Windows 11 will receive the next big update sooner than we expected as it has already been spotted in testing by Microsoft.
These are internal tests within the company that take place before the update moves to beta testing – which should be close now, as the usual Windows PhantomOfEarth leak on Twitter explains (via Neovin (opens in a new tab)).
As others have noted, 22624.1390 is currently being tested internally. Moment 3 beta coming soon! This is KB5023011 and the activation pack is KB5023595 although I’m not sure which feature/id is related to Moment 3. Probably MTestUx14, 41655236February 20, 2023
As you can see, this refers to “Moment 3”, which is a feature update, although it is not one of the big annual updates (these powerful annual updates for Windows come in the second half of the year).
The moments are designed to allow more flexibility to deploy fresh pieces of functionality when needed, aside from that huge annual update (otherwise Windows 11 would actually be a very quiet place most of the time when it comes to updating).
The source of this is the so-called PCBeta forum (opens in a new tab) (in China), so approach this with some caution, although lots of details have been provided, including update IDs: apparently Moment 3 will be patched KB5023011, with an activation pack (KB5023595) to get it going.
Analysis: What gadgets can we expect – and when?
The fact that it has an activation package means that the update will be preloaded on Windows 11 PCs, with this package being the switch that sends the live update. This allows updates to be applied very quickly, which of course is always good news; the less waiting and desperately staring at spinning circles when it comes to update day, the better.
What can we expect in Moment 3? It’s likely to introduce a suite of features we’ve heard about recently, and PhantomOfEarth believes the likely bits to come include integrating RGB lighting settings into Windows 11. lighting control (avoiding system bloating).
There are also some accessibility things on the horizon that may also be included in the update. This includes expanded support for live captioning in more languages - not just American English – and an improved voice access feature. In the latter case, the leak tells us that the command list page has a major redesign, and more languages will be supported here as well (plus there are rumors of the ability to sync voice settings between devices).
Snap layouts are something we’ve seen a lot of testing lately, but this particular UI overhaul will be rolling out later in the year.
So bearing in mind that none of the aforementioned features have been confirmed for Moment 3 – these are just the most likely possibilities in theory – when can we see these potential new things?
Rumors say that Moment 3 is currently set for May, but this latest nugget from the mill gives us hope that it might just come out sooner. So, if it goes into beta in the next few weeks, maybe we can keep our fingers crossed for an April debut (although of course that will depend on how smooth testing goes).