Windows 11 is jam packed with goodies, but, its about to get even better!

Are you ready for a major upgrade to your favourite tools included with the operating system?

First, lets talk about the Snipping Tool. This humble screenshotting tool has been quietly serving us for years, capturing our screens one snip at a time, but now, with a new text capture and recognition capability, called ‘Text Actions’, we are looking at a drastic gam-changer. You can copy and paste text straight from a screenshot. No more typing out information from an image like a caveman!

That is not all though, there is now a ‘Quick Redact’ function. This lets you hide sensitive information right in the screenshot. Much better that scribbling over confidential data with a digital marker! With integration from Windows 11’s Phone Link feature, your Android devices and PC are going to be best friends too. Syncing will be so much easier.

The photos app. It can’t get better right? Well, Microsoft pulls another rabbit out of the hat. Based on feedback – yes, they do listen to us – the Photos app is getting a makeover complete with a new Background blur option.  If you want to make your subject pop by blurring out the background, no problem! Need to control the intensity of the blur or select specific areas to blur? They’ve sorted it.

The new ‘Content Search’ capability for photos backed up on OneDrive is a game-changer as well. Ever wished you could search for a photo based on its content? Now you can! Using intelligent image detection software, Microsoft will now scan and label your photos with searchable tags. Yes, you can also search for photos based on location, across local files, OneDrive, and even Apple’s iCloud. That’s right, iPhone users have not been left out.

We know that some of you may still be upset about the removal of the Video Editor feature in the Windows 10 changes to the Photos app. However, it looks like Microsoft may be making amends. The vague mention in Microsoft’s announcement that ‘Edit and Create Video options’ are now available at the top of  the gallery view suggests some video editing functions may be heading our way. We will just have to wait and see what that means.

As we eagerly await these updates, one thing is clear: Microsoft are not resting on their laurels. They are working tirelessly to make our lives easier one update  at a time. I am thrilled, and as a business owner, you should be too! Who doesn’t love a good upgrade?

If you would like any help or advice on this subject, or IT in general. Let us know!