Microsoft has just dropped a big hint on its Sun Valley 2 update of Windows 11, where it accidentally posted a picture and soon deleted it from Feedback Hub.
According to it, the Settings app and pages within will be revamped to align with the app, possible support for taskbar drag and drop, tabs in File Explorer, a Smart App Control, and mandating a Microsoft Account for accessing Windows 11 Pro. The Sun Valley 2 may probably roll out in October this year.
Windows 11 Sun Valley 2 Update
With the launch of Windows 11, Microsoft has switched to a new annual feature update cycle โ by releasing only two of them per year. And the next one up for Windows 11 is codenamed Sun Valley 2 (or we internally call Windows 11 22H2).
This isnโt a big feature update though, but a mere anniversary update to Windows 11. So we shouldnโt be expecting many new features, but few, and more improvements made to the current features. Weโve already seen a few of them in the recent preview builds of Windows 11.
And with Microsoftโs latest act of accidentally uploading a page on Feedback Hub โ which confirms Sun Valley 2 codename and new features for Windows Settings apps, this becomes more interesting.
The SV2 mention has been removed. pic.twitter.com/6aX0htcSQO
— Xeno (@XenoPanther) March 19, 2022
Although the post was deleted now, it shared a lot of details of the upcoming update. These include a โnewly refreshed Settings page experienceโ that will have a bunch of redesigned pages, that are updated and consistent with the rest of the app.
Further, Microsoft could bring back the taskbar drag and drop option, and even add tabs support to File Explorer. This will let users open multiple instances of File Explorer, and check various sections seamlessly.
And, thereโs the introduction of a new security feature called Smart App Control, aimed at preventing untrusted or potentially unwanted apps from getting downloaded on your system. This should thwart viruses, phishing attempts, and malware or ransomware.
Finally, thereโs the Spotlight support for auto-replacing the desktop wallpaper regularly, and even adding stickers to the desktop background for customization. Whatโs intriguing above all these is the mandating of a Microsoft account for Windows Pro users.
This is a controversial change and isnโt liked by most in the community. Well, we may know more about these when the update rolls out to everyone by the end of summer, or in October like the previous Windows 10 feature updates.