3D emoji are finally coming to Windows 11

Windows 11 build 23506 brings numerous improvements, but 3D emoji are the highlight, arriving two years late.

It’s finally happening: two years after they were announced, Microsoft’s 3D Fluent emoji are coming to Windows 11 in their proper designs. The new emoji are available with Windows 11 build 23506, which is now rolling out in the Dev channel, meaning they will likely make their debut in a couple of months for the general public. Previously, these emoji were only in the Canary channel.

You may remember that two years ago, Microsoft announced a major revamp of its emoji, the first one since 2016, introducing beautiful new 3D shaded designs that looked like a major step forward. However, a couple of months later, it was discovered that Windows 11 would not be getting these 3D designs, and instead Microsoft used 2D versions of them that look far less impressive.

A specific reason wasn’t provided at the time, but according to the blog post for today’s build, the reason that these emoji are available now is because of Microsoft’s new color font format, COLRv1. Miocrosoft’s previous color font format used vector graphics, which generally benefitted from flatter colors, but this new system is more friendly towards these shaded designs, hence why they’re finally becoming available.

Since they’re in the Dev channel now, it’s fair to expect these emoji will become generally available with Windows 11 version 23H2 in a few months. New emoji aren’t the only news with this build, however.

What’s new in Windows 11 build 23506

The new Outlook is now an inbox app

One notable change with this build is that it now comes with the new web-based Outlook app installed out of the box. As you may have heard, this new app is replacing the Mail and Calendar apps that have been included since Windows 10. It should offer a better and more reliable experience for desktop users, though it might be bad news for touchscreen devices. The app ahs been available in preview for months, but you’d have to manually opt in to install it, and now it will be there by default.

File sharing improvements

Microsoft is also redesigning and improving the file sharing dialog in Windows 11. Looks-wise, the new design should align more closely with the Windows 11 design principles (it currently looks like it did in Windows 10). The new menu also makes it easier to access nearby sharing by putting a button directly in the dialog, rather than hiding it behind a dropdown menu, and nearby PCs will appear at the top. Microsoft is also improving the speed of nearby sharing by using Wi-Fi Direct connections between devices.

Other improvements include a search bar in the share dialog, allowing you to find an Outlook contact more easily if you want to share a file via email. In the File Explorer, you’ll also now see a Share option in the context menu, in addition to the unlabeled share button at the top of the context menu that was there before.

Password security

This build comes with a couple of changes to help enhance security in regards to passwords. One is enabling Windows Hello for Business, allowing Azure Active Directory users to authenticate in certain scenarios using Windows Hello rather than a password, this reducing the risk of exposing that password to a third-party.

The other is that when you enable password reuse warnings in the Windows Security app (under App & browser control> Reputation-based protection> Phishing protection), these warnings will now be shown when you copy and paste a password. Previously, they were only shown if you typed in the password manually.

Other changes

In addition to all these changes, Microsoft is experimenting with a few other tweaks. For one thing, there are new post-OOBE experiences for certain scenarios. For example, during the setup experience, you may see the option to choose “development intent” as the primary use for your machine, the Dev Home may automatically open after setup to help you get started. If you choose to restore your device from a previous PC, you may also see the Get Started app open to show you about “key apps and settings” as well as letting you know your apps have been restored. On that note, you’ll also be offered the chance to back up your PC during the “second-chance out-of-box-experience”, which pops up a few days after you initially set up your PC.

Microsoft is also noting that Windows Copilot is now fully rolled out in the Dev channel, after making its debut for select Insiders in build 23493. Voice access can now be enabled through the accessibility flyout in the Lock screen, too.

Finally, Microsoft is removing the new Settings homepage that was added in the previous build due to some issues, though it will come back at some point. Meanwhile, two new energy-saving recommendations have been added to the Settings app, those being enabling dark mode and turning on dynamic refresh rate for your display.

Fixes and known issues

As per usual, Windows 11 build 23493 comes with an array of fixes and known issues you might want to be aware of before installing it. You can look forward to the following fixes:

Meanwhile, the list of known issues includes numerous problems as well:

If you’re already enrolled in the Dev channel, the new build should download sooner rather than later. If you haven’t yet, you can read our explainer of the Windows Insider channels to decide if you’d like to join it or not.