Microsoft promotes Windows 11 version 22H2 to the Beta Channel with build 22581
The next Windows 11 release gets closer to completion.
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What you need to know
Microsoft is rolling out anotherWindows 11preview build ofversion 22H2for Insiders in the Dev Channel, and for the first timein the Beta Channelas well. This marks the beginning of the “window” that allows Insiders in the Dev Channel toswitch over to the Beta Channelif they don’t want to continue testing experimental Windows 11 features when Microsoft moves on to the next major update cycle in the coming weeks.
With build 22581 heading to the Beta Channel, Microsoft is signaling that development on this next release of Windows 11 is entering its final stages. My sources say that version 22H2 is scheduled to reach its “final build” milestone sometime in May. That leaves just a couple of months of mainline development before Microsoft switches to servicing this release with cumulative updates before shipping it to the public later this fall.
On the flipside, if you’re already in the Beta Channel and not ready to start testing the next release of Windows 11, you should switch to the Release Preview channel immediately to avoid being automatically upgraded.
Top billing for version 22H2 so farincludes huge improvements for tablet users, such as a new minimized Taskbar interface, new gestures for opening Start and Quick Settings, etc. Elsewhere, we have a new System Tray with consistent highlight effects, more settings in the Settings app, general UI consistency updates, a new Task Manager, and much more.
Microsoft is expected to talk more about this upcoming release of Windows 11 at its April 5th event titled,“Windows Powers the Future of Hybrid Work”, where Chief Product Officer Panos Panay is set to take center stage.
How to switch from Beta to Release Preview Channel on Windows 11
For build 22581 specifically, not much is new over the last build. Top billing for this release is general fixes and improvements, though some of the features that went into testing a few weeks ago are now available to all testers in the Dev Channel.
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Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch onTwitterandThreads
