Microsoft announced earlier this year that it would release Windows 11 24H2 as the next major update to Windows instead of Windows 12. The update is finally here, and it brings a variety of new changes. Of them all, these are the 5 changes I liked the most in the update.

1 New Archive Formats Support

Previously, Windows offered only a limited range of file compression options. Whenever you wanted to open archive files other than a ZIP file, like RARs, you had to install a third-party tool on your computer. However, with the Windows 11 23H2 update, Microsoft introduced the ability to open and extract additional archive formats on Windows 11, including TAR and 7z files.

With the Windows 11 24H2 update, Microsoft has added the ability to create 7zip, TAR, and Zip files. To check out the new compression options, right-click a file, hover over “Compress To,” and then, in the menu that appears, you’ll see all the new compression choices.

You can also click “Additional Options” to further configure the compression of your file. This includes options to change the archive format, compression method, and compression level.

In my testing, however, I found that when compressing a large file, the Windows 11 compression tools took longer than WinRAR. So, if you’re in a hurry, you may still want to use a third-party compression tool until Microsoft releases an update to improve the speed of its built-in compression tools.

2 Scrollable Quick Settings Menu

In the previous Windows build, you could only choose up to six quick-access options besides the brightness and volume controls in the Quick Settings menu. Now, the Quick Settings menu is scrollable, and all available options are spread between two pages. This means you no longer have to decide which options to keep or remove from the Quick Settings menu.

Additionally, when you click on the Wi-Fi option, you’ll see a refresh icon in the bottom-right corner. This new feature lets you refresh the Wi-Fi list without having to disable and then re-enable Wi-Fi on your computer.

3 New Energy Saver Mode

Battery Saver mode has been a part of Windows for some time and is available on both Windows 11 and Windows 10. In the latest annual update, Microsoft has replaced Battery Saver mode with the new Energy Saver mode.

The main difference between the two is that, unlike Battery Saver mode, which only works on laptops, Energy Saver mode works on both laptops and desktops. Also, while the Battery Saver mode used to turn on automatically when the laptop’s power dropped below 20%, the Energy Saver mode can be enabled anytime, even if your device is plugged in.

Another thing worth noting is that when you enable Energy Saver mode, you won’t be able to customize the Power Mode settings; this option will be grayed out.

4 Show Wi-Fi Password

It’s always recommended to have a strong and complex Wi-Fi password to ensure that no one can easily crack it and connect to your Wi-Fi. However, the downside of having a complex password is that you might sometimes forget it, which can cause issues if you want to connect your Wi-Fi to another device. But now, with Windows 11 24H2, you can view the password for the connected Wi-Fi on your computer, as well as get a QR code that you can scan directly from another device to connect to Wi-Fi.

To access this feature, open the Settings app, select “Network & Internet,” choose “Wi-Fi,” click on the connected Wi-Fi network, and then click the “Show” button.

You’ll see both the QR code and the password for the connected Wi-Fi.

5 Phone Link App Upgrades

If you use a Windows and Android combination, there’s a lot you can do with the Phone Link app on Windows 11 24H2. Once your Android smartphone is connected to your Windows 11 PC via the Phone Link app, you’ll be able to check and respond to messages, make and receive calls, and view photos stored on your smartphone through the Phone Link app on your Windows PC. Additionally, you can also use your Android smartphone as a webcam using the Phone Link app.

Microsoft is also integrating the Phone Link app into the Start menu. To enable it, open the Settings app, navigate to Personalization > Start, and turn on the “Show Mobile Device in Start” toggle. Once enabled, open the Start menu, and you’ll see a new Phone Link floating window showing your phone’s status and notifications. You can click any of the items in this window to open them directly in the Phone Link app.

6 Wi-Fi 7 Support and Bluetooth LE Audio

With Windows 11 24H2, Microsoft has introduced Wi-Fi 7, which comes with several improvements over Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. For comparison, Wi-Fi 7 routers can utilize 320MHz-wide channels at 6GHz, compared to 160MHz with Wi-Fi 6E. It also brings MLO (Multi-Link Operation), 4096-QAM modulation, and more. Of course, you’ll need to have Wi-Fi 7 hardware installed on your device to use the functionality.

Windows 11 computers compatible with LE Audio can connect directly to LE Audio hearing devices, allowing you to stream video and call audio directly to the connected hearing device. With the 24H2 update, you’ll also be able to adjust audio presets and ambient sound volume. This ensures you can configure your hearing device’s behavior based on your environment anytime.

These were some of the changes I liked most in Windows 11 24H2. Microsoft has released many more exciting features in this update, such as Live Captions, Windows Recall, video call enhancements with Windows Studio effects, and more. However, these features are only available on Copilot+ PCs. If you have one, you can try your hands on these features.