Microsoft has already kicked off work on the next big Windows 11 update, also known as 23H2, to new spills on Twitter – but the company seems to be keeping things very low-key and quiet, at least for the moment.
This comes from a name that’s been popping up more and more in the Windows leak scene lately, XenoPanther, which posted a few informative tweets.
Looks like early internal work for Windows 11 23H2 is underway pic.twitter.com/3MlxciQmHLFebruary 9, 2023
As you can see, proof that early development has started on the next major Windows 11 feature update is a link to OSGWiki for 23H2, which is an internal Microsoft wiki where staff and developers share all kinds information, like Neowin (opens in a new tab) (who spotted the tweet) points out. Given that this wiki is now active, the clear suggestion is that the cogs are turning properly and work is in progress.
Supporting this, XenoPanther further released a Tweeter (opens in a new tab) noting that 23H2 (also referred to as “Cobalt”) is, in fact, also known as “Moment 3”, and that its features are being tested in the Dev Channel (older builds) for Windows Insiders, and that some of them functions are hidden behind feature flags.
Again, this is another indication that work has begun on what will become 23H2, the update that will debut later this year (in the second half of 2023, of course).
Analysis: Exciting revelations in the pipeline, and soon?
It makes sense that Microsoft has started working on the 23H2 update, of course, given that it’s likely to be released in what, about eight months; maybe even a little earlier. The software giant is keeping things low, no doubt, because it’s still just the beginning.
Sneaking into features hidden in the background of Windows 11 previews is nothing new, and indeed, we’ve seen plenty of such things since the start of 2023.
Recall that leakers found the ability to drag tabs out of folders in File Explorer in a recent preview build of Windows 11, and other things like a search bar at the top of the Start menu which was masked. There’s no doubt more nuggets to be found, then, and so there’s a good chance we’ll be treated to some interesting leaks soon enough…
There is a quirk with this leak, however, in the mention that 23H2 is “Moment 3”, which makes no sense to us. Remember that big feature updates for Windows now happen every year, and so-called “moments” are smaller packages of new features to allow them to be rolled out more nimblely, so that users don’t expect everything to happen in a big clump (once a year).
So given that for a major feature update to be a “moment” seems like a complete contradiction, but again, it wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft’s naming conventions didn’t would make no sense. More likely, however, is that someone has crossed paths with their sons here, somehow.
Either way, it looks like work has begun on the next major Windows 11 update, albeit on the sly for now.
