Windows 11 has a new preview that improves audio quality for your video chats and more.
Windows 11 Preview Build 26040 was released in the Canary channel (the first test builds) complete with the Voice Clarity feature that was previously exclusive to Surface device owners.
Voice Clarity leverages AI to improve audio chat on your end, canceling echo, reducing reverb or other unwanted effects, and suppressing any intrusive background noise. In short, it helps you be heard better and your voice is clearer.
The problem is that apps need to use communications signal processing mode to benefit from this feature, which, unsurprisingly, is what Microsoft's own Phone Link app uses. WhatsApp is another example, plus some PC games will be good for using this technology, so you can yell at your teammates and be very clear when doing so.
Voice Clarity is on by default; After all, there's no real downside here other than using a little CPU, but you can disable it if you want.
Another smart addition here is a connection between your Android phone and a Windows 11 PC for photo editing. Every time you take a photo on your smartphone, it will be available on your desktop immediately (you'll get a notification) and you'll be able to edit it with the Snipping tool (instead of struggling to process the image on your phone). ).
For the full list of changes in build 26040, check out Microsoft's blog post, but another of the biggest introductions worth highlighting here is that the Windows 11 setup experience has been given a hand of paint that was needed for a long time.
Analysis: Setting the stage
It's about time some attention was paid to Windows Settings, as it has had the same basic look for a long time. It would be nice if the revamp had a brighter touch, we think, although the upgrade is nice and isn't exactly a crucial part of the interface (since you don't see it after you've installed the OS, anyway).
We've already seen the ability to send photos from Android phones to the crop tool in the dev channel last week, but it's good to see a broader rollout for Canary testers. However, it's just being rolled out, so keep in mind that you may not see it yet if you're a Canary Islander.
As for Voice Clarity, it's clearly a welcome AI touch for all Windows 11 users. Whether you're chatting with your family to catch up on the weekend or working remotely and using your Windows 11 PC to meetings, it's obviously possible that the person (or people) on the other end of the call will hear you better. a good thing.
