Microsoft has released the latest Windows 11 update to Insider members on the Canary Channel. The new build number for this Canary update is 26020. This latest version brings several interesting features, including the ability to pause and resume print jobs, a new icon in the taskbar related to job saving. energy on desktops, an easy way to rename your PC while Neaby sharing, Voice Access improvements, and much more.
It also makes features like WordPad and Steps Recorder obsolete. The full changelog is given below:
What’s new in version 26020
Expanded languages, multi-screen support, and custom controls for voice access
Extensive language support: We have expanded voice access to support other languages such as French (France), French (Canada), German, Spanish (Spain), and Spanish (Mexico).
When voice access is first enabled, you will be prompted to download a voice template to enable voice data recognition on the device. If Voice Access does not find a voice model that matches your display language, you can always choose to continue and use Voice Access in English (US).
You can always switch to another language by going to Settings > Language on the voice access bar.
Multi-display support: You can now use all voice access features across multiple screens, including number and grid overlays that were previously not available on any screen other than the main screen.
The Grid Overlay feature was developed to allow you to not only interact with the screen you are currently using, but also quickly switch to another display. You can also use drag and drop to move files, apps, and documents from one screen to another.
After invoking the grid overlay, use to quickly switch focus to another display. You can use either the alphabet or NATO phonetics in your order; for example, “B” or “Bravo” would both be valid, as shown in the screenshot above.
You can also use the accelerated command “mouse grid..” to quickly move your mouse to a specific point on a specific screen. In this case, we used “mousegrid A 114” as shown in the screenshot above.
Voice shortcuts: We introduce voice shortcuts or custom commands to allow you to create your own command. This is currently available if you are using English voice access.
Creating commands that correspond to a single action, such as opening a URL or a series of actions performed in sequence, is simple. To get started, say “what can I say” and click the “Voice Shortcuts” tab on the left panel, or use the “show voice shortcuts” command to directly launch the voice shortcuts page. Then, click on the Create Order button to start the process.
Create a command using voice or any other input method. Give it a name, select one or more actions, fill in the necessary information then click “Create”. Your order is now ready to use.
You can view any voice shortcuts you have created either from the command’s help page or by using the “show voice shortcuts” command.
FEEDBACK: Please leave your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN+F) under Accessibility > Voice Access.
Previews of natural voices in narrator
We introduce glimpses for the natural voices of 10 local news stories launching in September 2023. As a reminder, these natural voices include Chinese, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Japanese, English (United Kingdom), French, Portuguese, English (India), German and Korean.
These previews will allow users to listen to natural voices before downloading the voice model. The natural narrator voices use modern text-to-speech on the device, and once downloaded, they are supported without an internet connection. Please note that to listen to the previews, an internet connection is required.
To use one of the natural voices, add it to your PC by following these steps:
- Open Narrator Settings by pressing WIN + CTRL + N hotkey.
- Under Narrator Voice, select the Add button next to Add Natural Voices.
- Select the voice you want to install. You can install all voices, but you must install them separately.
- The preview will play automatically once you browse the list.
- If you like the preview, click “Download and Install”. The new voice will be downloaded and ready to use in a few minutes, depending on your internet download speed.
- Once the new voice is downloaded, in Narrator settings, select your preferred voice from the drop-down menu in Narrator Voice > Choose Voice.
FEEDBACK: Please leave your feedback in Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.
Changes and Improvements
[General]
- Starting with this release, the WordPad and People applications will no longer be installed after a fresh installation of the operating system. In an upcoming flight, WordPad will be removed during upgrade. WordPad will not be reinstallable. WordPad is an obsolete Windows feature. For more information on the future of the People app, click here.
- Steps Recorder will not receive further updates and is planned to be removed in a future version of Windows. Starting with this version, Steps Recorder (PSR.exe) will display a new notification banner to guide users to alternative options. We encourage our users to explore other options in Windows 11 such as the Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, or Microsoft Clipchamp. To learn more, check out this article.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
- For plugged-in PCs without batteries (such as desktop computers), when you enable Power Saver, we are testing a new Power Saver icon that appears in the system tray to indicate that the energy saver is activated. For PCs with batteries, the experience does not change and you will continue to see the leaf icon overlaid above the battery icon in the system tray. As a reminder, Battery Saver is now a power saver with expanded capabilities starting with version 26002.
[Printing]
- We’ve added the ability to pause and resume print jobs in the print queue for printers under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. This allows you to pause printing when maintenance is required for your printer, such as replacing a printer cartridge. Submitted jobs are retained by the spooler until the print queue is “resumed” by clicking Resume in Settings. The ability to rename your printer directly here in these settings will come in a later release.
[Windows Share]
- The Windows Sharing window will now only show applications under “Share using” that are linked to the account you are signed into Windows with – either a Microsoft Account (MSA) or a Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) . If you are signed in with an MSA, you will see Microsoft Teams (free) instead of Microsoft Teams (work or school) and not both for example.
- The Windows Share window now supports sharing with WhatsApp in the “Share using” section. If WhatsApp is not installed, you can choose to install it directly from the Windows Sharing window. Over time, we plan to test this experience with other apps as well.
[Nearby Sharing]
- We’re introducing the ability to quickly give your device a friendlier name to identify sharing to and from a Nearby Share under Settings > System > Nearby Sharing.
Fixes for known issues
- Fixed an issue causing settings to crash when navigating to Power & Battery in the previous version.
- Fixed an underlying issue that caused the File Explorer details pane to sometimes unexpectedly take keyboard focus.
- Copilot will no longer rearrange or push your desktop icons when launched.
- Fixed an issue where uncombined taskbar icons would clip the title instead of adjusting to the length of the title.
- Fixed an issue preventing Steps Recorder from launching in the last two versions.
- We fixed the issue causing a loading delay when the Microsoft Start feed is re-enabled in widgets.
- We fixed the issue that prevented the widget table from automatically closing and reopening when enabling or disabling feeds.
Known issues
[General]
- [REMINDER] Some popular games may not work properly on the most recent Canary Channel Insider Preview builds. Starting with Build 26016other games have been affected by several bugs – if you experience any issues, please submit your feedback in the Feedback Hub.
- We are investigating an issue where the print queue displays a message that it cannot find the application when opened. As a workaround, you can launch the print queue from the Run dialog box (WIN + R) and type: explorer.exe shell:appsFolder\Microsoft.Windows.PrintQueueActionCenter_cw5n1h2txyewy!App.
- We’re investigating an issue preventing a small number of Insiders from opening Settings after Build 26010 and later. If you are affected, please see this forum post for a workaround.
[Widgets]
- Announcements from the Microsoft Start feed are still displayed in the taskbar after the feed is hidden.
- Keyboard navigation from settings subpages to the top-level Settings page is broken.
- Incorrect spacing and fonts used in some settings pages.