Windows PCs in their organization. These recommendations are designed to help you quickly and easily find the most relevant files for you based on your usage.
Introducing Instant Games in the Microsoft Store on Windows
With customers and developers at the heart of everything we do, we are pleased to introduce experiences, features and tools that make it easier to explore and access content even faster in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Starting today in preview, users can take advantage of Instant Games, a new experience that allows you to jump in and instantly play your favorite casual game directly from the Microsoft Store on Windows without the need to download and install on your Windows device. We’ve partnered with game publishers to be able to bring this experience to our collection of casual games. Find out how developers can participate.
Coming this month, through the Microsoft Store on Windows, users will also have the option to select specific drives and locations for game installations, keeping their library organized just the way they prefer. We’ve also made it even easier for users to explore Game Pass subscriptions and discover the latest games and offers with a new page in the Microsoft Store on Windows. To extend the experiences that users have grown to love, we are redesigning collections, enabling performance improvements and providing richer search engine results on the Apps webpage in the Microsoft Store, offering users new ways to discover more content on their Windows device.
More experiences to love
Windows is committed to bringing new innovation to the experiences you already know and love, and there is even more coming.
For our developers, we are announcing the general availability of tools recently announced at Build ’23.
As a reminder, the Moment 4 update is not Windows 11 version 23H2. The latter will arrive later this year, bringing customers a few of the remaining features not included in today’s release. Our full Windows 11 version 23H2 review, including the Moment 4 update features, is available here.
If you are ready to embrace the latest Windows 11 innovations, check out our recently published guide detailing how to install the Windows 11 Moment 4 update. You can also download it for manual installation from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
In case you missed it, on September 21, 2023, besides revealing the Windows 11 Moment 4 update, Microsoft announced four new Surface devices: the Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Go 4, and Surface Hub 3.
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