What is new in Windows 11 for December 2024

With so many Windows 11 innovations announced at Microsoft Ignite last month, where would you start? Check out practical tips and deeper dives, the December security update, and several preview opportunities.

New in Windows update and device management​

• [AUTOPATCH] Check out two new reports in Windows Autopatch for Windows quality and feature updates. These reports are now expanded to all devices assigned to an Autopatch policy, not only members of an Autopatch group. Access these reports even if you don’t have a global administrator to activate Windows Autopatch features.
• [AUTOPATCH] Learn more about the integration of Windows Autopatch with Windows Update for Business deployment service. Roll out updates quickly, troubleshoot issues effectively, and enhance compliance and security with reduced need for manual intervention.
• [HOTPATCH] Learn more about deploying Windows updates faster with fewer restarts by watching our recent Ask Microsoft Anything (AMA) on hotpatching for Windows client and server. Get tips on enabling hotpatch updates and integrating them as part of your overall update management strategy.
• [INTUNE] Create policies in Microsoft Intune to collect detailed hardware information from Windows devices. From the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Devices > Configuration > Policies. From there, create a Properties catalog (preview) profile policy to define what data to collect. Then you can monitor inventory data within 24 hours of any change and query it with Advanced Analytics using Kusto Query Language.
• [W365] Need to move your Windows 365 Cloud PCs from one region or Azure network connection (ANC) to another? Do so more easily in Microsoft Intune. Use smaller batches, track the progress status at a batch level, and try it on Windows 365 Frontline.
• [CLOUD] Check out a summary of new user experiences for Windows in the cloud. They include Windows App, Windows 365 Link, Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop support for High Efficiency Video Coding (HVEC), support for symmetric NAT with Relayed RDP Shortpath, and Microsoft OneDrive support for Azure Virtual Desktop RemoteApp. For teleconferencing, try a new Teams plugin model, SlimCore, and optimize audio calls with call redirection.
• [CLIPBOARD] Use Microsoft Intune or Group Policy to configure unidirectional clipboard for Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365. You can restrict the flow of data to a single direction and specify and configure the types of data that can be copied.
• [INTUNE] A lot has changed with Microsoft Intune in 2024 to help you plan and prepare for the future. Review the latest in cloud-native management for Windows, the integration of Intune Suite and AI, strategies for achieving security and operational excellence, and future innovations to consider with Copilot.

New in Windows security​

• [RESILIENCY] Watch last week’s AMA on Windows security, chip to cloud for a conversation on identity protection, application safeguards, device health, access control, as well as hardening and recovery tools.
• [PDE] Try Personal Data Encryption for known folders on Windows 11, version 24H2 Enterprise and Education editions. Help protect sensitive files saved in the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders with Windows Hello authentication. For your eligible devices, go to the Microsoft Intune portal > Endpoint Security > Disk encryption > Create policy. For the Windows platform, select the Personal Data Encryption profile to create it. Enable it in Configuration settings.
• [TPM] Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 has always been and still is one of the hardware and system requirements for Windows 11. To check the status of your devices in the Microsoft Intune admin center, navigate to Devices > All devices. Select a device from the list, and in device Properties, navigate to Hardware > Security to find TPM information. Find further recommendations and steps toward TPM 2.0 and Windows 11 if you’re not there yet.
• [COMPLIANCE] Try new Microsoft Purview features to help protect and govern your data in the era of AI, first announced at Microsoft Ignite. Learn more about AI-enhanced features to prevent data loss, protect performance, and manage risks. Get visibility across data, users, and activities through centralized Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management (DSPM).

New in Copilot+ PCs and AI​

Check out the freshly published Microsoft research on the new future of work that highlights productivity gains due to AI in 2024.

• [AMA] Catch up on the conversation about the future of AI with Windows 11 and Copilot+ PCs. What are the AI-powered enhancements in Windows? What are the differences in experiences for home users and managed devices? What IT controls are available? Watch our experts answer these and other community questions.
• [AZURE] Using Azure and looking to adapt your virtual machine (VM) sizes to your workload needs? Use Copilot in Azure! In the Azure portal, select Copilot on the top right and ask, “Help me choose a size for my VM.”
• [COPILOT KEY] You can now configure the Copilot hardware key with the following policy: WindowsAI/SetCopilotHardwareKey. We recommend that you remap the Copilot key to launch the Microsoft 365 app for simplified access to Copilot experiences designed for work and education.
• [COPILOT APP][PREVIEW] If you’re a Windows Insider on any channel, get the Copilot app update from Microsoft Store. The previous Copilot progressive web app has been replaced with a native version, located in your system tray. Use the Alt + Space shortcut to open and close the Copilot quick view.
• [COPILOT+ PC][PREVIEW] Join the Windows Insider Program Dev Channel on your Copilot+ PC to preview more Copilot+ experiences! On Build 26120.2510, preview Recall and Click to Do on AMD and Intel-powered devices. Additionally, try Cocreator in Paint, Restyle Image and Image Creator in the Photos app, a modernized Windows Hello experience, and other improvements.

New in Windows Server​

• [ADMIN CENTER] Investigate and manage your Windows servers with Windows Admin Center, version 2410, now generally available! Do more with platform updates, updated core tools, such as the virtual machines tool, and the updated installer for express setup. To migrate your data to the new version, use the wizard and provide input on a few items. If you’re a partner, check out our extension updates.

New in productivity and collaboration​

• [ACCESSIBILITY] Review how Windows 11 has become the most accessible and inclusive version in 2024. Catch up on improved performance for Narrator and Voice Access, keyboard and voice shortcuts, and improvements to Spellings & Corrections.
• [MIXED REALITY] Connect to your Windows 365 Cloud PC using Meta Quest mixed reality headsets. To connect, use Windows App or press “Windows + Y” on your keyboard and look at the pop-up QR code. Note that this update is rolling out gradually.

Get the December 2024 security update to start using the following improvements, which might be rolled out gradually.

[23H2 and 22H2] Preview the following improvements for Windows 11, versions 23H2 or 22H2:

• [PRIVACY] Navigate to Settings > Privacy & security for Recommendations and Personalized offers.
• [TASKBAR] Enjoy improvements to Taskbar or customize them in Settings. These include a shortened date and time in the system tray and the hidden notification bell during your "Do not disturb" periods.
• [NAVIGATION] Try new mouse pointer options, touchscreen gestures, and jump list functionalities in Start menu and beyond. Hold Shift + CTRL when clicking a jump list item to open it as an admin.
• [PRODUCTIVITY] Improve productivity with enhancements to Input Method Editor (IME), File Explorer sharing with Phone Link, and Dynamic Lighting Settings.

[24H2] Preview all of the above improvements for Windows 11, versions 23H2 and 22H2, on Windows 11, version 24H2, as well as the following:

• [PERFORMANCE] Personalize Task Manager and see disk types in the Performance section. Use Windows Search with IFilters in Less Privileged AppContainers (LPAC) to help protect sensitive system components and data.
• [SPEECH] Get a better experience if you use any of the speech-to-text or text-to-speech features in Windows. This improvement applies to Narrator, voice access, live captions, live translations, and voice typing.

IMPORTANT Because of minimal operations during the Western holidays and the upcoming new year, there will be no December 2024 non-security preview update. Normal monthly servicing for both security and non-security preview updates will resume in January 2025.

Lifecycle milestones​

Check out our lifecycle documentation for the latest updates on Deprecated features in the Windows client and Features removed or no longer developed starting with Windows Server 2025 (preview).

• [WIN10 EOS] Find resources to help you get ready for Windows 10 end of support. This new resource hub includes important reminders, guides, interactive assessments, and customer testimonials.

Windows Insider Preview news​

Here’s a summary of this month’s new experiences available to Windows Insiders. Remember that gradual rollout reaches some devices earlier than others.

[DEV][PREVIEW] Build 26120.2702 brings you the following improvements to try:

• [CAMERA] Try new advanced camera configurations in Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras. Select the edit button for advanced camera options. Choose whether to allow multiple apps to use camera at the same time or turn on basic camera.
• [PASSWORDLESS] Get closer to the passwordless future with API support for third-party passkey providers and with updates to WebAuthn APIs to support a plugin authentication model for passkeys.
• [PRODUCTIVITY] Let us know what you think of the improved filter for recommended websites on the Start menu. Standard (non-admin) users again can change time zones under Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time.

[BETA][PREVIEW]

• On Build 22635.4655, let us know what you think of the improved filter for recommended websites on the Start menu. Additionally, get a visual preview of web content you share using the Windows share window.
• On Build 22635.4580, launch File Explorer folders in a new tab each time you open it from outside of File Explorer and you have one already running. Enable “Restore previous folder windows at logon” for your File Explorer tabs or see it automatically enabled if you set your sign in options to “Automatically save my restart able apps and restart them when I sign back in.” And if you aren’t already backing up your folders, you can snooze or turn off the “Start backup” reminder in the File Explorer address bar. Finally, you can now update Win32 apps directly in the updated Microsoft Store.

[CANARY][PREVIEW]

• If you’re on Build 27764, you’ll see improvements across the Start menu, Dynamic Lighting, IME toolbar, Narrator, and speech in Windows, which were first available in other WIP channels.
• On Build 27758, try new advanced camera configurations in Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras. Select the edit button for advanced camera options. Choose whether to allow multiple apps to use camera at the same time or turn on basic camera. Finally, you can now update Win32 apps directly in the updated Microsoft Store.

Note: Many new features are rolled out gradually and belong to different build versions. If you want to be the first to get features, you can switch the toggle to On to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Please visit the Windows Insider Blog for complete details.

On this note, we wish you a happy new year! See you in 2025!