What's next? Windows 12? Windows 11 25H2? You're not going to believe what happens next! A look back at everything Microsoft tested in just the Dev channel and then did or did not release to stable, and when. The list of unreleased features is unexpectedly long - most of this must be the next Windows version. Plus, If you have a PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscription, there are more benefits now and they're easier to find.

Windows 11 in 2025

• Dev channel moves to a new build sequence
• Microsoft issues Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 23H2 (But not 24H2)
• Release Preview (24H2) - AI-powered Windows Search experience is barreling towards stable
• Beta (23H2) and now Canary - Mostly just fixes
• New AI features in Notepad, Paint, and Snipping tool head to all Insiders
• Photos app update to all Insiders, adds Copilot integration, more

Microsoft 365

• Microsoft 365 Copilot gets two reasoning agents, Researcher and Analyst
• AI - Agents - Reasoning AI --- Reasoning Agents? You got your reasoning in my agent!
• Microsoft to launch Security Copilots in April
• Microsoft releases first two Microsoft 365 companion apps for Windows 11, threatens to make more
• Here comes Copilot in OneDrive, to consumer Microsoft 365 account holders
• Anonymous document sharing for Word, Excel, PowerPoint comes to iPhone/iPad (is on web already)
• OneNote for Windows 10 RIP in October after years of malaise

AI

• Browsers to change in the agentic AI era - are they still browsers? Will we still browse?
• "In Russia, the browser browses for you!"
• Sam Altman pulls a Bill Gates in executive shift
• ChatGPT gets image generation with GPT-4o
• Google brings AI search to Gmail - Hopefully, it's better than AI search in Photos
• Google releases first Gemini 2.5 model, all will be reasoning (thinking) models going forward
• Amazon is testing AI-powered Interests feature in the U.S.
• After it's success with conversational Siri, Apple to bring AI to Apple Watch, AirPods
• Speaking of which, Apple sued for advertising Apple Intelligence - maybe it's time for a level set here
• Exec reshuffle to fix Siri woes - maybe it's time to Ol' Yeller this
• WWDC is on for June 9 - [waves hands] Look, it's iOS 19!
• Opera upgrades three of its web browsers (really, four) with new Aria AI features

Xbox

• Microsoft wants to make Xbox app in Windows the central hub for all stores
• Microsoft testing new Game Hub on Xbox
• Microsoft to release Vibrant Visuals upgrade for Minecraft this year
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to PS5 on April 17
• New Assassin's Creed game (Shadows) gets off to a great start, with 2 million players in first 2 days, better than Origins and Odyssey. Most played game on Steam over the weekend, second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history (behind Valhalla), best ever day-one launch on the PlayStation Store. 27 percent of players are on PC

Tips and Picks

• Tip of the week: Take advantages of Game Pass in-game benefits
• App pick of the week: Google Drive for Windows
• RunAs Radio this week: Writing Better PowerShell with Jeff Hicks
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Kempisch Vuur
  
  

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/925

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Sponsors:

• Melissa.com/twit
• cachefly.com/twit