With the Windows 11 2022 update rolling out to users globally, Microsoft has started testing new features with Insiders. Earlier we saw the full-screen widgets panel in a previous build, but with the latest Windows 11 Dev Insider build 25217, the company adds support for one of the most-anticipated features – third-party widgets. Yeah, developers can finally start making widgets for Windows 11, which you can then add to the widgets board. Let’s look at all the details.
Windows 11 Build 25217 New Features
In an official blog post, Microsoft confirms that the widgets board in Windows 11 is about to become even more useful. The widgets board currently hosts only content from Microsoft apps, news, weather, and sports updates. However, Dev build 25217 follows the release of the WinApp SDK 1.2 Preview 2, made available last week. This SDK will “allow developers to create widgets for their packaged Win32 apps and test them locally on the Windows 11 Widgets board,” says Microsoft.
As the statement above confirms, developers can start building widgets for their apps and see how it works locally on their PCs. They are not allowed to upload their updated apps with third-party widgets support to the Microsoft Store just yet. If you wish to make widgets for Windows 11, navigate to Settings -> Privacy & security -> For developers and enable the “Developer Mode” toggle.
That’s not the only new feature in this Insider build. The company is also testing a new video calling experience for Microsoft Teams using the Chat option in the Windows 11 taskbar. With build 25217, select users will now see their own video preview after clicking on the Chat option. You will see the option to start a video call or text chat (with those using Teams) and share a video call link with others over the viewfinder. This will be followed by a list of people you can text quickly, offering a neat experience for professionals.
Moreover, the Microsoft Store will now be more mindful of your Game Pass subscription. That means you won’t have to rely on the Xbox app to see if a game is available on Game Pass or not. When browsing games on the Microsoft Store, you will now see a new “Play with Game Pass” button along with the full price. This will make it easier for you to decide whether you need to buy a game or not.
Windows 11 build 25217 also brings a new cloud-based suggestion feature for Simplified Chinese IME users. There are also several other fixes and improvements in tow, so jump over to the official blog post to check out the rest of the details and known bugs. Also, I’m excited to see what shape the Windows 11 widgets board takes with the next update, thanks to third-party widgets. Are you intrigued about it too? Let us know in the comments below.
