Windows 11 Builds 22621.870 and 22623.870 are now in Beta

Microsoft has released new Insider preview builds of Windows 11 version 22H2,  22621.870 and 22623.870, with KB5018499 to the Beta channel. Traditionally, Build 22623.870 comes with new features available for testing. Build 22621.870 - New features disabled by default.

Insiders who were previously on Build 22622.xxx will be automatically upgraded to Build 22623 via the an update package. This package artificially increments the build number to make it easier for Microsoft engineers to distinguish between devices with enabled and disabled features by default.

If you are in a group with features disabled by default (build 22621.xxx), then check for updates. You will see an optional update that you can install to go to the build 22623.xxx with all features enabled.

What’s new in Build 22623.870

Narrator Braille Driver Solution

Braille devices will continue to work when you switch between Narrator and third-party screen readers because Narrator will automatically change the braille drivers.

Prerequisites:

You must remove Narrator’s current braille support if it is already installed by following the steps below:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps> Optional features > Installed features.
3. Search for Accessibility – Braille support.
4. Expand Accessibility – Braille support and uninstall the feature.

Install new narrator braille support

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.
2. Select the more button.
3. Download braille from this new window by selecting the Download and installbraille button.
4. After braille is installed, then return to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.
5. Select the braille display driver used by your third-party screen reader from the “Braille display driver” option. This only needs to be done once.

Refer to the detailed documentation to learn more about the braille driver solution.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.870

Microsoft added Task Manager to the context menu when right-clicking on the taskbar. Microsoft rolls out this change gradually, so you may not see it right now, but you can force enable this context menu.

Fixes in Build 22623.870

• Tablet-optimized taskbar: Improved how touch gestures and their animations with the tablet-optimized taskbar work with the touch keyboard.
  • Fixed an issue causing explorer.exe to crash when dragging icons in the system tray.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.870 & Build 22623.870

• New! Added improvements to the Microsoft Account experience in Settings. For instance, you can manage your Microsoft One Drive subscription and related storage alerts.
• New! Added a new consent form for those of you enrolled in Windows Hello Face and Fingerprint. You have new choices for your biometric data. You can keep storing your biometric data or open Settings to delete the data if you have not used your face or fingerprint for authentication in over 365 days. You also have these options if you upgraded to Windows 11 and have not yet seen the new Hello Learn More Privacy text.
• New! Enhanced search visual treatments on the taskbar to improve discoverability. This is available to a small audience initially and deploys more broadly in the months that follow. Some devices might notice different visual treatments as we gather feedback. To learn more about why you might be seeing these changes, see Search for anything, anywhere.
• Updated DriverSiPolicy.p7b for the Windows kernel vulnerable driver blocklist. This update includes drivers that are vulnerable to Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• Extended original equipment manufacturer (OEM) control of Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) enforcement for targeted hardware configurations.
• Fixed an issue that affects the Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) Application Proxy connector. It cannot retrieve a Kerberos ticket on behalf of the user. The error message is, “The handle specified is invalid (0x80090301).”
• Fixed an issue that affects cached credentials for security keys and Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) On hybrid domain-joined devices, the system removes these cached credentials.
• Fixed an issue that might cause vertical and horizontal line artifacts to appear on the screen.
• Fixed an issue that affects title bars when you use third-party tools to customize them. The title bars did not render. This update ensures that title bars render; however, we cannot guarantee all text customizations will work as before.
• Fixed an issue that might fail to sync the audio when you record game play using the Xbox Game Bar.

Known issues

• Microsoft is looking into reports that audio stopped working for some Insiders in recent Beta Channel builds.
• The taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture.
• The taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.
• When using the bottom right edge gesture to see Quick Settings, the taskbar sometimes stays stuck in the expanded state, instead of dismissing to collapsed state.

Source