Windows 11 secrets

Every -- well, almost every -- new build of Windows 11 has new features, options or settings to explore. Some are obvious, some less so. With the latest release of Windows 11, Microsoft has hidden some seriously impressive new animations.

These animations appear in the Settings app; when you roll your mouse cursor over the icons to the left of the app, they now come to life. But the animations do not appear by default, Even if you have Windows 11 build 25188 installed, there are still steps you need to take to unlock the special animation effects.

A few days ago, Microsoft released a new build of Windows 11; while this was primarily a problem-fixing release, there were a handful of new additions and changes.

For many people, having issues addressed is the most important feature of any update to Windows 11, but new tools, toys and options are always welcome. With the release of Windows 11 build 22598, Microsoft has some treats for users of Task Manager -- power users in particular.

The system requirements for Windows 11 have been the source of much frustration and confusion for some time now, and things are about to get even more confusing.

In test builds of Windows 11, Microsoft has implemented something of a strange warning. If you opted to go down one of the various routes that makes it possible to bypass the minimum system requirements and have installed Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, you can now expect to see a message informing you that your system does not meet the standard set by Microsoft -- even if you are running Windows 11 problem-free. [UPDATE: it is now possible to hide the message!]

Delving into the underbelly of just about any software can reveal exciting secrets, and this is certainly true of Windows. A software detective has taken a peek behind the curtain and found no fewer than three exciting new features hidden away in Windows 11. These are likely to be features that Microsoft is currently still working on and will unlock in a future update for the operating system.

An intrepid explorer has unearthed evidence of upcoming changes to the way notifications work and a possible renaming of Focus Assist to simply "Focus". Other gems include wallpaper stickers and a new energy conservation section of Settings that, among other things, will assign your computer an Eco Score and provide recommendations for how you can reduce its energy consumption.

Task Manager may not be the most exciting component of Windows 11, but it is something that proves very useful from time to time. If you have ever looked at the tool and thought that it could do with a visual revamp, you are not alone -- Microsoft agrees.

So much so that the company has gone ahead and created an updated version of app and locked it away in Windows 11. Here's how you can activate it.