Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23516 to the Dev Channel, according to an announcement by Amanda Langowski and Brandon LeBlanc on the Windows Insider Blog. The new build introduces several improvements, particularly to the screen casting feature, which allows users to wirelessly extend their display to another nearby PC, TV, or other external displays.
The enhancements aim to educate users about the Cast feature, improve its discoverability, and simplify the overall experience. For instance, when users are multitasking on their PC, such as frequently switching between windows or using Snap Assist to organize their screen space, Windows will now suggest casting via a notification toast. Additionally, Windows will provide inline setup of a PC from within the Cast flyout in Quick Settings, offering step-by-step guidance for users to enable the optional Wireless Display feature and the discoverability of the PC to other devices.
Additional Features and Improvements
The update also introduces HDR Background Support, enabling users with an HDR display to set JXR files as their desktop background, which will render in full HDR. Voice access has been expanded to more areas in Windows, including the ability to use voice access to log in to your PC and access other areas on the Lock screen.
The new build also introduces new natural voices in French, Portuguese, English (India), German, and Korean for the Narrator feature. These voices use modern, on-device text-to-speech technology and can be used without an internet connection once downloaded.
Presence Sensing Improvements
For PCs with presence sensors that support attention detection, the new build introduces Adaptive Dimming. This feature allows the device to intelligently dim the screen when the user looks away and undim when they look back. These settings can be found under Settings > Privacy & security > Presence sensing.
Changes, Fixes, and Known Issues
The new build also brings several changes and improvements to Windows Copilot, Taskbar & System Tray, and File Explorer, as well as numerous fixes for issues identified in previous builds. However, there are also some known issues, including potential crashes of explorer.exe on the login screen when attempting to enter safe mode, and some apps under All apps on the Start menu may incorrectly be labeled as a system component.
The release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23516 is part of the August 2023 Bug Bash, which runs through August 7th. The Bug Bash spans the latest features available in the currently available preview builds across the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels.
