Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930 (KB5040550) is now available to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel and includes new features and enhancements. The beta channel will include shared content in File Explorer Home, allowing users to easily access files shared with them. This capability is available to both Microsoft accounts and commercial clients with Microsoft Entra ID accounts. Users can also access a greater range of file types in the homepage's Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930 (Beta Channel)

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930 (KB5040550) to the Beta Channel.

New features gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*

Shared Content in File Explorer Home 

File Explorer will now provide you with quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. If you are a commercial customer who is signed-in with your Microsoft Entra ID account, you will additionally be able to view files that they have shared with others. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the ‘Shared’ tab item.

You will also be able to view a broader set of file types in their Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections on the homepage. For example, if you’ve recently opened/edited files in Designer, Loop, Power BI, Forms, etc. these files will now be available in your Recent list.

File Explorer Home with new tabs for Recent, Favorites, and Shared.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Files Folders and Online Storage > File Explorer.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• We are trying out a more simplified system tray to highlight the date/time in a shortened form and to show the notifications bell icon based on DND status. Without the notification bell icon, you can get to your notifications by clicking the date and time to Notification Center. You can revert to the long form of the date/time and bell icon visuals by toggling the values in the Settings via Settings > Date and Time under “Show time and day in the system tray” and Settings > System > Notifications under “Notifications”. These settings are also accessible through the context menu shown by right clicking the system tray clock/bell icon button.

Simplified system tray shown with shortened form data and time and no notification bell icon.

• We’ve updated the previews that show when you mouse-over/hover over apps on the taskbar. We have also improved the animations for when these previews show on the taskbar based on Insider feedback.

Updated taskbar previews shown for two open File Explorer windows.

• Updated the taskbar to now support first letter navigation, so when keyboard focus is set to the taskbar (WIN + T), you can press a letter, and it will jump to the open or pinned app whose name starts with that letter. Pressing the letter multiple times will jump to the subsequent app which starts with that letter, if there are multiple apps for that letter. For those using uncombined taskbar, rather than app name, the first letter navigation will use window name. Along with this, pressing Home and End will now move keyboard focus to the first and last (respectively) items in the taskbar.

[Windows Studio Effects]

• Windows Studio Effects delivers AI-based camera and audio enhancements on devices equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Today, you can access Studio Effects in Quick Settings from the system tray of the taskbar. To further streamline your experience, an icon will now appear in the system tray when using any application with a Studio Effects-enabled camera. Simply click on this icon to launch the Studio Effects page in Quick Settings. Additionally, hovering over the icon will display a tooltip indicating which application is utilizing the camera.

New Studio Effects icon shown in system tray when using any application with a Studio Effects-enabled camera.

[Windows Share]

• We are updating the UI in the Windows share window for sharing content to an Android device that began rolling out with  Build 22635.3785. The option is also move to be under “Nearby Share” in the Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC.

Updated UI for sharing content to an Android device via the Windows share window showing an updated icon in the Nearby Share section.

[Narrator]

• We have made several changes to improve the performance of Narrator scan mode. This is expected to make scan mode responses much quicker, especially while using Microsoft Edge, and reading through large documents. To try out scan mode, turn on Narrator first (Win key + Ctrl + Enter), and then turn scan mode ON by pressing Caps Lock + Spacebar during a Narrator session.

[Other]

• Updated System Info (msinfo32) to now follow your text size preference under Settings > Accessibility > Text Size.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*

[Start menu]

• Fixed an issue where the All apps list wasn’t being read out by screen readers in recent flights.
• Fixed an issue causing some apps to not be sorted correctly in the All apps list when using certain display languages.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue where keyboard focus might get lost when using Shift + Tab to move through the taskbar.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• We fixed the issue causing you not to be able to view or interact with the taskbar after you install  KB5039302. This issue occurs on devices that run the Windows N edition. This edition is like other editions but lacks most media-related tools. The issue also occurs if you turn off “Media Features” from the Control Panel.

Known issues

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Insiders in the Beta Channel who have the more simplified system tray with shortened date/time may see the following known issues:

• [NEW] If the “Show notification icon” is greyed out under Settings > System > Notifications – just toggle “Notifications” off and back on again and it should no longer be greyed out.

[File Explorer]

Insiders in the Beta Channel with the updated Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections on the File Explorer homepage may see the following known issues:

• [NEW] Files shared with you may not appear if there has been no interaction with that file.
• [NEW] Keyboard focus may be lost on selection of an unselected tab item.
• [NEW] Narrator may not work as expected when navigating through the Recent, Favorites, and Shared tab items.

[Text input]

• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing text suggestions for the hardware keyboard to not work properly with the previous flight (selecting one unexpectedly concatenates).

[Widgets]

Insiders in the Beta Channel who have  the new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars may see the following known issues:

• Swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• Unpinning Widgets from the taskbar may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
• The Widgets board is incorrectly positioned when Copilot is in side-by-side mode.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930 (Beta Channel)