Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557 Supports Drag and Drop on Taskbar, Start Menu Folders, and More

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557 to the Developer Channel of the Windows Insider Program. Let’s take a look at what’s new and improved in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557.

What’s New in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557

Start Menu
Build 22557 allows users to create folders in the start menu. To create a folder simply drag an application’s icon onto another. You can add multiple shortcut icons to the newly created folder and reorder them. That is, our start menu no longer has only 24 icons. If the folder is no longer needed, you can also delete the created folder by dragging the icon from it.

Search
According to Microsoft, searches for Build 22557 are faster and more accurate. Whether searching locally or on the web, according to our tests, it is indeed faster.

Taskbar
Windows 11 Build 22557 supports drag and drop to the taskbar. Users can drag and drop files directly into the program window on the taskbar to quickly find and open the program you want to open.
In Build 22557, shortcuts can be found and dragged from the All Apps list in the Start menu to paste them into the taskbar. Of course, if you want to add a shortcut to the desktop, drag the icon to the Show desktop button in the lower right corner. Users of Microsoft Teams for Work and School will see a rectangle around the window’s taskbar icon to indicate that it was shared during your call.

Do Not Disturb Mode
Windows 11 Build 22557 added a Do Not Disturb mode. This feature allows users to go to Settings > System > Notifications to mute notifications for all apps, except Priority Alerts and Alerts. Users can customize the time of the Do Not Disturb mode, such as automatically turning on notifications outside work. You can also customize whether priority notifications should be allowed for incoming calls, reminders, and specific apps.

Focus

Focus can be enabled from the Notification Center, allowing you to focus more on work or play. Once focus is activated, a timer will appear on the screen. It also enables Do Not Disturb mode and prevents notifications, taskbar badges, and flickering icons.

You can set focus duration and other settings from the Settings > System > Focus page. Focus integrates with the Clock app’s focus session.

Live Captioning
Windows 11 Build 22557 introduced the Live Caption feature. The user can trigger it with the hotkey WIN + Ctrl + L. Live Captions are displayed at the top of the screen by default, but can be moved to the bottom or set as a floating window. Live Caption allows users to change the subtitle style in the settings. However, only the English US language package supports live subtitles.

File Explorer
File Explorer now allows users to pin files to Quick Access. This feature allows you to pin files from Office.com to appear above recent files.
OneDrive is now integrated with File Explorer, where you can view storage quotas, used and free space in your account. Browse any cloud folder and click the down arrow that appears in the upper right corner of the explorer. A panel will then appear showing details of the storage space and shortcuts to manage OneDrive. It also tells if the selected folder has been synced to the cloud. However, users need to have the OneDrive app running in the background to access features in Explorer.

Improved Snapshot Layout
Snap Assist animations, snapshot transitions have been improved in Windows 11 Build 22557. Alt + Tab, Task View, and Taskbar Preview now display the desktop wallpaper for better viewing of Snap groups.

Power Settings and Recommendations
Windows 11 Build 22557 updates power settings to reduce energy consumption when your computer is idle. And changed the defaults for sleep and screen off, if you set sleep and screen off to never, the OS will offer suggestions to help reduce carbon emissions. However, the power settings feature is only available in Windows 11 Build 22557 or later.

New Task Manager and Efficiency Mode
The recently redesigned task manager has an optional dark theme, a hamburger-style navigation bar, a command bar with common actions, and a settings page. Task Manager has an efficiency mode that optimizes the resources your applications use. Efficiency mode can be enabled from the Processes page, from the command bar, or by right-clicking on an individual process.

New Touch Gestures
Five new touch gestures have been added to Windows 11 Build 22557. Swipe from the middle of the taskbar to launch the Start menu, and swipe down to close it. Swipe from right to left in the start menu to switch to the All Apps page, and swipe from left to right to return to pinned apps. You can browse recommended/more apps using the same gestures.

Swipe up from the bottom right corner of the taskbar to open quick settings, and swipe down to close quick settings. Windows 11 Build 22557 updates the animation for accessing the Notification Center, improving responsiveness. Swipe from the right edge of the screen to open Notification Center. When you use full-screen touch games and apps, a gripper bar appears on the edge of the screen, which prevents accidental swipes. Swipe up on the gripper to switch to other content.

Other Improvements in Windows 11 Build 22557

• The narrator adds a natural male voice named Guy.
• The battery charging icon shows lightning instead of the power cord.
• When casting media, an icon will appear on the taskbar. It allows you to manage casting settings, and stop casting.
• Mica materials are now supported in more title bars, such as the run dialog.
• Narrator has made various improvements to help users browse the web in Microsoft Edge.

It will announce changes of your choice, such as the sort order of tables, link navigation, and editing text on the web.

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557 has a number of major improvements worth reporting that definitely improve the user experience.