Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22494 hits the Dev Channel

Insiders in the Dev Channel, you know the drill: A new Windows xi Insider Preview Build is live, meaning it's time to dive in and get the latest fixes, improvements, and features.

As for what's new in build 22494, wait the usual lineup of tweaks and improvements as well as a new feature: Taskbar mic muting and unmuting. "Starting with Microsoft Teams today, yous'll observe a microphone icon automatically added to your taskbar when you're actively in a telephone call," says Microsoft's blog post where y'all tin find all of build 22494'due south inclusions. "You tin see your call audio condition, what app is accessing your microphone, and quickly mute and unmute your phone call at whatever time."

The characteristic is coming to a portion of users with Teams for school or Teams for work outset. Everyone else will get it in time, and Microsoft plans to extend it to Conversation as well.

Microsoft notes that "other communications applications can also add this capability to their applications. The capability to mute or unmute your phone call applies only to your current telephone call."

That's the large detail for this build, though you lot can bank check the aforementioned (and hyperlinked) blog post for the laundry list of all the other fixes and improvements Microsoft packed into the latest Windows 11 preview release. Expect Taskbar and File Explorer bugs to be addressed, among many other things. There'southward also a section defended to problems that Microsoft is actively enlightened of but hasn't yet tackled.

An internet connection will soon be required when setting up Windows 11 Pro

UH OH

An internet connexion will soon be required when setting up Windows eleven Pro

Microsoft has announced that subsequently this year, users will exist required to connect to the internet and sign-in with a Microsoft Account during the out of box setup feel on Windows 11 Pro. Microsoft has already been enforcing this requirement on Windows eleven Home since launch concluding October, and Windows 11 Pro is now expected to follow suit shortly.