
Check out Part 1 here
Windows 11 2024 Update: Quick Settings
Microsoft is introducing some exciting updates to the Quick Settings panel on the Windows taskbar! With this release, the Quick Settings interface is now paginated, allowing you to easily scroll through all the available options on your PC. No more manually placing settings—now you can simply swipe through them. However, you can still customize the order of your settings by clicking and dragging them wherever you like.
They’ve also added a handy refresh button to the Wi-Fi list in Quick Settings, making it simple to update the list with just one click. If you use a VPN, you’ll notice a new, improved interface for managing it, featuring a split toggle that lets you turn your VPN on or off with a single click.
Live Captions have been given more prominence, now available at the top level of the Quick Settings interface, so you can easily enable them with just one click. Plus, Microsoft has worked on enhancing the performance of the Quick Settings panel, meaning it should open faster, especially when you’re accessing it for the first time after a reboot.
Windows 11 2024 Update: Phone Link
Microsoft is enhancing the phone linking experience between Windows and Android devices with the upcoming 24H2 update. A new “Manage Mobile Devices” app is being introduced, which allows you to link your phone to your PC outside of the Phone Link app for basic tasks like receiving photo notifications. You’ll also be able to set up your phone as a webcam for your PC through this app. The Phone Link app isn’t going anywhere, though—it remains the go-to solution for syncing text messages and notifications between your phone and PC.
Additionally, Microsoft is bringing Phone Link integration directly to the Start menu. A new panel will appear alongside the menu, displaying your phone’s status and notifications. You can click on any item in this panel to jump straight into the Phone Link app for a seamless experience.
Windows 11 2024 Update: Voice Clarity
Microsoft is rolling out Voice Clarity, an AI-powered microphone enhancement feature designed to eliminate background noise during calls or recordings. Originally exclusive to Surface PCs with NPU hardware, this feature will now be available on all supported Windows 11 PCs with the 24H2 update—no need for a dedicated NPU chip anymore!
Windows 11 2024 Update: Energy Saver
Microsoft is reworking how battery saver and power options work with version 24H2, introducing a new “Energy Saver” mode that applies to both PCs with batteries and PCs without.
The new Energy Saver mode will reduce your PC’s energy consumption by reducing system performance. This should help extend battery life on laptops and reduce the power pulled from the wall on desktop PCs.
When enabled, desktop PCs will even see an energy-saver icon in the system tray, similar to the battery life indicator on laptops, just without a battery percentage. The goal of Energy Saver is to make your PC more energy efficient, reducing your carbon footprint.
Microsoft has also added more power controls to the Power & battery area in the modern Settings app. You can now set lid and power button controls and even configure when your PC enters hibernate after a set amount of time. Previously, these controls were only configurable in the classic Control Panel app.
Windows 11 2024 Update: Sudo
The 24H2 update for Windows 11 introduces support for Sudo (superuser do), a command line feature originally popularized on Linux. Sudo for Windows allows users to run elevated processes via the command line, offering several configuration options:
- In a new window: The elevated command runs in a separate window.
- With input disabled: The elevated command runs inline in the original window, but with its input disabled, meaning you can’t interact with the process.
- Inline: The elevated command runs inline in the original window, allowing interaction—similar to the traditional sudo experience on other platforms.
For security reasons, Sudo for Windows is turned off by default, but users can easily enable it in the Settings app if they wish to use it.
Windows 11 2024 Update: Microsoft Teams
This update brings a unified Teams experience that combines both Teams for work and school with the personal Teams client into a single app. Starting with Version 24H2, you’ll be able to use the built-in Teams client to chat with friends and family, as well as join work meetings and communicate with colleagues—all in one place.
You can easily switch between your work, school, and personal accounts within the app, and notifications will now be clearly labeled so you’ll know which account they’re coming from.
Windows 11 2024 Update: General
As always, Version 24H2 brings a variety of general quality-of-life improvements to Windows 11. One of the notable changes is a refreshed offline installation interface, featuring a more modern look. Microsoft is also testing a handy new “Install drivers” button during the out-of-box experience on the Wi-Fi setup page, making it easier for system builders to perform clean Windows installations without needing pre-installed drivers.
Several built-in Windows apps are being removed from the OS image with this update. Starting with Version 24H2, Cortana, Mail, Calendar, Maps, People, and Movies & TV will no longer be installed by default. WordPad is also set to be removed in a future update.
On the Taskbar, you’ll notice a new Wi-Fi icon animation when connecting to a network, and right-clicking the icon will now offer a “Diagnose network problems” option, allowing you to quickly troubleshoot connectivity issues. The Task Manager icon has also received a fresh new design.
There’s a new “Windows Protected Print Mode” feature, which ensures that your PC prints exclusively using the Windows modern print stack. This mode is compatible with Mopria-certified printers, which are designed to work seamlessly without relying on third-party software.
Version 24H2 will be the first Windows release to support USB 80Gbps speeds, a significant upgrade to the USB4 standard, expected to appear on new hardware launching this year. Additionally, this update brings RUST support to the Windows Kernel, further enhancing the system’s performance and security.
Always check out the Microsoft blog