Microsoft Confirms the Rollout of its Windows 11 2022 Update

Microsoft has announced that the Windows 11 2022 Update has started its official rollout across over 190 countries. The last few years have brought enduring changes in the ways we live, work and learn, with the PC playing a more critical role in our daily lives. Online options that didn’t previously exist for meetings, appointments, everyday tasks and access to entertainment emerged out of necessity but remain due to convenience and efficiency. We formed new habits, and they stuck. The PC has fundamentally connected us in more emotional ways than ever before.

The rapid move to more flexible work and life also dramatically increased security threats for individuals and businesses, with 921 password attacks every second. With last year’s launch of Windows 11, Microsoft gave the PC a modern refresh, making it faster and easier for you to accomplish the tasks you have relied on your PCs for most. They added foundational security built into Windows at home and at work to help keep you safe and with Windows 365, they took Windows to the cloud, empowering organizations to stream the full Windows experience on any device. More people are using Windows and spending more time on their PCs and with this new update, Microsoft is looking to take that experience to the next level.

Windows 11 2022 Update

Representing the first major update that Windows 11 has seen since its release last year, Microsoft has confirmed a focus on innovation in four key areas to make the users everyday experience with the operating system easier:

• Making the PC easier and safer to use for everyone
• Empowering people to be more productive
• Making Windows the best place to connect, create and play
• Delivering added security, management and flexibility to the workplace

Making the PC easier and safer to use for everyone
Windows 11 brought a sense of ease to the PC, with an intuitive design people love. Microsoft is building on that foundation with new features to ensure the content and information you need is always at your fingertips, including updates to the Start menu, faster and more accurate search, Quick Settings, improved local and current events coverage in your Widgets board, and the No. 1 ask from you, tabs in File Explorer. All of this helps Windows anticipate your needs and save you time.

Technology has the power to empower each of us – to remove barriers and help people participate and connect. Nearly 1 in 5 people benefit from accessibility features on the PC and with this release, Microsoft is continuing its commitment to making Windows work for everyone. They will deliver a set of new accessibility features including system-wide live captions to automatically generate captions from any form of audio content on Windows 11, voice access (preview)2, which allows you to control your PC and author text using only your voice, and Natural Voices for Narrator, which mirrors natural speech more closely, creating more pleasant-sounding audio to assist in reading or browsing the web.

Online safety, data privacy and security are top concerns for people and their families. Windows 11 is the most secure version of Windows yet. Microsoft uses over 43 trillion security signals daily to inform their comprehensive security solutions. Microsoft is now introducing Smart App control so you can confidently download any app you need without worry. Security threats don’t stop when you shut your laptop, which is why Microsoft has also built the Defender app for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. Microsoft Defender for individuals extends Windows’ built-in security and expands device protection to your Android and iOS phones and Macs. Microsoft 365 customers in the U.S. will soon receive identity theft monitoring to help keep themselves, and their family’s personal information, safer online as part of their Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription.

Empowering people to be more productive
The PC has always been where people come to get things done – especially when it comes to tackling complex tasks. With enhancements to Snap layouts, the new Focus feature, and performance and battery optimizations, the new Windows 11 2022 update will help you be your most productive yet.

Snap layouts on Windows 11 have been a game changer for multitasking, helping people optimize their view when they need to have multiple apps or documents in front of them at the same time. With the new update, Microsoft has made Snap layouts more versatile with better touch navigation and the ability to snap multiple browser tabs in Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft is also introducing Focus sessions and Do Not Disturb features to help you minimize distractions that pull you away from the task at hand. As you start a new focus session, Windows will turn on Do Not Disturb, which silences notifications and turn off taskbar badges and application notifications in your taskbar. Focus is also integrated with the Clock App, launching a timer to help you focus, and even reminding you to take breaks.

Making Windows the best place to connect, create and play
PC use is up for communications, creativity and gaming, as more people turn to Windows to connect, express themselves and play. With this update, Microsoft has added features to make those experiences even better with Windows Studio Effects to improve video and audio calls, new creator tools, additional gaming features and updates to the Microsoft Store experience.

From work to community meetings to connecting with friends and family, video calls have become one of the essential tasks that define the PC. New Windows Studio camera and audio effects help you look and sound your best on conference calls, enabled by advanced AI – with Voice Focus to filter out background noise and make sure you are heard, Background Blur so only you are seen, Eye Contact to help you make a better connection with people you’re talking to and Automatic Framing so the camera stays with you as you move.

As the creator economy continues to grow, people are generating more creative content on Windows, including video. With this update, we’re excited to welcome Clipchamp as an inbox app to Windows 11 to make video editing fun and simple for you — with templates, effects and more.

Microsoft also want to continue to make Windows the best place to play games. This update will deliver performance optimizations to improve latency and unlock features like Auto HDR and Variable Refresh Rate on windowed games. And with Game Pass built right into Windows 11 through the Xbox app, players can access hundreds of high-quality PC games. To learn more about what’s new in gaming, visit Xbox Wire.

Having the right content fuels a great PC experience. A year ago, we redesigned the Microsoft Store on Windows to be more open and easier to use – a one-stop shop for the apps, games and TV shows you love.

Delivering added security, management and flexibility to the workplace
The PC is the single most powerful productivity tool for today’s workforce. To keep employees productive and engaged, organizations need the tools to manage multiple Windows endpoints securely and easily, no matter where their people are working. To meet the needs of this increasingly complex landscape, the new Windows 11 2022 Update delivers critically important new security features and new management tools for increased IT efficiency.

Windows 11 provides layers of hardware and software integration for powerful, out-of-the-box protection from the moment you start your device. The new Microsoft Defender SmartScreen identifies when people are entering their Microsoft credentials into a malicious application or hacked website and alerts them. Microsoft has added a presence sensing optional feature to Windows Hello for Business so that devices equipped with presence sensors work with Windows Hello to securely log you in when you approach and lock your device when you leave. And if you’re an IT professional, you can provide secure, real-time support through the cloud with remote help.

Smart App Control is also a valuable feature for businesses of all sizes. Available on new Windows 11 devices or with clean installations of the Windows 11 Update 2022, Smart App Control blocks untrusted or unsigned applications, script files and malicious macros from running on Windows 11. As a result, employees can use the tools they want and need, while you can relax knowing your organization is protected. Built on the same AI used in Windows Defender Application Control, Smart App Control can predict the safety of an application in real time before it runs on your device. This is a great solution for organizations that are not yet using a modern device management (MDM) tool like Microsoft Intune.

When Will I Get My Update

Like all prior major updates for Windows, although technically available now, users shouldn’t expect to be immediately prompted to download the latest Windows 11 2022 build. This is a rollout, and, as such, will be liable to become available on a user-by-user basis over the coming few weeks. – If you would, however, like to learn more about it (presuming you have Windows 11 installed), you can check out the official Microsoft blog post via the link here!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!