With the Windows 11 2022 update rolling out to users globally, Microsoft has started testing new features with Insiders. We previously saw the full-screen widgets panel in an earlier version, but with the latest Windows 11 Dev Insider build 25217, the company is adding support for one of the most awaited features – third-party widgets. Yes, developers can finally start making widgets for Windows 11, which you can then add to the widget board. Let's look at all the details.
Windows 11 Build 25217: New third-party widget support, Teams Chat, Taskbar Search, and Store update
In an official blog post, Microsoft confirms that the widget panel in Windows 11 is about to become even more useful. The widget board currently only contains content from Microsoft apps, news, weather and sports updates. However, Dev build 25217 follows the release of WinApp SDK 1.2 Preview 2, which was made available last week. This SDK will "allow developers to create widgets for their packaged Win32 apps and test them locally on the Windows 11 Widgets board," says Microsoft.
That's not the only new feature in this Insider build. The company is also testing a new video calling experience for Microsoft Teams with the chat option in the taskbar in Windows 11. With build 25217, select users will now see their own video preview after clicking the chat option. You'll see the option to start a video call or text chat (with those using Teams) and share a video call link with others via the browser. This will be followed by a list of people you can quickly text, offering a neat experience for professionals.
Additionally, the Microsoft Store will now be more aware of your Game Pass subscription. This means you don't have to rely on the Xbox app to see if a game is available on Game Pass or not. When browsing games on the Microsoft Store, you'll now see a new "Play with Game Pass" button along with the full price. This makes it easier for you to decide whether you need to buy a game or not.
