Windows 11 KB5036985 was released recently to testers in the beta channel with a few changes to the Start menu, Taskbar, and Widgets. With Windows 11 KB5036985, Microsoft is trying to squeeze more information into the Profile icon in the update, including links to the Microsoft 365 page.

In our tests, we spotted that clicking the Profile icon showcases more information about the currently logged-in user. Using a Microsoft Account on your PC will show the email address and the OneDrive storage statistics. Clicking on any of these options will redirect you to the Account page in the Settings app.

We also noticed the Microsoft 365 promotional option between the other two options, which is the Redmond giant’s obnoxious way of informing users about its products. If you have an active Microsoft 356 subscription, you can check its status from the Profile section. Still, displaying the field for other users is something that Microsoft can remove.

If you use a Microsoft account and haven’t added a recovery email for it, the Settings app will remind you to do so. An “Add now” button will appear in the Account section of the Settings app. It will redirect you to the Microsoft Account website, where you can add the recovery email.

Interestingly, Windows Latest also spotted the “Add now” button inside the Profile icon section of the Start menu. You will also notice an Xbox Game Pass ad in the Home section of the Settings app.

Microsoft explained in its latest post that the ad will appear on Windows 11 Pro and Home editions for users who play games frequently and are logged in with a Microsoft account. Thankfully, the ad will only appear in the Settings app for now.

We previously reported about the new navigation pane in the Widgets board. That change is now also arriving in the Beta build.

Widgets get more UI changes

The Widgets board now offers two views: My Widgets and My Feed. The first one removes everything from the board except the widgets. The positioning of icons inside the Widget board is slightly different from the usual layout.

For EEA users, there are a few more surprises. First, they can select another feed provider for the Widgets section. Second, developers can participate in the program to build custom feeds and send notifications to the Widget icon on the Taskbar. This build also adds a new set of animated icons for the Widgets.

There’s a slight change to the Windows Nearby Sharing section. If you used your Gmail account to create a Microsoft account, you can send files to that email address using the Share option. It is similar to sending files and docs to yourself on Slack or WhatsApp.

Taskbar search bar finally shows when it is set to auto hide

Microsoft watcher Phantom also discovered a hidden design of the Taskbar icons. Currently, configuring the Taskbar to auto-hide only displays the search bar icon when you hover over it.

As shown in the above GIF, the Windows 11 build shows the complete search bar with its icon when the taskbar is set to auto-hide.

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