Windows 11 update adds Bing access and app upgrades

Microsoft released KB5022913 for Windows 11 version 22H2 on 28 February. The optional, non-security update takes the operating system to build 22621.1344 and introduces a search box you can type into directly on the taskbar.

Photo: efes, 2015. Original photograph via Wikimedia Commons. CC0 1.0. Recompressed; responsive crops.

The search experience adds access to the new Bing preview. You’ll still need a place in that preview: Microsoft says the waitlist remains open.

Bing conversations open in Microsoft Edge, as Tom’s Hardware’s testing shows. The taskbar provides a route into web chat; it doesn’t host a conversation that controls your local files or Windows settings, a distinction also described by Pureinfotech.

Screen recording and Notepad tabs

Microsoft’s feature announcement also brings video capture to Snipping Tool and tabs to Notepad, so multiple notes can share one window. Voice access leaves preview, and the Widgets panel gains a full-screen view.

On tablet-capable 2-in-1 PCs, the taskbar can collapse when the keyboard is detached or folded back, then expand for touch. It’s off by default on company-managed devices. Studio Effects controls move into quick settings, but require a supported neural processing unit.

Other changes include wider braille-display support, energy-saving recommendations and Task Manager filters for finding processes by name, publisher or process ID.

iPhone support starts with a small preview

Phone Link for iOS is starting with a small group of Windows Insiders across all three channels. It requires app version 1.23012.169.0 or newer, but installing that version alone won’t unlock it: Microsoft controls access remotely.

After Bluetooth pairing and permission setup, the preview handles calls, messages, contacts and notifications. It can’t reply to group messages or send photos and other media in messages.

How the rollout works

Eligible 22H2 users can check Windows Update and update apps through Microsoft Store. A restart is required, and availability varies by market. Microsoft expects broader Windows Update feature availability with March’s monthly security release.