Windows Is Testing a New Feature That Makes Sharing Files Much Easier

Microsoft is testing a new way to make sharing files a lot easier. In a beta version of Windows 11, the company has released a temporary shelf that appears when you drag files to the top of the screen. You can use this to drop files directly to the apps you use the most, such as Outlook or WhatsApp. Additionally, the company is also testing an improved version of Windows Search on CoPilot+ PCs to help you find photos in the cloud, and two new layouts for the Start menu. All of these features are a part of the Windows Insider program, but they're available in different channels of this program. Here are some details about each new feature and how you can try it if you want to get it ahead of the release to the general public.

The drag tray to make sharing easier

Perhaps the most exciting among the new updates, the drag tray is a way to make sharing simpler on Windows 11. When you drag a file to the top of the screen, a hidden drag tray reveals itself and you'll see a few apps listed there. You can drag the file into any app to share it quickly. There's also a More button to send it to apps not listed in the tray. If you drag a file to the More button, it'll open the Windows share menu to help you send it to other apps. While sharing has been fairly easy on computers for a long time, this drag tray is great for dumping files into apps that you use frequently.

New views for the Start menu

Credit: Microsoft

The Start menu is the hub for everything you want to launch on your PC and it's now getting two additional views—name grid and category. The name grid lists all apps in an alphabetical order and groups them by alphabet, whereas the category view looks a lot like app folders on your smartphone. The category view groups apps by type and creates multiple folders to let you see more apps in one go. Both these views are available in the All page of the start menu if you're a part of the correct Windows Insider beta. 

An improved Windows Search

Credit: Microsoft

For Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft is testing a version of Windows Search that lets you find photos stored on the cloud. You can type a search term and the results will try to find the photo based on your description, even if the photo is named IMG0012.JPG. At the moment this is supported for personal OneDrive accounts, as long as you're signed in and connected to the internet. This feature is not supported for work or school OneDrive accounts. Microsoft says third-party cloud storage providers will be able to add support for this search feature, which is great if you don't use OneDrive.

How to try these new Windows features

To try these new features, you need to sign up for the Windows Insider program and ensure that you have the right hardware and are on the correct beta version. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as jumping to the beta version and looking for the feature, but this is what you can do for now. On your Windows 11 PC, go to the Microsoft website and click the Register button to sign up for Windows Insider. Then, go to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program on your PC and follow the on-screen prompts to join the program.

Be aware that this program involves installing beta software on your PC, which can lead to issues such as data loss, crashing software, or even a PC stuck at the boot screen. Ensure that you've backed up your Windows PC before you attempt to join the Windows Insider Program. Once you're on the beta, you can try the drag tray feature and the new Start menu views by selecting the beta channel and updating to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4950 (KB5052078). This isn't available to those who are receiving beta updates based on Windows 11's 24H2 build as of now, but it's expected to be on that channel soon. If you decided not to update to this cycle and opted to receive beta updates on the previous beta channel, then you'll be able to try those two features right away. 

As for the enhanced search, it's available to those who have a Copilot+ PC running Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3291 (KB5052080). Microsoft currently labels this as an optional update and will change it to a recommended one later this year. Even if you're on the right update channel, you may have to wait a while to get the enhanced Windows Search working as Microsoft is rolling it out gradually. This update channel also includes improvements to Windows Recall, the controversial feature that records everything you do on your PC, and adds a new Trim tool to let you edit screen recordings using the Snipping Tool in Windows 11.

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