Microsoft is committed to updating Windows 11 once a year, and also all the time

Enlarge / A PC running Windows 11. Microsoft

When we reviewed Windows 11 last fall, one of our biggest concerns was that we would have to wait until fall 2022 to see any changes or improvements to its sometimes sketchy new user interface: < /p>

Throughout the rest of this review, we'll identify a long list of early issues with Windows 11. We can probably expect bugs to be fixed soon. But when it comes to bigger changes, like restoring lost functionality to the taskbar and system tray or continuing to modernize still-intact parts of the user interface, do we have to wait? a year for this to happen?

Any design that changes as much as Windows 11's will benefit from a bunch of small, quick updates and tweaks to address the most common complaints and issues. I'm hoping Microsoft gives itself the opportunity to make these kinds of changes without having to wait until this time next year to implement them.

Nearly a year later, it's become abundantly clear that Microsoft isn't holding back changes and new apps for the annual OS feature update. A handful of notable additions were released in February, alongside a commitment to "continuous innovation". Other smaller updates before and since (not to mention the continuously updated Microsoft Edge browser) also underscored Microsoft's commitment to delivering new Windows features as soon as they are ready.

There has been speculation that Microsoft may be planning another major overhaul of the Windows update model, moving away from annual updates which would be replaced by once-a-quarter feature removals, allegedly called "Moments" internally. These would be punctuated by larger Windows version updates every three years or so. As part of the PR around Windows 11 2022 Update (aka Windows 11 22H2), the company has made it clear that none of this is happening.

"Windows 11 will continue to have an annual feature update cadence, released in the second half of the calendar year that marks the start of the support lifecycle," Microsoft vice president wrote. John Cable, "with 24 months of support for Home and Pro Editions and 36 months of support for Enterprise and Education Editions." These updates will include their own new features and changes, as the 2022 update does, but you'll also need to install the latest annual update to continue getting additional feature updates through Windows Update and the Microsoft Store .

As for the Windows 12 rumors, Microsoft simply told Ars that it had "no plans to share today." This position leaves the company free to change its plans tomorrow or any day after. But we can safely say that a new numbered version of Windows will not arrive in the near future.

For minor changes that are not delivered as part of an annual feature update or via a Microsoft Store update, Microsoft will use what is called Controlled Feature Deployment (CFR) to testing features with a subset of Windows users rather than delivering them to everyone at once.

If you regularly check Windows Update (and of course you do, right?), you may sometimes see optional monthly preview updates that are not installed unless you trigger them manually; new features will first roll out to people who install...