Microsoft Commits To Updating Windows 11 Once Per Year, and Also All the Time

An anonymous reader shares a report: When ArsTechnica reviewed Windows 11 last fall, one of its biggest concerns was that it would need to wait until the fall of 2022 to see changes or improvements to its new -- and sometimes rough -- user interface. Nearly a year later, it's become abundantly clear that Microsoft isn't holding back changes and new apps for the operating system's yearly feature update. One notable smattering of additions was released back in February alongside a commitment to "continuous innovation." Other, smaller updates before and since (not to mention the continuously-updated Microsoft Edge browser) have also emphasized Microsoft's commitment to putting out new Windows features whenever they're ready. There's been speculation that Microsoft could be planning yet another major shake-up to Windows' update model, moving away from yearly updates that would be replaced by once-per-quarter feature drops, allegedly called "Moments" internally. These would be punctuated by larger Windows version updates every three years or so. As part of the PR around the Windows 11 2022 Update (aka Windows 11 22H2), the company has made clear that none of this is happening. "Windows 11 will continue to have an annual feature update cadence, released in the second half of the calendar year that marks the start of the support lifecycle," writes Microsoft VP John Cable, "with 24 months of support for Home and Pro editions and 36 months of support for Enterprise and Education editions." These updates will include their own new features and changes, as the 2022 Update does, but you'll also need to have the latest yearly update installed to continue to get additional feature updates via Windows Update and the Microsoft Store. As for the Windows 12 rumors, Microsoft simply told Ars it has "no plans to share today." This stance leaves the company plenty of room to change its plans tomorrow or any day after that. But we can safely say that a new numbered version of Windows won't happen in the near future. For smaller changes that aren't delivered as part of a yearly feature update or via a Microsoft Store update, Microsoft will use something called Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) to test features with a subset of Windows users rather than delivering them to everyone all at once.

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