These are hidden features in Windows 11 Build 23430 (Dev)

Last week, Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Build 23430 to Insiders in the Dev channel. In typical Microsoft's fashion, it includes a few hidden features in addition to what was announced officially. Enthusiasts have quickly found a way to activate them with help of the ViVeTool app.

Here are the hidden features and how to enable them. But before you proceed, it is important to remind you that these are a work in progress. They are hidden for a reason. By force enabling them you may decrease stability and reliability of the operating system.

To enable any of the secret features reviewed below, you need to download ViVeTool from its page on GitHub. For your convenience, create a folder in the root of the system drive, c:\vivetool, and extract the app archive to that folder. You'll be able to launch it as c:\vivetool\vivetool.exe in Windows Terminal.

Enable hidden features in Windows 11 Build 23430

The ability to hide date and time

Microsoft has recently reintroduced an option to hide the date and time from the taskbar. It is a feature that was previously available but disappeared when Windows 11 was introduced. This feature can now be accessed through the Settings app. You need to enable the HideSystemTrayDateTimeSetting feature in Build 23430. By doing so, users can now control the display of the date and time on the taskbar according to their preferences.

Moreover, this feature also allows users to permanently display the notification indicator on the taskbar, which will display a number indicating the number of notifications that have not yet been attended to. This way, users can keep track of their notifications more conveniently and efficiently. When there is no unread notifications, it will show zero in the counter badge.

To enable the option to hide the taskbar clock, do the following.

1. Open Terminal as Administrator. For that, press Win + X and select Terminal(Admin) from the menu.
2. Type the following command: c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:41437381.
3. Once you see the "Successfully set feature configuration" message, restart Windows 11.
4. Open Settings (Win + I), navigate to Time & language > Date & Time. You will see the Hide time and date in the system tray option.

Done. The undo command is c:\vivetool\vivetool /reset /id:41437381. It will reset the feature state to its default value. The option will disappear  again once you restart Windows 11.

Show 20 most recent Edge tabs in Task View

Microsoft has added the ability to display the 20 most recent tabs from Microsoft Edge in the Alt + Tab menu and Task View. The company is rolling out this feature gradually, so you may not have it after upgrading to the latest build.

If you do not have such an option in the Settings app, do the following to enable it.

1. Right-click the Start button with the Windows logo in the taskbar, and select Terminal(Admin) from the menu.
2. In the PowerShell or Command Prompt tab, type the following command and hit Enter. c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:41879522.
3. Reboot the operating system to apply the change.
4. Open Settings > Multitasking, and check out the available options in the "Snap windows" drop-down menu.

You are done. Finally, use the following command to restore defaults:

c:\vivetool\vivetool /reset /id:41879522

An updated Details pane in File Explorer

Microsoft is currently developing a new Explorer Details panel that will feature Insights, Activities, Properties, Related Files, Conversations, and Sharing status sections.

You could have seen this new feature in build 25276, however, the panel had mostly contained placeholder text at that time. Fortunately, the new build has some slight design improvements and now includes a "Properties" button (but it does nothing yet).

To enable the updated Details pane, open Terminal as Administrator and run this command:

c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:38613007,42105254

Restart Windows 11 to apply the change.

The undo command: c:\vivetool\vivetool /reset /id:38613007,42105254.

The updated Gallery in File Explorer

Microsoft continues their work in the new Gallery feature. It will be part of File Explorer. In Windows 11 Build 23430, it has received a new "Collection" option, which allows you to choose which directory images will be displayed from.

To enable the new Gallery in File Explorer, do the following.

1. Open an new elevated Terminal (Win + X > select Terminal (Admin)).
2. Type the following commands in sequence, pressing Enter after each one:
   • WASDK File Explorer, MTestUx15 and XAMLFolderViewSupport:
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:40729001
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:42105254
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:42295138
   • Considerations section for devices connected to Azure Active Directory (AAD):
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:38664959
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:40064642
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:41070380
   • Enabling a new home page in File Explorer (XAMLFEHome):
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:41076133
   • Enabling the Gallery Page:
     • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:41040327
3. Restart your computer.

Now you should have the Gallery section in File Explorer.

To revert the change you made, substitute /enable with /reset in each of the commands, and run them again one by one.

Thanks to PhantomOcean3 , Albacore and  Xeno users for the information. Special thanks go to thecommunity.

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