Windows 11 Insiders Get a Glimpse of the Future with a Revamped Home Page and Customizable On-Screen Indicators

Microsoft is actively testing a suite of new features for Windows 11, offering Insiders in the Dev and Beta channels a preview of what's to come. The latest builds introduce a redesigned Home Page experience for the Recall feature on Copilot+ PCs and a long-requested customization option for hardware indicators.

The updates, identified as KB5060838 for the Dev channel and KB5060836 for the Beta channel, signal Microsoft's ongoing commitment to refining the Windows 11 user experience with both functional and aesthetic enhancements.

A More Personalized Recall Homepage

For users with Copilot+ PCs, the latest Insider Preview builds introduce a revamped and more personalized homepage for the Recall feature. This new interface aims to streamline user workflow by prominently displaying recent activity and highlighting the top three most used applications and websites from the past 24 hours. The updated design includes a new navigation bar on the left, providing quick access to the Recall Timeline, Feedback, and Settings. This allows for a more intuitive way to jump back into previous tasks and manage snapshots.

Take Control of Your On-Screen Experience

In a move that is sure to be welcomed by many users, Microsoft is finally allowing for the customization of on-screen hardware indicators. For years, the pop-up flyouts for volume, brightness, and airplane mode have been fixed at the bottom center of the screen. The latest builds give users the ability to relocate these indicators to either the top-left or top-center of the screen, providing a more tailored and less intrusive experience. This new setting can be found under Settings > System > Notifications > Position of the onscreen pop-up. This much-anticipated feature addresses long-standing feedback from users who found the default placement could obstruct content, such as subtitles during media playback.

Availability

These new features are currently rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta channels. Specifically, the customizable hardware indicators are available in Dev channel build 26200.5661 and Beta channel build 26120.4452. While a specific public release date has not been announced, these features are expected to be part of a future major update to Windows 11.

It's important to note that the Windows Insider Program is designed for users who are comfortable with testing pre-release software and providing feedback. As such, some features may evolve or be removed before the final public release.

In addition to these headline features, the recent Insider builds also include a variety of other improvements and bug fixes, demonstrating Microsoft's continuous effort to enhance the stability and performance of Windows 11.