In a new Insider build of Windows 11, the weather app has returned to the taskbar. In addition, the speech support has been improved.
Windows 10 users will recognize the news and weather widget. This is set by default and can be adjusted to your preferences. You can also disable the app completely if you want.
On Windows 11, this feature is missing, but it seems to be coming back. In the latest Insider build (22518), a beta version of Windows, the weather app is back.
The widget sits on the left side of the taskbar along with the news app. This section can be adjusted to your preferences. Before the update, the widgets were in the center of the taskbar.
Another change in this Insider build of Windows is improved speech support. This allows you to control certain elements with your voice, such as opening or closing apps or searching for something on the internet.
A full list of speech options can be found on Microsoft’s website. However, the feature is only available to testers using Windows in English.
Analysis: Unnecessary functions return, but the voice support is great
The News widget was a controversial addition to Windows 10. Despite the app being tucked away on the left side of the screen, not all testers will be happy with it. If you hover over the widget, it will be displayed extensively, which can cause irritation if you do this by accident.
This is all still in the testing phase. So the widget may not make it to the final release. If you don’t need this addition, you can disable it. Whether this widget will eventually appear in an official Windows 11 update will depend on testers’ feedback.
The weather app may be divisive, but the voice support is a welcome addition. Many of the features seem to have been carried over from Nuance’s speech recognition software. This company was bought by Microsoft in April. The tech giant seems to be taking voice support to a new level.
