Microsoft has given itself a seemingly impossible race against time. With almost exactly a year to run before Windows 10’s unpopular end-of-life hits users in October 2025, Windows 11 is still failing to hook the hundreds of millions more users it needs to prevent a generational support nightmare coming true.

The endless cat-and-mouse game between Microsoft and the community of devoted Windows hackers just took another turn.

The Start menu has a big change for those using Microsoft’s Phone Link software. The Windows 11 2024 update adds a side panel to the Start menu that provides information on your phone’s battery status and notifications as well as quick access to messages, calls, and photos. The floating panel is a neat addition for Phone Link users.