Windows 11 is one of the best iterations of Microsoft’s operating system, and it keeps getting better through feature updates like version 22H2 in 2022 and version 23H2 in 2023. For 2024, Microsoft is keeping up with tradition by launching Windows 11 version 24H2 (or the 2024 Update), which is, in some ways, the biggest one yet. In fact, it was believed for a while that this would be Windows 12.
The focus of the Windows 11 2024 Update is AI, with the introduction of Copilot+ PCs with new features like Recall (though this is coming later), Cocreator in Paint, and new Windows Studio Effects. It’s also a huge update for Arm devices, with a new wave of PCs powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chipsets launching with the update already installed.
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When will the Windows 11 2024 Update be released?
It depends on what device you have
There are two primary ways to get Windows 11 version 24H2. The first, and arguably the most useful, is to get a new Qualcomm Snapdragon X PC, such as the Surface Pro 11 or HP OmniBook X. These laptops, which are now available to buy, received Windows 11 version 24H2 on launch day (June 18th), meaning they have this update out of the box. Other Copilot+ PCs, with Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD Ryzen AI processors, will also launch with this update pre-installed.
For existing computers without Copilot+, though, the Windows 11 2024 Update is expected to ship around September or October. For these laptops, the Copilot+ features won’t be available, as no PC currently on the market has a powerful enough NPU to use all of these features. Instead, they will just get the other features that don’t require a more powerful NPU.
Will the Windows 11 2024 Update be a free upgrade?
Yes, but Copilot+ requires new hardware
Microsoft has been delivering free software updates for Windows for the past few years, and of course, that’s not changing with Windows 11 version 24H2. You can expect this update to be available for free if you’re already running Windows 11, and the system requirements shouldn’t change.
However, most of ther Copilot+ features require new hardware, specifically a dedicated NPU with over 40TOPS of AI performance. No PC launched before June 18th, 2024 has such an NPU, which means that to get these new features, you do need to spend money on a whole new device. You’ll need a laptop with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chips, AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors, or the upcoming Intel Lunar Lake chips that are launching later in the year. Features that don’t require a more powerful NPU will be available to everyone, though.
Will I be forced to upgrade to Windows 11 version 24H2?
Not for a while
Unlike the monthly cumulative updates that are mandatory, feature updates like Windows 11 version 24H2 are usually completely optional for users, as long as their current version of Windows is supported. Essentially, if you’re already on the latest version of Windows 11, you won’t have to upgrade to version 24H2 right away.
However, the way Windows 11 works is that each feature update is supported for two years (three, for Enterprise and Education editions). When you’re nearing the end of the support period for your current version, you’ll be forced to upgrade to a newer one. The original Windows 11 release is already supported for Home and Pro editions, and if you’re running Windows 11 version 22H2, that version will reach the end of its life later this year. In the months leading up to it, users will likely have to upgrade to either version 23H2 or 24H2.
What’s new in the Windows 11 2024 Update?
The Windows 11 2024 Update is still in development, but in terms of features, things are pretty set in stone by now, so we have a pretty good idea of what’s coming and the big focus is all on AI with the introduction of Copilot+. Let’s take a look.
Copilot+ and all the AI features
AI has been a core focus of Windows for the past year or so, but Windows 11 version 24H2 is truly taking it to the next level. So much so that Microsoft decided to introduce a new brand for the AI features in this update, Copilot+. This is an umbrella term for a wide range of AI features that can run locally on your PC thanks to the power of a neural processing unit, or NPU. These features require an NPU with at least 40TOPS of performance, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series being the first to achieve that, followed by the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and Intel’s Lunar Lake lineup later this year.
The highlight of these features is arguably Recall, which had been referred to as “AI Explorer” prior to the official announcement. Recall is sort of a successor to Timeline, a Windows 10 feature that allowed you to view a hiustory of your activity and easily get back to what you were doing before. The problem with Timeline is that it was all manual, so you could end up scrolling for a long time and not finding what you want. Recall can find things you were working on by searching for them with natural language. So, if you were writing an essay about computers, you can say “show me that document about computers I worked on last week”, and Windows 11 can find it for you.
Unfortunately, following a controversial announcement due to privacy concerns, Microsoft has pulled Recall from Copilot+ PCs for the time being, and even Windows Insiders don’t get to try it just yet. The company has recently clarified that Recall will be available to insiders in October, so it’s coming a good while later than the remaining Copilot+ features.
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There are a lot more AI features in tow, though. Auto Super Resolution is a notable one, especially if you’re into gaming. This is similar in nature to Nvidia’s DLSS, but now it’s built into Windows, so all of your games looks sharper without taking a significant hit to performance. In fact, they can run at a higher framerate because this takes some load off of the GPU. Other AI features part of Copilot+ include live captions with the ability to translate captions from any of 44 languages in real time into English, and the Cocreator feature, which generates mages based on a text prompt, can now run locally on your device using the NPU.
Microsoft is also expanding Windows Studio Effects, which has all-new capabilities thanks tot he added power of new NPUs. Now, in addition to background blur, auto framing, and eye contact, Studio Effects can fix up lighting and add different kinds of filters in real time.
AI is a big deal for the Windows 11 2024 Update, but most of these features do require a Copilot+ PC, such as those powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series or the AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors.
The Copilot app
On the topic of AI, Microsoft is also doing away with the current implementation of Copilot as a sidebar on Windows 11. Now Copilot is an app that’s pinned to the taskbar by default, and it opens in a normal window you can move around anywhere. This does give you more flexibility, though it comes at a cost.
Previously, Copilot was integrated into Windows 11, but now, this is just a web app. So things like starting a focus session, enabling dark mode, and other features that directly tied into Windows 11 are no longer available. What’s more, the shortcut for opening Copilot (Windows + C) no longer works with this app.
On the flip side, since it’s an app, you can delete it like any other app and just bypass Copilot entirely.
The new Outlook
Image Credit: Microsoft
Another new(ish) app in Windows 11 version 24H2 is the new Outlook, which replaces the Mail and Calendar app from previous versions of Windows. In fact, the new Outlook is replacing the old app even if you don’t get the latest version of Windows 11, so the old apps will be phased out either way. But if you upgrade to version 24H2, Mail and Calendar will be gone by default, and for good.
The new Outlook is essentially a web app, so it’s very similar to just opening Outlook.com in your browser. However, it does support all kinds of email accounts and there are a few more capabilities that the Mail and Calendar app didn’t support.
File Explorer improvements
The Windows 11 File Explorer isn’t getting a major redesign this time, but it is getting some notable upgrades with this update. For starters, after version 23H2 added support for opening 7Z and TAR files (among other archive types), you’ll now be able to create them. Microsoft has added a new dialog that lets you compress files into one of these archives, and you can even choose the compression method and settings you want to use if you need the extra degree of control.
Over on the Home page of File Explorer, Microsoft has also merged the Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections into a single section with tabs to switch between the three options. The Shared section is only available for some accounts, so not everyone will see it.
Additionally, Microsoft will now be labeling the row of buttons in the File Explorer context menu that were previously only icons, making it easier to quickly find the most common options you’d want to use. Another new option is the ability to duplicate tabs in File Explorer.
Sudo for Windows
If you’re used to the Linux terminal, you may be overjoyed to learn that support for the sudo command is finally coming to Windows 11 with the 2024 Update. Sudo is a simple instructions that allows you to elevate permissions for a command, which is to say, run the command as an administrator. With this command, even if you open a Command prompt as a regular user, you can now run prompts that require administrator privileges within the same window. All you need to do is type sudo before the command you want to run as an administrator.
Windows 11 will include options for how sudo works, such as running the command in a new window or inline, so you can tailor the experience to your preferences.
New energy features
Microsoft is also doubling down on power-saving features with this update, introducing an Energy Saver mode that can reduce power consumption on both laptops and desktops that don’t have batteries. This is an extension of battery saver, which, as the name suggests, was only available on laptops with batteries. With this change, you can reduce the power consumption of your PC at the expense of overall performance, potentially lowering your electricity bill and carbon emissions, which has been a big focus for Microsoft.
On the topic of power, this new update will also bring power settings related to the lid and power button directly into the Settings app, removing the need for the Control Panel page that houses these capabilities. Another big addition with this release is the ability to change the power mode on a laptop depending on whether you’re plugged in or on battery. In the past, this setting was separate for each mode, but there was a single slider, meaning you’d have to plug in or unplug the charger to change the settings for both modes. Now, there are two menus available at all times.
Source: Microsoft
Windows 11 version 24H2 also brings big news if you use a phone linked to your PC. Now, the Start menu will have a companion sidebar that shows information about your phone directly next to your apps, so you can access your text or dial a number without opening the Phone Link app. This also includes your most recent photos from your phone, making it that much easier to access them. Of course, depending on the phone you have, you may see even more information, since Samsung and Surface phones have some additional capabilities. You can even launch a screen mirroring session directly from here.
Otherwise, the Recommended area of the Start menu also now comes with some tweaks, so it can show you frequently used apps if you haven’t pinned them to the menu. It also now groups recently installed apps into a single slot so they take up less space in this section.
New features for linked phones
On top of the new phone companion app in the Start menu, those with a phone linked to their Windows 11 PC have a few more benefits in tow. A notable one is the ability to share files directly to your phone from the Share menu using Phone Link.
There are a lot more features for linked phones, too. Another option is the ability to use your phone’s camera as a wireless webcam for your PC, allowing you to get higher quality video for calls and meetings. You can also choose to see notifications for new photos from your phone so you can quickly edit them on your PC.
Microsoft is even working on a feature to let you see your phone’s storage in File Explorer, making it that much easier to browse your files.
No more support for 32-bit Arm apps and better Arm optimization
While it’s not a new feature, it’s been confirmed that the next version of Windows will not support 32-bit Arm apps, following in the footsteps of other Arm-centric platforms like Android and iOS.
This release will also include notable improvements for Arm devices, which is a big reason why new devices with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite are launching in the summer. It’s not completely clear what these improvements are, but improved performance and efficiency on these kinds of devices would certainly be welcome.
Quick Settings improvements
Windows 11 version 24H2 also comes with some improvements for the Quick Settings panel. Now, rather than stacking indefinitely, the quick actions you add show up in pages, so you can scroll between them and not make the Quick Settings panel bigger by adding more actions.
There are also improvements for the VPN quick action interface, and the Wi-Fi list shown in this panel now includes a refresh button.
Smaller updates
On July 17, 2024, Microsoft announced a new kind of update for Windows 11 that will also make its debut with version 24H2. These updates are called checkpooint updates, and while they will generally behave much like existing cumulative updates, they will have the benefit of being smaller. Essentially, Microsoft is making certain cumulative updates act as checkpoints, after which new updates only include the changes made after that point. Before, updates would include all the changes made since the RTM release, which meant cumulative updates got significantly bigger over time.
With checkpoint updates, update sizes will be smaller and install times should be shorter, so it’s a win all around.
Invert mouse scrolling direction
A smaller but very welcome change in Windows 11 version 24H2 is that you can now invert the scrolling direction when using a traditional mouse. This option existed before for touchpads, but now, normal mice can do it too. That means you no longer need a third-party app for it.
Miscellaneous changes
In addition to some of the bigger changes above, Windows 11 version 24H2 also includes some smaller refinements and new capabilities. One of them is the ability to install drivers during setup, such as Wi-Fi, for users setting up a custom-built PC with a completely fresh install. Speaking of drivers, this update also includes a “Windows protected print mode”, which removes support for printers that aren’t Mopria certified. Mopria-certified printers don’t need drivers to work, and they’re the future of printing on Windows.
Additionally, this version of Windows will be the first to officially support USB4 version 2.0, or USB4 80Gbps. This new standard promises bi-directional bandwidth up to 80Gbps, or up to 120Gbps in a single direction, and it will be supported by laptops like the 2024 Razer Blade 18.
Smaller changes include the ability to diagnose issues with your internet by right-clicking the internet icon on your taskbar, which is now animated when connecting to a new network. Still on the taskbar, Microsoft has also brought back animations when hovering over an icon on the taskbar.
This update also leaves some old stuff behind, starting with the removal of support for Windows Mixed Reality, with existing headsets being rendered completely useless with this update. Similarly, WordPad is being removed and won’t be available to download separately. Some apps, like Cortana, Mail & Calendar, People, and Maps, will also no longer be included by default.
What happened to Windows 12?
It’s not coming anytime soon
You might have noticed that the features mentioned here were previously expected to come to Windows 12. In fact, at one point, Microsoft was planning to release Windows 12 in 2024, which would have been this update. However, in late 2023, Panos Panay, who was leading Windows and Surface development, left Microsoft due to a significant strategic shift for the company.
Without Panay, the new Windows direction now feels that a whole new version of Windows would be more of a problem than a benefit. The company is afraid of fragmentation the userbase, which was a major problem for the company prior to Windows 10. When that operating system came out in 2015, complete with a free upgrade program for Windows 7 and 8.1, it was meant to bring all Windows users under one roof, making it easier to support and maintain the operating system for all active users. Windows 10 lived far longer than other Windows versions, and it was supposed to be the last version of Windows. But under Panay’s leadership, Microsoft then released Windows 11 in 2021 in an attempt to revitalize the computing market and capitalize on the work-from-home boom.
Reportedly, the plan was to go back to a three-year release cycle, so Windows 12 would have been released in 2024. Presumably, this was to help make these releases feel more significant in the eyes of consumers and hardware partners, and in fact, we even saw many such partners over the last year talk about a big Windows release in 2024.
However, releasing Windows 12 now means that the company would be supporting Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 12 simultaneously for the next year (until Windows 10 support is dropped), and the new leadership at Microsoft reportedly feels that it would be preferable to support only a single operating system if possible. This means support agents can rest assured users all have the same feature set, making it easier to find and provide support for users, while also ensuring everyone is always using the latest features available. Feature updates for Windows 11 are installed automatically after a while, so Microsoft never has to worry that some users will be using an ancient version of the OS.
Windows 11 version 24H2 is the new Windows 12
With all that being said, Windows 11 version 24H2 is essentially still Windows 12. This is the update we would have gotten regardless of what it’s called, so the changes aren’t that significant. If anything, maybe Windows 12 would have changed the system requirements, which is less likely to happen now. Microsoft may just restrict certain features to devices with specific hardware, but that’s nothing new.
As we get closer to the release date of Windows 11 version 24H2, details of what it will include should become clearer. For now, this is what we’re expecting, but since it’s still in active development, it’s likely there will be a lot more added over time.