Welcome back to Windows Wednesday, where we round up everything Microsoft rolled out in Windows over the past week. Here’s everything that showed up across the Insider channels and release versions this week.
You canjoin the Windows Insider programto try out experimental features, but some changes are on a gradual rollout and not yet available to all Insider program members. You should not install Windows Insider builds on an important computer.
Input
Microsoft was testing a new pointer indicator accessibility settinglast year, and the feature has now returned in the Canary Channel. This adds red crosshairs to your cursor, so it’s easier to find on a monitor. It can be enabled from Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch > Pointer indicator, and afterwards it can be toggled with the Win+Ctrl+X keyboard shortcut.
Microsoft said in a blog post, “Low vision users on Windows can now easily locate and use their cursor. This will allow these users to be more productive and efficient when using a Windows device.”
This reminds me of thevirtual crosshairs found in some gaming monitors, but those are fixed to the center of the screen, while the Windows 11 feature moves with your mouse cursor. It’s also a bit like the feature on macOS where the cursor will temporarily grow in size if you move it around quickly.
Settings
In the Dev Channel, Microsoft is removing the ‘Manage or clear your Bing search history’ option from Settings > Privacy & security > Search under Search history. You can still edit your Bing activity from the Privacy dashboard, linked in the Related settings on that settings page. Thehistory page on the Bing websiteshould also work the same way, as long as you’re logged into the same Microsoft account as your PC.
In the Canary Channel, the search box in Settings is moving to the top center of the window, which Microsoft says will “deliver a more consistent and better search experience.” It was previously located in the left sidebar, under your profile picture and name. Microsoft already showed this off as part of theadvanced Settings search on Copilot+ PCs, but now the updated design should appear on all PCs.
File Explorer
If your Windows PC is logged into a work or school account with Entra ID, the File Explorer already shows recently-changed files in the Home page. Now, Microsoft is adding user icons to that section, so you can more quickly recognize each person in the activity. This uses the person’s Live Persona Card from the Microsoft 365 organizations.
Home installations of Windows 11 still don’t have these File Explorer features, but if you have a PC managed by your workplace or school, you might notice the new icons. This is rolling out in the Dev Channel.
