Microsoft has quietly rolled out a fix for a recent Windows 11 patch (KB5039302, a preview update) in a bid to correct a bug that caused some PCs to enter a reboot loop, a problem so serious that the update was paused.
However, this new fix has led to more issues, as there are now reports of the taskbar not working properly.
Microsoft is aware of the taskbar glitches plaguing some Windows 11 users – in fact, the June 2024 preview update may lead to the taskbar not loading altogether. It's claimed that this issue is only “expected to occur if you are using a Windows N edition” or if you manually disable the Media Features toggle in the Control Panel.
Previous to this new problem, some Windows 11 users were experiencing reboot loops as mentioned, making their system potentially unusable. This only appears to have affected machines where nested virtualization is enabled. As the name implies, this feature allows users to run virtual machines, and it's utilized more in business and enterprise settings than by your everyday consumer.
The only fix discovered for the previous 'reboot hell' bug is to manually remove the update from the Advanced Startup menu, we're told.
It's worth underlining that Windows 11 update KB5039302 is optional, so you can avoid it altogether, and it's probably best to do so for now – even though most folks won't be affected by the new glitch. Later in July, this update will become the full release for Windows 11, at which point you can't avoid it (for long, anyway). By then, hopefully Microsoft will have fixed this new bug, too.
So yes, Windows 11 hasn't had the smoothest ride this year, or indeed since it was launched. To see the taskbar, of all things, not loading in or working correctly is certainly an oddity, even if that issue is still far preferable to a PC which is stuck in boot loop hell. We'll keep an eye on this one and update you when Microsoft fixes this new bug.
Google seemingly has plans to expand its Circle to Search feature to other Android phones via Google Lens. In a recent deep dive, news site Android Authority found clues to the update within the recent Google app betas files and compiled them all together.
What’s particularly interesting is they managed to get the tool working on a smartphone, possibly hinting at an imminent release. According to the report, they even managed to get a popup notification informing users that the update would appear.
It tells people to hold down the home button to access Circle to Search, much like the experience on the Galaxy S24. Upon activation, a three-button navigation bar appears at the bottom, and an accompanying video shows the tool in action as it looks up highlighted portions of the Play Store on Google Search. The UI looks, unsurprisingly, similar to how it does on Galaxy phones, with search inquiries rising from the bottom.
Clashing with Gemini
You may notice that the rainbow filter animation is gone, having been replaced by a series of dots and lines. Well, that’s the old beta, and the newer version has the animation and the Translate button, which shows up in the lower right hand corner next to the search bar.
At a glance, it seems Circle to Search on Google Lens is close to launching, although it is still a work in progress with a few issues to iron out. For example, how will it work on a smartphone housing the Gemini app as holding down on the home button launches the chatbot? Google might give Circle to Search priority in this instance, so long pressing opens the tool rather than the AI. However, at this point, it’s too early to tell.
New navigation option
Android Authority also found “XML files referring to pill-based gesture navigation.” If you don’t know what that is, it’s the oval at the bottom of Android displays. The shape lets you move between apps with basic gestures. Google Lens could offer this option, allowing users to ditch the three-button navigation bar, but it may not come out for a while as it doesn’t work in the betas.
Circle to Search on Google Lens will most likely stick to the three buttons, though. The original report has a theory about this, as they believe implementing the pill navigation would systemic OTA (over-the-air) updates to millions upon millions of Android smartphones, which may or “may not be feasible.” So, to get Circle to Search out sooner to people, the navigation option will have to be pushed back a bit. The three-button solution is easier to implement.
There is no word on when the update will arrive, but we hope it’s soon, as it is a great feature and currently a highlight for the Galaxy and Pixel devices that have it.
It’s been a big day for the Chrome platform. Not only has the mobile app received an update to its search function, but Chromebooks are receiving a patch in the form ChromeOS M126. It's not a major refresh, but it does introduce several quality-of-life improvements that collectively aim to make the system more accessible. There isn’t a specific focus on anything in particular, as multiple features are being updated.
Starting from the top, the Chromebook Camera app is obtaining Super Resolution. This gives the laptop’s camera the ability to zoom in on objects if they don’t have a built-in optical motor. However, on certain “high-performance Chromebooks,” Super Resolution can visually enhance the photos it captures. Exactly which models will get this is unknown.
Next on the visual updates is the Magnifier tool integrating into Select to Speak. Now, whenever Select to Speak reads words aloud, Magnifier will automatically follow and enlarge text as it goes along “so you never lose your place.” Google states you’ll need both tools enabled to see the feature. Additionally, you can zoom in further by pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Brightness Up keys. Replacing the last key with Brightness Down lets you zoom out.
People who are photosensitive or have cognitive differences can also turn the blinking cursor rate for a more comfortable user experience.
Extra tools
The rest of the patch moves away from accessibility updates and more towards offering users extra tools. Quick Start, for example, is now available on Chromebook and allows users to connect their Android smartphone to their computer as a fast way to migrate Wi-Fi and Google Account login information when setting up a Chromebook for the first time. It will let you set up a Chromebook without entering a single password – pretty handy.
Parents will appreciate these next set of changes, as the company is splitting “permissions for sites, extensions, and apps” to offer more granular parental control options. Supervised accounts also need to ask for approval before they can install an extension.
A new system option has been added to the Settings menu to turn off the swiping gesture when navigating between pages. Last but not least, Google is launching multi-calendar support to let you view events from multiple sources via the Google Calendar app.
ChromeOS M126 will be rolling out over the coming days, so watch for the patch when it arrives. Do note that your device may not be immediately “eligible.” We reached out to Google for clarification on what would make a Chromebook ineligible, and we'll report back if we hear back.
Microsoft has revealed a new tactic in its campaign to persuade Windows 11 users to switch to the Edge browser – and it’s a 3D banner, no less.
I suppose that’s a bit different from the usual nags I’ve seen from Microsoft, which has tried so hard, for so very long, to cajole users into switching to Edge. And honestly, some of these attempts have gotten rather tiresome.
This most recent move to entice new users is a pop-up banner that appears when you open Edge directly (or when opening a file, like a PDF, which is set to fire up Edge), and it features a prompt to get you to set Edge as your default browser.
Going by the screenshot taken by Windows Latest, the banner tries to sway you by stating that Edge will protect you against phishing and malware attacks while employing some kind of a limited three-dimensional effect with the visuals here.
(Image credit: Mayank Parmar via Windows Latest )
In the past, Microsoft has made many attempts to get people to switch to Edge. A classic example is the experience when you’re trying to download Google Chrome on a new machine – you’ve got to use Edge as it’s there by default in Windows 11 – and a banner pops up letting you know that Edge is just as good, if not better and that there’s no need to download Chrome.
While I can’t comment on the effectiveness of these kinds of banners and pop-ups, I can say that it’s not a concept that works for me. Personally, having multiple nag panels trying to get me to do something is not an approach that works – in fact, it kind of makes me more determined to never open Edge ever again.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I don’t think Edge is an explicitly bad browser by any means, and with the recent AI improvements and features implemented by Microsoft, it has become more popular. However, by now, Microsoft should know that nobody likes a nag, and every little nudge and push makes me – and probably others, too – less likely to give Edge a try.
For now, I’ll stick with Google Chrome and dismiss these prompts out of principle.
We are just a few days out from Apple's WWDC 2024 (Wordwide Developers Conference) event, and we expect to learn about macOS 15, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, Apple's AI innovations for products like Siri (possibly in collaboration with companies like OpenAI or Google for its Gemini technology), and developments for Apple's flagship apps like Photos, Notes, Maps, Calculator, and others.
The WWDC keynote presentation will start at 10 am PT 1pm ET / 6pm BST, which is 3am AEST on June 11 for those in Australia. Check out our guide on how to watch WWDC 2024.
You'll have to tune it to find out exactly what features and changes macOS 15 will include and what its official name will be, but we have a strong suspicion that it'll have a substantial amount of AI-related updates. This would bring Apple more in line with its peers like Microsoft, which has been pressing on in this direction for over a year by adding AI features to its rival Windows 11 operating system.
Ahead of WWDC 2024, we've collected all the news and rumors so far about macOS 15, and if you've not updated to the latest version of the Mac operating system, check out our guide on how to install macOS 14.
All about AI
iOS is expected to be one of the bigger focal points at WWDC, with its digital assistant, Siri, rumored to be getting a big AI boost that will make it better at conversation, understanding, and personalization. This will probably be thanks to Apple's recently reported partnership with OpenAI to integrate its technology, including ChatGPT, which is expected to be integrated into iOS 18.
This isn't the only Apple operating system that's slated to get AI capabilities, with iPadOS and macOS 15 reportedly getting some sort of AI boost as well. According to MacRumors, these new AI features will be opt-in and users will only have to adopt them if they want to. Additionally, if iPadOS and macOS users want to be able to use AI features, their devices will be required to have at least M1 chips. This could mean that macOS 15 will be the first version that is exclusive to Apple silicon Macs, which would certainly disappoint people who still use older Intel-based Macs.
OpenAI's tools and technology is rumored to be used to power new and existing features of Apple products, but there's also talk of Apple's own ChatGPT-like chatbot made in partnership with OpenAI. We expect to find out exactly what this will look like at WWDC.
Apple is supposedly readying several cross-platform AI-powered features, as relayed by MacRumors, including:
AI-generated Apple Music playlists
AI-assisted writing in Pages
AI-assisted slide deck creation in Keynote
AI code writing features in Xcode
We're looking forward to seeing Apple's first big move into consumer AI products in general, and it's due to take up about half of the WWDC keynote, so there'll be plenty to look forward to.
macOS 15 release date
(Image credit: Apple)
Based on previous launches of macOS, we think it's a pretty safe bet that Apple will announce macOS 15 at WWDC 2024, including its release date, and make a developer beta version available very soon after the presentation (possibly the same day). You'll have to pay a fee to try that, or you could wait until later in the year, possibly July, to try a public beta version for free. Then, later in 2024, either in September or early October, we expect the full macOS 15 public release rollout, again, based on what Apple has done with previous macOS releases.
If you're particularly enthusiastic or an early adopter, or you're a Mac app developer, a beta version might be especially interesting for you. However, you should keep in mind that beta versions of software are generally more prone to bugs and instability, potential rollbacks of changes and features by Apple, and hardware risks. We'd recommend only installing a beta version if you're using a spare Mac device or are comfortable troubleshooting your device.
For everyone else, we'd recommend you wait for the stable public release. Also, be sure to check back here as we'll update you the moment we know more about macOS 15's release date.
macOS 15 name
We expect to find out macOS's official name at WWDC 2024, and the trend for macOS names since 2013 has been names of California landmarks. Many of these have already been trademarked by Apple over the past decade, although not all of these have been used yet. Trademarked possibilities include: Redwood, Grizzly, Sequoia, Mammoth, Pacific, Rincon, Farallon, Miramar, Condor, Diablo, and Shasta.
Alternatively, Apple could go for a non-trademarked name, which it has also done before.
Names of previous iterations of macOS in honor of California landmarks include: Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma.
macOS 15 availability
If reports are correct, you'll need to make sure your Mac has an M1 Apple silicon chip or newer to be able to take up Apple's new AI features.
However, it might be possible that some older Macs will be able to run macOS 15, probably without the AI features, and we expect Apple to clarify this point at WWDC. The Mac models capable of running what's currently the latest version of macOS, Sonoma, are:
2019 or later iMac
2017 iMac Pro
2019 or later Mac Pro
2022 or later Mac Studio
2018 or later MacBook Air
2018 or later Mac mini
2018 or later MacBook Pro
macOS 15 features
Apple hasn't always been the “first” to introduce a product or feature, but it's known for methodically working on products while competitors rush to be first across the line. Then, when Apple does finally release its version, it often achieves mainstream success.
Here are some of the features we expect and would like to see:
A revamp of System Settings: This is one of the most anticipated developments for macOS 15, hopefully delivering a redesign of the operating system’s menus and apps. Many users are hoping to see a refreshed design which could bring a sense of novelty while preserving what makes macOS intuitive.
A smarter Siri for Mac devices: Once the more intelligent and upgraded Siri makes its way onto iOS devices, we could see a new version of the digital assistant for desktop as well. It may not have all of the mobile version’s features and capabilities, but there is still room for improvement that users would like to see.
Improved gaming capabilities for Macs: If Apple wanted to make its devices better suited for gaming, and to make use of its newest M3 and M4 chips, it could present advancements that would make it more lucrative for game developers to make versions of games for macOS.
A new update to WhatsApp for Windows 11 and Windows 10 adds three new features that boost user experience in a big way: multi-window support, a new ‘hamburger’ menu, and a new interface. These are also hints of the addition of Meta AI features here (and we’ll come back to that later).
Spotted by Windows Latest, the update has added a little bit of life to the WhatsApp interface on Windows, which was pretty boring and drab beforehand. You had to struggle when resizing to get your contacts and message threads to show at the same time and often had to choose between the two. However, now you can hide the contact list within the menu, so your chat takes up the full-screen space, and you can easily bring your contacts list back up by clicking through the menu.
Secondly, you can now open a chat in a new window if you want to isolate just one conversation. You’ll also be able to open multiple chats if you don’t want to have the whole app open, and want to keep up with just a few important people. The chat window will open up with a more stripped-down layout, keeping it simple.
Finally, a new hamburger menu (a cute way to refer to drop-down menus that are shown as three lines stacked on top of each other) separates the app into chats, calls, and status updates. So overall, the update adds useful new features and streamlines the app into a more digestible format.
Windows Latest suggests that the simple hamburger menu may make space for a range of Meta AI features to come to WhatsApp, as announced earlier this year. This could include using the search bar to input queries to Meta AI without making a separate chat. The integration of AI assistants into WhatsApp sounds similar to the ones introduced to Instagram last year, which included famous personas like Snoop Dogg!
Windows 11 and Windows 10 users are in some cases facing a problem whereby their VPN connection is failing to work thanks to the latest cumulative updates from Microsoft for these operating systems.
We’re talking about the main updates for last month, April, which are KB5036893 for Windows 11 (ushering in Moment 5 features), and KB5036892 for Windows 10 – and this also holds true for the preview updates released at the end of April.
Neowin noticed that Microsoft has officially acknowledged that these updates are breaking some VPNs, posting on its Windows 11 health dashboard to say: “Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update (KB5036893) or the April 2024 non-security preview update.”
Microsoft informs us that it’s working on fixing the problem and will “provide an update in an upcoming release,” but sadly, we don’t get any details beyond that.
Analysis: Rocky road for updates of late
This is a vague diagnosis from Microsoft, with no info provided as to what might be the root cause (or causes) of this VPN-related problem. It’s not affecting all Windows 11 (or Windows 10) users by any means, but certainly some VPN users are experiencing service failure. All we can do right now is wait for Microsoft to continue its investigation into finding out what’s gone wrong with the April update, and to provide those additional details – hopefully soon.
For those affected, this is a troubling situation, as the April cumulative update is very different from an optional update – you have to install it (Windows 11 Home users can only delay it for a bit if they want to take evasive action). Also, without the update, you don’t have the latest security measures, so your PC is just a bit more vulnerable to intrusion.
For home-based PC users running into this bug, Microsoft only offers up the following advice: “If you need support with your personal or family account, use the Get help app in Windows.”
It’s been a pretty rocky road for the April update for Windows 11 when you consider that the upgrade has brought with it some other nasty bugs, including a new spin on the Blue Screen of Death – which we dubbed the White Screen of Doom. Plus the preview update for April has an odd issue with profile photos, and there are other glitches floating around besides. So, all in all, Microsoft isn’t having a great time of things lately.
A new month, a new Meta Quest 3 headset update. V64 may have only landed (checks notes) 21 days ago, but we’ve got yet another upgrade courtesy of Horizon OS version v65.
Keeping up with the déjà vu, v65 brings with it yet another upgrade to passthrough, which was only just upgraded in v64, which added both exposure and dynamic range improvements, and an upgrade that makes it easier to see your real-world furniture while in VR and MR.
Now, Meta is finally giving players the option to stay immersed in mixed reality through their whole Quest 3 experience.
Previously, when you were in the lock screen, power-off screen, and a few other important menus, you’d be trapped in a gray VR void. Now, if you're using MR home you’ll find yourself instead surrounded by your real-world space just like you would in any other mixed reality experience.
Sure it's not the most flashy upgrade, but considering Meta’s monthly release schedule we’re not going to complain if some updates are simpler quality-of-life improvements rather than earth-shaking changes.
Mixed reality from start to finish (Image credit: Meta)
Some iPhone-exclusive upgrades
Beyond better passthrough, Meta has also introduced a few features for iPhone users specifically – perhaps in an attempt to further convince Apple fans they don't need to shell out for an Apple Vision Pro, or wait for the now apparently delayed cheaper follow-up.
The first feature change comes to spatial video. Playback appeared via update v62 back in February, and if you had an iPhone 15 Pro you could upload your stereoscopic videos straight from your phone to your headset using the Meta Quest mobile app.
Now you can upload your videos via any iPhone running iOS 17 or later – though capturing spatial video is still an exclusive iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature (unless the iPhone 16 refresh brings it to more affordable models later this year).
(Image credit: Meta)
Meta is also adding better support for still panoramic images. Alongside videos, you can now upload your panoramic shots from your iPhone to your Quest headset via the mobile app.
So, rather than simply viewing your shot on a flat screen, you can be re-immersed in the location where you took it. Again this has to be uploaded via an iPhone running iOS 17 or later.
There's no word yet on when or if these features will come to Android devices, but we expect they will – especially if new Android devices start to introduce camera setups that can record spatial videos.
With a Samsung XR headset – which Google is helping to make – on the way, we wouldn't be surprised if this phone camera happened. But we’ll have to wait and see what Android phone makers announce in the coming weeks.
If you’ve been keeping up with Windows 11 news you’ll know that there’s been a lot of turbulence with the latest optional update – Windows 11 version KB5036980 – and the introduction of ads into the start menu. Happily, Microsoft is finally doing something about it – but it might be too little, too late for some users.
The update is currently available for users running Windows 11 version 23H2 and 22H2 and can be installed manually from the Update Catalog. Besides the annoying pop-ups of ads in your start menu, it seems that users are also getting error messages when trying to change their profile photo.
Spotted by Windows Latest, some users who installed the update are getting an error message when they try to change their account photo. This seems to only be happening on people’s local system accounts and not their actual Microsoft accounts, meaning that it’s definitely a Windows issue rather than something to do with Microsoft’s online account systems.
Playing the waiting game
Microsoft has updated its Feedback Hub to say that it’s aware of the reports and has already started to make changes in the internal builds. So, the May 2024 optional update is expected to fix the current issues.
Windows Latest received comments from Microsoft support staff that it is investigating the error and confirmed that the issue affects the mandatory KB5036893 update and the optional KB5036980 update that put ads in the Start menu. The profile pic bug is expected to be fixed soon, along with some other bugs that have been plaguing Windows 11 as of late.
So if you are currently experiencing this issue, you’ll likely just have to wait for the May patch for Microsoft to issue a fix. Until then, you may be stuck with your profile picture for a while – I hope it's cute!
Windows 10 has received a new optional update and it comes with some much-needed fixing to cure problems some users have been experiencing with the search function in the OS.
Microsoft tells us that: “This update makes some changes to Windows Search. It is now more reliable, and it is easier to find an app after you install it. This update also gives you a personalized app search experience.”
As Windows Latest describes, for some Windows 10 users, search has become a somewhat hit or miss affair particularly around trying to quickly fire up an app. Such as, for example, searching for the ‘Recycle Bin’ and not getting the icon for that returned, but other functions instead.
On social media, there have been a number of reports about wonky search experiences, too, such as this one on Reddit where Windows 10 refused to find a commonly-used app.
In more extreme cases, search is locking up and crashing, which is the pinnacle of irritation for this part of the UI.
Analysis: Wait a little longer
Hopefully, this kind of behavior should be a thing of the past when this update is applied. However, note that this is just an optional update at this point, so it’s officially still in testing – meaning there’s a slight chance the fix may not be fully working. Or that the KB5036979 update might cause unwelcome side-effects elsewhere in Windows 10 (it wouldn’t be the first time, certainly).
The safest bet is to wait it out, let early adopters test this preview update, and install the finished cumulative update when it arrives in May (on Patch Tuesday, which will be May 14).
At least we know this piece of smoothing over is now incoming, so those who’ve been frustrated with iffy search results now know that – with any luck – their woes should soon be over. Or at least, they’ll face spanners in the search works with less regularity.
Elsewhere with this update, Microsoft has also improved the reliability of widgets on the lock screen, with a more “customized experience” and more visuals available, so these should be better all-round, too.
The downside with KB5036979? That’s a new initiative to introduce notifications about your Microsoft Account in the Start menu and Settings app, which will doubtless consist of various prompts to sign up for an account, or to finish that process.
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