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Microsoft is finally turning off the MSN feed and ads in Windows 11 Widgets by default The update disables “open on hover” by default, ensuring the Widgets panel appears only after intentional interaction. Additionally, taskbar badging and dynamic alert notifications will be limited, while the initial Widgets view will prioritize core widgets such as weather and calendar instead of the MSN news feed. These changes reflect Microsoft’s broader effort to make Windows 11 a calmer and less intrusive operating system, addressing long-standing criticism over excessive alerts and promotional content. While you could previously disable these features manually, the new defaults align with your preferences more effectively.

Microsoft confirms Windows Run dialog is getting a modern look on Windows 11! - Modern design: A refreshed look that matches Fluent Design and Windows 11, with dark mode support. - Faster than before: Perf was top-of-mind when rewriting Run, and with a **94ms median time-to-show time it’s faster than ever before. - Quick user directory access: You can now type ~\ to jump to your user directory, then keep navigating just like you would from the command line. The modern Run dialog is slowly rolling out in current Insider builds of Windows as an opt-in feature, ensuring we are collecting your feedback. To enable the new Run dialog, you’ll need to: - Be on Windows Insider Experimental Channel. - Enable to Settings -> System -> Advanced and toggle on the new experience with the “Run Dialog” option at the top of the screen.

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Microsoft says 32GB of RAM is the “no-worries” upgrade for Windows 11 gaming According to Microsoft's marketing material, for most players, 16GB RAM is a practical starting point. Microsoft calls 16GB RAM a new baseline, but moving to 32GB RAM helps if you run Discord, browsers, or streaming tools alongside your games. In Microsoft's words, "16GB RAM is the baseline; 32GB is the “no worries” upgrade." "That extra memory also gives newer titles more breathing room as memory demands continue to rise," the company said. What do you think? Do you really need 32GB RAM or more for the best experience on Windows 11?

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Microsoft’s distinguished engineer teases that “native apps are back,” as the company plans to build 100% native apps for Windows 11. Windows 11's biggest problem isn't ads or performance, but the app experience. Apps like Netflix, WhatsApp, and even Microsoft's own Windows apps are now powered by either WebView2 or PWAs (web app technology). I don't hate web apps, but they feel slow and not truly part of the operating system. A right-click makes you feel you're browsing Edge, and have options like Inspect Element. Microsoft has confirmed it'll build 100% native apps for Windows 11, and it's also moving some OS features back to native code. This includes the Start menu, which is currently powered by React and is now moving to WinUI. The upcoming Agenda view, which was a WebView2-based component, is also moving to native code. However, the biggest challenge is that Microsoft needs to convince developers to build native apps for Windows.

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Full statement by Satya Nadella: When it comes to our consumer business, we are doing the foundational work required to win back fans and strengthen engagement across Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Edge. In the near term, we are focused on fundamentals, prioritizing quality and serving our core users better. You see this in the work underway across our consumer products. With Windows, we recently announced performance improvements for lower memory devices, streamlined the Windows Update experience, and brought back focus to core features and fundamentals that matter most to our customers. And you also see this in Xbox where the team is recommitting to our core fans and players, and shaping the future of play. Last week’s Game Pass changes are one example of how we are staying responsive to customer feedback. Monthly active Windows devices surpassed 1.6 billion, and over time Windows value will extend to deliver unmetered intelligence at the edge. Our Edge browser has taken share for 20 consecutive quarters, and Bing monthly active users reached 1 billion for the first time. LinkedIn has 1.3 billion members and we are seeing increased depth of conversation, and it’s the leading B2B sales and advertising channel for large and small businesses. We set new records for monthly Xbox active users in the quarter, as well as game streaming hours. And in Microsoft 365 consumer, we now have nearly 95 million subscribers, and early signals show increasing satisfaction as we make Agent Mode the default.

Breaking: CEO Satya Nadella admits Microsoft needs to "win back" Windows fans, confirms 1.6 billion monthly active devices Microsoft CEO Nadella confirmed that the company still cares about consumers and that it will "win back" Windows fans. Microsoft recently confirmed it'll give users greater control over Windows updates, including the ability to pause updates for as long as you want, and a movable taskbar. Other features coming to Windows 11 include a faster taskbar, Start menu, ability to resize Start menu and taskbar, faster File Explorer, reduced OS crashes, and dramatically faster performance, especially for gamers. We're already seeing early bits in the preview builds, so the promises are not just words.

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Windows 11's native Clock app is internally testing AI integration with support for NPU. Microsoft is redesigning the Clock app, including Focus Sessions with a cleaner UI, deeper Microsoft To Do integration, AI-suggested task steps, Reflection prompts, Focus Insights, music controls, background options, and more settings. There are also NPU references, but it’s unclear what will ship in the final version. The feature still feels early, with several placeholders, but it already looks like Microsoft wants Clock to become a proper productivity tool, not just a timer.

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I pulled the size of every Windows 11 24H2 monthly cumulative update directly from the Microsoft Update Catalog. 20 Patch Tuesdays in total, from September 2024 to April 2026. For each month, the figure shown is the x64 client MSU file, which is the standard package most home and enterprise PCs get. ARM64, Microsoft Server variants, and preview or out-of-band releases were excluded. The Windows 10 22H2 comparison chart uses the same method. All numbers were captured on April 28, 2026,.

I tracked every Windows 11 cumulative update (.msu offline installers, which are full packages). Monthly Windows updates have gone from 509 MB to 5 GB for .msu installers, and AI is a part of the problem. Windows 11's monthly updates downloaded via the Microsoft Update Catalog have grown in size, partly due to AI packages bundled with the updates, even when they are not applied to your PC. I extracted the package and found dozens of bundled AI components (PSTokenizer, Onyx Runtime, Image Search), most of which never apply to your PC. We're talking about the .msu installer, which can be downloaded from the Update Catalog. Updates installed via Windows Update are typically smaller and depend on a number of factors. For comparison: Windows 10 22H2 .msu stayed flat at 690-750 MB across the same lifecycle window.

This is the modern Windows Run dialog for Windows 11. It has been updated again ahead of the public launch. It's going to be an optional feature, and needs to be enabled manually from Advanced Settings. When turned on, it replaces the legacy Run dialog. What do you think? 🤔

Microsoft says you can now shut down and restart your PC without worrying about forced Windows 11 updates. In newer builds, Microsoft now shows separate power actions from update actions. With this change, the Power menu will always show the standard Restart and Shut down options, meaning you will always have a choice to just restart or shut down your device without having to install the pending update. At the same time, update‑specific choices like Update and restart and Update and shut down will still be available when applicable. This gives you four clear options, and full control over what your device does next! Microsoft also confirmed that Windows will attempt to restore previously opened applications faster after restart, so you can easily return to what you were working on.

2026 is going to be a very interesting year for Microsoft. We’re witnessing a real revival of the Windows and Xbox brands, and honestly, it wasn’t on my bingo card. It’s shaping up to be a huge year for fans!

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Microsoft says it’s rebuilding Windows 11 around what users actually want: performance, reliability, quality, and craft! Microsoft has assembled a group of product experts and engineers who are passionate and take pride in building Windows 11. "Our goal as we go forward is to be more open as we build Windows, make sure you feel like you are included in the entire lifecycle of our product making process, and then make sure this is a vibrant community and we are just grateful for a chance to get some time with you all.” – Microsoft. And it's not just words. We're already seeing major changes in preview builds, including the ability to pause Windows updates for as long as you want, and even skip updates during OOBE. Windows 11 is also getting a resizable and movable taskbar, faster File Explorer, consistent design language, and more.