What you need to know
- Microsoft released Windows 11 Build 23590 to Insiders in the Dev Channel recently.
- While the update adds previews for natural voices and brings other improvements, it also marks the end of a Windows feature.
- Going forward, Steps Recorder will not receive further updates and will be removed in future releases of Windows.
Earlier this week, Microsoft released Windows 11 Build 23590 to Insiders in the Dev Channel. We already covered what’s new in Build 23590, but the focus of that piece is on what Microsoft will add to Windows 11, not what the company will take away. Alongside the announcement of new features and improvements, Microsoft shared that Steps Recorder will not receive further updates. Additionally, the feature will be removed in future Windows releases.
“Steps Recorder is no longer being updated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. For screen recording, we recommend the Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, or Microsoft Clipchamp,” reads a Microsoft webpage listing deprecated Windows features.
First introduced with Windows 7, Steps Recorder allows you to record actions performed on your PC. The feature produced images of each action taken, which is handy but somewhat redundant considering how easy it is to capture content with the Snipping Tool or Xbox Game Bar.
Some may miss Steps Recorder, since it made a slideshow of images rather than a video. If you use Steps Recorder and will miss it, make sure to tell us in the comments below!
Here are all of the changes and improvements in Build 23590 as shared by Microsoft:
Windows 11 Build 23590: Changes and Improvements
General
- Steps Recorder will not receive further updates and is planned for removal in a future Windows release. Starting in this build, Steps Recorder (PSR.exe) will display a new banner notification to guide users towards alternative options. We encourage our users to explore other options in Windows 11 such as Snipping tool, Xbox Game bar or Microsoft Clipchamp. For more, see this article.
Windows Share
- The Windows share window will now only show apps under “Share using” that are tied to the account you are signed into Windows with – either Microsoft account (MSA) or Microsoft Entra ID (previously Azure Active Directory). If you are signed in with an MSA, you will see Microsoft Teams (free) instead of Microsoft Teams (work or school) and not both for example.
- If you’re signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID, your Microsoft Teams (work or school) contacts will appear in the Windows share window to quickly share to.
Nearby Sharing
- If you turn on nearby sharing via quick settings or directly in Settings and you have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, it will turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on so nearby sharing will work as expected. If you turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, it will also turn off nearby sharing
Narrator
- In Microsoft Word, Narrator will now announce the presence of a draft comment, a resolved comment, a bookmark, or the availability of accessibility suggestions when reading text in the document.
