Windows 11’s 25H2 Update, Automatic Photo Sorting, and More: Windows Wednesday
This was another significant week for Windows PCS, with the publication of the main update of Windows 11 2025 and some additional modifications tested in the initiate channels. Here is all Microsoft has deployed to Windows this week.
You can reach the Windows Insider program to try the experimental features, but some changes are on a progressive deployment and not yet available for all members of the initiate program. You don’t have to install Windows Insider Builds on an important computer.
Windows 11 25h2
Microsoft has just started to deploy Windows 11 25:2h, which is technically The main update of Windows for 2025. However, the actual update is relatively minor: PowerShell 2.0 has been deleted, and there are new Wi-Fi 7 options for business use. The version change is mainly just for reference, and it serves as an indicator for service updates.
Many features have tested Microsoft throughout 2025 already deployed, either via updates of Microsoft Store applications or smaller operating system upgrades. The functionalities still in development will simply be published when they are completed, either to the 25H2 update, or modifications which apply to all the paid versions.
Task bar and system tray
You can now start a network speed test directly from the taskbar, starting in the Dev and Beta channels. When you right -click the network icon in the taskbar, there is a new “drill speed test” menu option which opens a speed test in your default browser.
The shortcut is also accessible from Wi-Fi and cellular pages in quick parameters. I am surprised that it is not open in Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft photos
The Photos Application in Windows 11 has received many improvements in recent years, and another change is underway. If you have a Copilot + PC, the photos start to organize your photos automatically, without first backing them up to a cloud service.
Microsoft said in a blog article: “Automatic categorization automatically detects and organizes your collection of photos in significant categories such as screenshots, receipts, identity documents and notes using AI. It is designed to save time, reduce football and make your photo-library easier to navigate. ”
The categories are accessible from the left navigation list or the search bar. Currently, it is limited to screenshots, receipts, identity documents and notes.
This change is in the photos version 2025.11090.25001.0 or more, which now takes place on all initiate channels via the Microsoft Store. It must be available for regular Windows 11 installations after correction of all bugs. This update also allows a great resolution on all Copilot +PCs, including those with Intel and AMD processors.
Other changes
Microsoft began to test the Emoji 16.0 support in Windows 11 earlier in September, which includes new emoji such as fingerprints, splashes and my favorite, “face with bags under the eyes”. Unfortunately, new emoji do not stay.
In Windows 11 Dev and Beta channels, Emoji 16 support has been temporarily deleted. Microsoft says it will come back “in a future version” and, hope, will deploy it on all Windows 11 PCs shortly after.
Also in the Dev and Beta channels, there is a new space of space reserved in the search zone for the file explorer on Copilot + PCS. This could say something like “try to describe an image for the file”, so more people know the semantic file search medium.
Source: Windows Insider blog (1, 2, 3, 4)
