Windows 11 23H2 gets Phone Link Start menu integration and a lot more in KB5055629

Following the release of April 2025 non-security updates for Windows 10, Microsoft is now pushing optional updates for those on Windows 11 version 23H2 and 22H2 (Enterprise and Education editions). KB5055629 (build numbers 22621.5262 and 22631.5262) is now available for download with Phone Link integration in the Start menu, File Explorer improvements, changes to Windows Widgets, and more.

Here is what Microsoft is rolling out gradually:

• [File Explorer]
  • New! Pivot-based curated views on File Explorer Home that supports ease of access of Microsoft 365 content on Windows. Be more productive and get highly relevant content at your fingertips on File Explorer Home.
  • Fixed: Improved the performance of extracting zipped files, particularly in the case where you’re unzipping a large number of small files.
• [Narrator] New! Keep track of what Narrator has spoken and access it for quick reference. With speech recap, you can quickly access spoken content, follow along with live transcription, and copy what Narrator last said—all with simple keyboard shortcuts.
• [Phone Link] New! You can do even more with your Windows PC and your mobile device with direct access to cross-device features from the Start menu. For example, you can make phone calls, send SMS messages, access your photos, or share content between your mobile device and PC.
• [Widgets]
  • New! Web developers can use their existing content to create interactive widgets that can be added to multiple widgets surfaces. For more info, see Web widget providers.
  • New! Support for lock screen widgets (previously referred to as “Weather and more”) arrives on devices in the European Economic Area (EEA). You can add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, Sports, Traffic, and more. Any widget that supports the small sizing option can be added. To customize your lock screen widgets, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
• [Desktop icons] The logic for apps pinned to the desktop has been updated, so that packaged apps no longer show an accent colored backplate. For example, if you were to drag and drop Snipping Tool from the apps list in Start to the desktop the icons should be bigger and easier to see now.
• [Share Sheet] Make last-minute edits such as cropping, rotating, and adding filters to images shared though the share sheet.
• [Start]
  • Fixed: You can’t use touch gestures to view the list of apps pinned in the Start menu.
  • Fixed: The Sign out and More options buttons in the Start menu account manager might not be visible with increased text size.
• [Taskbar] Fixed: If you use the arrow keys after pressing the Windows key + T, the arrows move in the wrong direction for Arabic and Hebrew display languages.

Customers who still use Windows 11 version 22H2 (Enterprise and Education editions) can get the following improvements with today's release:

• [Server Message Block (SMB)] Fixed: An issue where an Excel file, hosted on a SMB file share with Access Based Enumeration enabled, containing links to multiple other files hosted on network shares, might take longer to open.
• [Sign in Impact] Fixed: An issue affecting the USBxHCI controller and all devices that connect to your computer using a USB port on Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 200V Series Processors. The built-in USB camera won't work with Windows Hello sign-in unless you manually disable Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS). To turn off ESS, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Additional settings > Sign in with an external camera or fingerprint reader > toggle switch ON. If you create a Windows Hello container while using Windows 11, version 23H2, it might prevent you from using ESS after you upgrade to Windows 11, version 24H2
• [Xbox]
  • This update addresses an issue affecting Xbox Elite Wireless Controllers with certain firmware versions, where the keyboard might not function and displays an error indicator in the device manager.
  • Fixed: The driver verifier stops responding during gamepad controller driver certification, affecting Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing.
• [Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b)] This update adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.

As usual, feel free to skip C-updates if you do not feel like installing a preview release. However, if you want to get it, go to Windows Update in the Settings app and check for available updates. Alternatively, you can download KB5055629 from the Microsoft Update Catalog. This month's non-security updates for Windows 11 version 24H2 will be available at a later date.

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