Microsoft says its new Windows 11 update will be generally available on March 14th. However, reports also indicate that the next feature update, also known as Windows 11 23H2, is due this fall—though without major changes.
Microsoft hasn’t given its latest Windows 11 update a formal name—some are calling it Windows 11 22H2 Moment 2 or the Windows 11 February 2023 Update. A Microsoft blog post today identifies it as the “March 2023 quality update” and says it will launch on March 14th.
While the launch date is not a dark secret, Microsoft is expected to launch the release of Patch Tuesday or the second Tuesday of the month, it is still worth knowing when you can expect new changes in your PC. We’ve listed Windows 11 updates that will be added in the patch like AI-powered Bing Chat shortcuts plus updated apps like tabbed Notepad, Phone Link for iOS, and even ways to save on your power bill. We have even developed many new features. (Brad Chacos also lists his favorite parts.)
What Microsoft explains is that it is not a so-called Windows feature update, which usually deserves a larger release. “Windows 11 will continue to have an annual feature update cadence, with a new version released in the second half of the calendar year,” the post added. “Feature update releases are tied to a support lifecycle: 24 months of support for Home and Pro editions and 36 months of support for Enterprise and Education editions.”
That doesn’t necessarily indicate a timeframe for Windows 12, which is suspected to arrive in 2024. (Microsoft is reportedly testing Windows 12 in its new “Canary” channel.)
For now, though, the next Windows “feature” update doesn’t seem to have many actual features. Windows Latest reported that Microsoft scrapped a major overhaul in favor of pushing the update to be branded Windows 12. “Microsoft is moving to Germanium for the next-gen Windows and plans to use the existing Nickel (22H2) platform for Windows 11 23H2,” the site wrote, describing the code words for the different platforms. “In other words, version 23H2 is more about underground improvements than ground changes.”
Keep in mind, however, that Microsoft can release new sets of “Moments” features like the March 14 update. Either Microsoft will release them or hold them back for an update in the fall. , however, is anyone’s guess.