Windows 11 Gets Its April 2024 Week D Preview Update
- Paul Thurrott
- Apr 23, 2024
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Microsoft today delivered a preview version of the feature update it will ship for Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2 on Patch Tuesday in May. The update, called 2024-04 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 (KB5036980), updates Windows 11 to build 22631.3527 (or 22621.3527 if you’re still on 22H2 somehow).
Here’s what’s new.
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Recommended apps in Start. As previously threatened, Microsoft is bringing a Recommended app advertisement to the Windows 11 Start menu, as it had done previously in Windows 10. “These apps come from a small set of curated developers,” Microsoft notes. “This will help you to discover some of the great apps that are available.”
Frequently used apps in Start. Microsoft is also bringing frequently used apps to the Windows 11 Start menu, though the language here is odd. “In the coming weeks, your most frequently used apps might appear in the Recommended section of the Start menu,” the release notes explain. “This applies to apps that you have not already pinned to the Start menu or the taskbar.” Might?
Widgets icon update. Microsoft is rolling out a larger set of animated Widgets icons for the Taskbar; these are the icons that display when there’s a notification or alert. It has also improved the quality of the current icons to ensure they are “no longer pixelated or fuzzy.”
Lock screen widgets improvements. Microsoft has improved the reliability and quality of the widgets that now appear on the Windows 11 lock screen. “This update also supports more visuals and a more customized experience for you,” whatever that means.
Beyond that, KB5036980 fixes various bugs and security issues, and delivers improvements to the servicing stack. It also introduces a bug that may prevent you from changing your profile picture that Microsoft hopes to fix before May’s Patch Tuesday release to the General Availability channel.
To get this update now, open Windows Update in the Settings app, enable the option “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” and then check for updates.