📢 Windows 11 Build 23471 improves File Explorer, Narrator Voices, and more

What's New in Windows 11 Build 23471: File Explorer Gallery and Narrator Updates

Add Phone Photos in File Explorer Gallery

Accessing photos from your phone on your PC has become easier with the introduction of File Explorer Gallery. The new "Add Phone Photos" button in the Command Bar simplifies the setup process for displaying phone photos in the Gallery. Clicking the button generates a URL with a QR code, which can be scanned using your phone to initiate the setup. Notably, you no longer need to opt into OneDrive's Insider Program to enable this feature.

Narrator Natural Voices in Spanish (Spain and Mexico)

Windows 11 now offers new natural voices in Spanish (Spain and Mexico) for Narrator users. These voices provide a comfortable browsing experience, enable reading and writing emails, and more. Leveraging modern on-device text-to-speech technology, these voices can be downloaded and used without an internet connection. To install a natural voice, follow these simple steps:

1. Press WIN + Ctrl + N to open Narrator Settings.
2. Under Narrator's voice, click the Add button next to Add natural voices.
3. Select the desired voice for installation (voices can be installed separately).
4. Click Install to initiate the download process.
5. Once the download is complete, choose your preferred voice from the drop-down menu in Narrator's voice settings.

Changes and Improvements

Lock Screen: The network flyout on the Lock screen has been updated to align with the design principles of Windows 11.

File Explorer: Windows 11 now allows users to tear out and merge tabs in File Explorer. This feature is being gradually rolled out to Insiders in the Dev Channel. Additionally, the Gallery feature in File Explorer, introduced in Build 23435, is now available for all Dev Channel Insiders.

Settings: A new toggle has been added to the Settings menu, specifically in Network & Internet > Cellular, to control cellular data use when Wi-Fi is available but of poor quality.

Bug Fixes

File Explorer: Several issues related to File Explorer has been addressed in this build, including the fix for Shift + F10 not opening the context menu and the inconsistent appearance of access keys. Additionally, issues related to explorer.exe crashing, older design appearance, scrollbar interaction in Gallery, scroll position loss, tooltips for pictures, and file rendering have been resolved.

Taskbar: The issue causing the taskbar to get cut off when switching to and from the tablet-optimized taskbar has been fixed.

Search on the Taskbar: Insiders will no longer experience an empty tooltip momentarily when hovering over the gleam, thanks to the fix for this issue.

Other: The problem where the Narrator with Braille support wasn't reading numbered lists correctly in Microsoft 365 apps has been resolved.

Summary

With these enhancements and fixes, Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23471 promises a smoother and more efficient user experience for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Microsoft continues to prioritize user feedback and actively works towards refining the Windows 11 operating system before its official release. Stay tuned for future updates and further improvements to Windows 11.