Windows 11 Development: overview of the December 2023 changes

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Development of Windows slowed down in the second half of December due to the Holiday season. Still, the first half saw the release of several new Insider builds.

The overview begins with a focus on major changes and ends with a list of other changes that Microsoft introduced during development.

Please note that features may change or may get pulled before they make their way into the stable version of Windows.

Voice access changes



Extended language support.

Microsoft added support for several languages, besides English. The new languages include French, Spanish and German. Windows will download a speech model when voice access is enabled on the device. This unlocks on-device recognition of voice data according to Microsoft.

Windows users may control the feature under Settings > Language.

Another voice related feature adds support for multi-monitor systems. This includes support for number and grid overlays according to Microsoft, which was not supported at all on secondary displays.

Grid overlays may be used to move the mouse cursor to a specific point. The option to switch to another display was added to the functionality.

The third and final voice-related feature adds voice shortcuts to Windows. This enables users of the operating system to create their own shortcuts. The feature is limited to the English language at this point in development.

Microsoft explains the feature in the following way: "Creating commands that map to single action, such as opening a URL, or a series of actions performed in sequence, is easy. To get started, say “what can I say” and click on the “Voice shortcuts” tab on the left panel, or use the command “show voice shortcuts” to directly launch the voice shortcuts page. Then, click on the Create Command button to begin the process."

 Commands may be created using voice or other input types. Each custom command has a unique name and one or multiple actions associated with it.

Microsoft transitions from Windows Speech Recognition to voice access on Windows 11. The former is deprecated and no longer in development. Microsoft says that voice access, its latest assistive technology, supports on-device speech recognition. This allows users to use it even if there is no Internet connectivity.

Narrator users may use voice access to "open applications, dictate text and interact with elements on the screen using their voice".
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