Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders on the canary channel. Build 25921 has many of the features from this week’s dev channel build including HDR background support, as well as new features like Rich thumbnail previews.

HDR Backgrounds

You can set JXR files as your desktop background if you have a GDR display. To try it out download a JXR file and then set it as your desktop background. This only works if your display supports HDR.

Rich thumbnail previews (tooltips) for cloud files on Start

For Windows Insiders running Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise editions with an AAD account there are richer thumbnail preview (tooltips) when hovering over cloud files such as Word documents under Recommended on the Start menu. For this initial release, richer thumbnail previews will not be available for all files and a later update will enable the experience for more files and for MSA users.

Other changes

[General]

  • Cortana can be uninstalled in this build. For more on the end of support for Cortana, click here.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

  • Beginning to roll out with this build, Chat is now Microsoft Teams – Free. Microsoft Teams – Free is pinned by default to the taskbar and can be unpinned like other apps on the taskbar. Windows Insiders who click to launch Teams will discover a mini communications experience making it possible to chat, call, and meet with their people within just a click or two. Not only does its compact size make it easy to place the window anywhere on desktop, but you can passively keep tabs on your conversations with the ability to have it visible as they browse the web or connect with your communities.  Phone Link integration is coming soon to Microsoft Teams (free) as well.

New mini communications experience in Microsoft Teams (free).

[Task View & Desktops]

  • When navigating between desktops in Task View (WIN + CTRL + left or right arrows), labels will be shown. New sliding animations will also show when you change your desktops using trackpad gestures, touch gestures, hotkeys and by clicking on the Task View flyout.

Labels will appear when switching between desktops.

[Networking]

  • A new asynchronous error-handling feature in the DHCP client service will allow for faster response time for some runs of ipconfig /renew on the Windows command line. Improvements will vary depending on system and network conditions, but ideal cases will improve from ~4.1 seconds to ~0.1 seconds per run.

Known issues

  • After updating to this build, devices with mobile broadband connectivity may not be able connect to a wireless network due to an issue in which the APN configuration may get lost on upgrade. You can either add in the APN configuration manually as a workaround or hold off taking this build as we expect to have the issue fixed in the next flight.

Source

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