What’s New In Windows 11 24H2

Microsoft has started rolling out the latest Windows 11 update (24H2) in stages, which means you might not see it right away, but you will eventually. 24H2 is a new “Windows Platform” release, meaning the update will be installed using the “OS swap” method, which involves replacing the entire OS with a newer version.

As predicted by many, including yours truly, Windows 11 24H2 is largely an “AI” update bringing new AI features that are exclusive to the next-gen Copilot+ PCs with an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). For traditional PCs the update does not include anything of significance, a few UI tweaks and minor adjustments – in my opinion, not much to get excited about:

24H2 New Non-AI Features

• File Explorer: Updated context menu across the OS with larger buttons for common actions placed at the very top and including labels
• Compressed Archive Support: Adds the ability to create 7Zip and TAR compressed archive files in addition to ZIP files
• Quick Settings Panel: The Quick Settings interface is now paginated, meaning you can scroll through all of the quick settings available on your PC rather than having a selection manually placed there by the user
• Wi-Fi: The Wi-Fi list in the Quick Settings panel has been updated with a new refresh button, refreshing the Wi-Fi list when clicked. And for VPN users there is a new toggle switch that lets you turn the VPN on and off with a single click
• Live Captions: Have been promoted to the top level of the quick settings interface, allowing users to enable the feature with a single click
• System Tray: Revamped date and time layout – removed the bell icon, AM/PM indicator, and year to reduce the amount of space taken up
• Additional Power Controls: Now available via the Settings app (previously only configurable via the Control Panel)
• Unified Teams Experience: Merges Teams for school and work, and the personal Teams client allowing users to seamlessly switch between work, school, and personal accounts from within the app
• Support For USB80Gbps: A major version update to the USB4 standard that will eventually become available with the release of new hardware
• Apps Removed: 24H2 sees the removal of Cortana, Mail, Calendar, Maps, People, and Movies & TV. WordPad is also to be removed with a future update
• Phone Link: Introduces enhanced capabilities between Windows and Android devices

24H2 New AI Features

Windows 11 version 24H2 is the first version of Windows to ship with new features that are exclusive to Copilot+ PCs with a dedicated NPU:

• Recall: This is a controversial new feature that captures and stores snapshots of everything you see and do on your computer. Recall has been criticized for potential privacy and security issues. NOTE: Reports are now filtering through that the Recall feature works fine with traditional PCs
• Studio Effects: Can be applied to a webcam and microphone to enhance video and audio feed across all related apps
• Live Captions: A new feature that uses AI to translate 40+ different languages from live or pre-recorded audio and video in real time, directly on the device
• Cocreator in Paint and Image Generator in Photos: Can generate images and text based on input provided by the user
• Copilot: Becomes a fully-fledged web app with commensurate capabilities

BOTTOM LINE:

I certainly won’t be installing the 24H2 update any time soon. I see no sense in going through a major update when my traditional PC cannot take advantage of significant new features. Support for 23H2 ends in November 2025 and that’s when I’ll probably bite the bullet.

What about you, will you install the 24H2 update right away or leave it until later? Let us know via the comments.

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