Key takeaways
- The Canary channel has split from the Dev channel as Microsoft looks beyond Windows 11 version 24H2.
- The beta channel adds improvements to account management and allows Gmail users to send emails to each other.
- The Photos app now integrates with Microsoft Designer.
Do you want to follow the Windows Insider Program but can’t be bothered to install every version? Well, you’re in luck. In this weekly roundup, we’ll dive into all of the changes Microsoft is making to Windows 11 with the latest releases, so you can stay up to date with what’s changing without having to log into Microsoft’s blog daily.
This week has been relatively slow in terms of new features for Insiders, but there have been a few highlights. Most notably, the Cnary channel is once again separated from the Dev channel, and for beta channel users there are some new features. Let’s go.
Explain Windows Insider Program channels for Windows 11 beta builds
Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program can be confusing if you’re new, so here’s everything you need to know to test the Windows 11 beta.
Canary Channel
Windows 11 version 24H2 is already old news
So far, Microsoft has been testing the 24H2 build of Windows 11 with insiders in the Canary channel, and this update is expected to be available to the uninitiated around September. Although it’s still a few months away, the Canary channel isn’t stopping and on Friday, April 19, Microsoft released Windows 11 build 26200 to the Canary channel.
This effectively separates the Canary channel from the Dev channel, which continues to test Windows 11 build 26100. This is what we expect Windows 11 24H2 to be based on. Meanwhile, the Canary channel is already focusing on future updates, whether it’s version 25H2 or smaller updates that will be released between now and September 2025.
As for what’s new in this week’s Canary release, there’s not much. Microsoft is making some improvements to widget icons, and for developers, it’s now possible for their widgets to send notifications to the taskbar button, so they can alert users of important information. Until now this has been limited to Microsoft widgets, so it’s nice to see it open up.
The only other change is that Microsoft finally settled on an icon for power-saving mode on desktops, consisting of two sheets rather than one sheet above a battery.
Beta channel
Better account management and you can now email yourself more easily
The beta channel was a little more exciting this week, with a build also released on Friday, April 19. Build 22635.3500 comes with a fair amount of changes, starting with a new Microsoft account drop-down menu in the Start menu. Now, when you click on your profile picture, you can immediately see things like your Microsoft 365 and Game Pass subscription, as well as your OneDrive storage.
Meanwhile, if your Microsoft account uses a Gmail address, Microsoft has added a new option to the Share menu, which allows you to easily email something to your Google account. If you’re the type of person who emails yourself to remember something or store it in the cloud, this is a big deal.
On the Settings app, Microsoft is rolling out a new recommendation card (an ad, actually) for Game Pass on the home page. The company is also rolling out an “Add Now” button to allow users to add a recovery email for their Microsoft account in the Settings app.
All of these changes are rolling out to the beta channel if you have enabled the toggle to get the latest updates as soon as they are available. But even if that’s not the case. There’s another big change for you, and it’s on the widget board. Microsoft is introducing a new navigation bar on the left side, allowing you to switch between the standard Discover dashboard or a widget-only table. Interestingly, developers will also be able to create custom dashboards for the Widgets panel, so you can access widgets tied to specific settings. As an example, Microsoft’s Dev Home app has its own widget panel, and it could potentially be replicated here if you use that app.
Unfortunately, these changes are currently exclusive to users in the European Economic Area, due to Digital Markets Act mandates. Hopefully, Microsoft will release the changes to the world.
App updates
Photos now integrates with Microsoft Designer
Some Insider updates aren’t tied to specific versions, and in this case, the Photos app received a notable update this week. On April 16, Microsoft rolled out version 2024.11040.16001.0, and this new version includes integration with Microsoft Designer.
Essentially, when you view a photo from your library using the Photos app, you can send it directly to the designer, where you can create all kinds of designs to create something unique, like a postcard or a post on social media. Designer uses AI to perform tasks like removing the background from an image and providing custom templates for your project.
At the moment, this update only affects the Canary and Dev channels, and you’ll need to be in the US, UK, Australia, Ireland, India, or New Zealand, although availability is expected to increase in the future.
Updates never stop
Even though it hasn’t been the most exciting week, you can count on more updates for Windows Insiders across all channels, so stay tuned for our next weekly roundup. As the release of Windows 11 version 24H2 approaches, we could see some surprising new features appear over the coming weeks.