Microsoft Unveils Major Windows 11 Update: Customizable Start Menu, Phone Link, and Enhanced Accessibility Features

October 31, 2025
Microsoft Unveils Major Windows 11 Update: Customizable Start Menu, Phone Link, and Enhanced Accessibility Features
  • Microsoft rolled out a substantial Windows 11 update that redesigns the Start menu for high customization, including a scrollable All section, grid and list layouts, and improved productivity through pinned apps and organized categories.

  • A new Phone Link pane in the Start menu lets users access calls and messages from connected iPhone or Android devices, with an option to hide this feature.

  • To access the new Start menu, users should update Windows via Settings, choosing the KB5067036 preview update, then reboot and sign back in after installation.

  • The update also adds a Braille Viewer in Narrator mode, enabling simultaneous on-screen text and Braille, aiding visually impaired users and educators; setup requires a support package and Settings configuration.

  • The article invites reader questions in the comments and points to related pieces for broader context.

  • Visuals and UI remain a work in progress, with optional features that can be hidden or adjusted, and ongoing refinement of the Start Menu across builds.

  • If certain features aren’t visible, users can enable them with ViveTool, following steps to download, extract, and run specific commands to unlock hidden Windows features.

  • Insiders can provide feedback directly from Windows Copilot’s integration in apps to influence Vision development.

  • Caution is advised before installing the preview update, as it is still testing and may contain bugs or incomplete features.

  • Voice Access on Copilot+ PCs gains Fluid Dictation, an AI feature that removes filler words and corrects grammar in real time, processing on-device and enabled by default but toggleable in Settings.

  • Copilot features are deeply integrated, enabling quick analysis or Q&A via hover actions in Taskbar thumbnails and File Explorer with user-preference toggles.

  • Copilot’s update brings Vision with text-in and text-out, enabling text-based interactions across Windows Copilot through selected text on screen.

Summary based on 16 sources


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