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See what’s new in Windows 11 2 , learn the difference between Windows 11 Home vs. Pro and versus Windows 10. Compare to find the right version of Windows for you.
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Windows 11 Windows 10

Windows 11 is easier on the eyes and easier to use. We took the best elements of Windows 10 and refined them to create a soothing place to work and play.

Find the files you’re looking for faster with smart recommendations in your Start menu and File explorer. You can also mark favorite files and use File explorer tabs, only on Windows 11, to keep your files organized and separate. 1

Passkeys are the cross-platform future of secure sign-in management. Windows 11 users will be able to replace passwords with passkeys for their web sites and apps if offered by the web site or application. Instead of using a username and password to sign-in to a website or app you will use a username and passkey, The sign-in experience is made seamless using Windows Hello or your mobile phone. Users will be able to manage their passkeys in Windows Settings.

Passkeys on Windows 11 devices will work on multiple browsers including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, and others. 5

Windows 11 can automatically wake up when you approach your device and lock when you leave it. 3

Smart App Control provides a layer of security by only permitting apps with good reputations to be installed on your Windows 11 PC. 4

When you connect your PC to an external display or monitor, Windows 11 remembers how you like things arranged when you leave, come back, and reconnect. This feature is new and exclusive to Windows 11. 7

With Live Captions 8 on Windows 11, speech–like that through a Teams call–can be instantly transcribed into captions.

Windows Studio Effects elevate your video calls. You can eliminate distracting sights and sounds, stay in focus with automatic framing, and maintain eye contact even if you’re reading from notes. 9

Auto HDR increases the range of colors both new and old games can produce. Available only on Windows 11, this new calibration app increases control of color. 10

If you have RGB LEDs in your mouse, keyboard, or tower, coordinate their colors with the Dynamic Lighting menu in Settings. Once linked, game and app integrations work seamlessly to react to music or what happens in-game. 11

CASO can reduce latency and increase frame rates on gaming laptops (with integrated and discrete GPUs) for 2000+ Directx11 and later games. 12

Optimizations for windowed games reduces latency and increase framerates on 2,000+ DirectX 11 and later games, and enables you to play windowed games at higher framerates and use features like Auto HDR. 13

The Windows 11 Control bar helps you easily jump back into the game you last played or into a new one. 14

While Windows 10 worked well with touch inputs 15 , Windows 11 was designed with them in mind for a true mouse-less or keyboard-less experience.

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The Search bar in Windows 11 is in a new, easy-to-find location. Located in the Start Menu, it can find what you can’t, including files, apps, or anything you want online. 2

Widgets are new for Windows 11. They’ll help you stay up to date with all the things you need to keep tabs on, like schedules, weather, stocks, sports—even celebrity gossip.

Although Widgets aren’t available on Windows 10, you can reference News & Interests, which connects to the Microsoft newsfeed. It does not have additional app or widget integrations.

Windows 11 makes it easier to keep track of your energy efficiency with the introduction of Energy recommendations. Energy recommendations identifies settings that have an outsized impact on power consumption in one place, making it easy to adjust your power consumption and improve battery life.

A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) helps prevent unwanted tampering. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0, which provides next-gen security and privacy for you, your apps and your system’s hardware. 21

Windows 11 has an improved experience and protocols, including more secure and reliable connection methods and advanced network security, including encryption and firewall protection and built-in Virtual Private Network (VPN) protocols. Includes support for Hyper-V, Firewall, Wi-Fi6, WPA3, and an encrypted DNS protocol, and support for more Bluetooth connections including Secure Simple Pairing, Secure Connections, and Core Spec compliance up through version 5.3.

Windows Hello provides a secure, convenient sign-in experience by augmenting or replacing passwords with a stronger authentication model based on a PIN or biometric sign 16 -in such as facial or fingerprint recognition. Windows 11 includes improved security using the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.

The Windows Security app serves as the security dashboard and is available on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Snap assist makes the most of your screen space by arranging your open windows into perfectly aligned grids. 17 On Windows 11, Snap remembers your layout, so you can seamlessly stay in your flow.

Microsoft Edge is optimized for Windows 11 to bring you the browsing speed and security you crave. And, with Copilot in Edge, get the help you need to answer complex questions and everyday tasks. 18

Make and take calls. Reply to texts. Check and dismiss notifications. Use Phone Link to do it all from your Windows PC without even taking your phone out of your pocket. Now available for Android™ and iPhone® devices only on Windows 11. 19

Android and iPhone

Android only

Devices with a thin, light design and amazing battery life that run the apps you care about. 20

To read, or to be read to? Narrator can turn text into spoken words. Only on Windows 11 does Narrator use natural, human voices to read text on the screen aloud. 24

High contrast themes are available in both Windows 10 and 11 to help those with low vision see more easily.

Along with the voice typing and speech-to-text for typing functions on Windows 10, you can now use voice access commands to perform basic functions on your Windows 11 PC; like open apps, minimize windows, and scroll. 26

Although voice access isn’t available on Windows 10, voice typing and speech-to-text for typing purposes is available on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. 26

The new Microsoft Store has been redesigned for Windows 11 and makes finding apps, movies, and TV shows you love easy.

No more “endless scrolling.” Universal media search in the Microsoft store looks across the catalogs of multiple streaming services all at once 2 to help you find what you want to stream, fast.

Crop, erase, adjust colors and lighting—Photos can help you get your pictures just right. Enjoy the latest features, like iCloud sync, OneDrive search 27, and Background Blur, on Windows 11, to help you organize and revisit your favorite moments.

Paint includes some powerful but simple-to-use tools. You can easily remove backgrounds, and scale with better quality to help your project look more professional. Now in Windows 11, Paint can generate images based on a text prompt to help you bring your creativity to life. 28 29

Cocreator, Background Removal, and Layers

Snipping Tool is available on both Windows 10 and 11 to help users crop screenshots to share with others exactly what you’re seeing.

On Windows 11, you can Screen Record and copy or redact text from any screenshot image. 30

Microsoft Clipchamp comes built into Windows 11 with new functionality that can help you put together unique videos with just a couple of prompts. With dynamic templates and dazzling effects, Clipchamp makes it easy for anyone to edit videos like a pro. 31

Draw, design, and navigate the smart way using a digital pen, now with an improved inking experience only on Windows 11. 32

Whenever words won’t do, emojis are just a couple of clicks away with the Emoji Clipboard on Windows 11. With a simple keystroke [Win + V], you'll find your favorites and get access libraries of faces, GIFs, keymojis, and symbols to help you say what you really mean. 33

Games with larger worlds that load in less time. It’s possible with DirectStorage. 34

This is what harnesses your hardware to produce stunning graphics for your games. 35

This technology makes it possible for you to perceive where the sources of sound in games are with compatible headphones. 3

PC Game Pass grants you access to over a hundred games for one low monthly membership fee. 36

No need to alt + tab to change songs, check graphics performance, or find friends. Just use the hotkey Win + G to ring up the overlay made for better play.

The Get Started app is designed to help you get to know Windows better.

Feel at home instantly on your new PC. Windows 11 gives you the choice of bringing over the files, apps, and preferences you want with you. 37 38

Backup and restore

Backup only

A Microsoft account can be your one passport to all things Microsoft, from Office to Xbox and more.

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Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro

If your device is lost or stolen, BitLocker puts everything on lockdown, so no one else can access your systems or data. 21

If you turn on device encryption, only authorized individuals will be able to access your device and data. 22

Keep track of your devices—even your digital pen!

Your Windows device comes with built-in security features to help safeguard against viruses, malware, and ransomware.

App & browser control in Windows Security helps protect your device from potentially dangerous apps, files, websites, and downloads. 4 25

Manage screen time, limit access to mature content, and control online purchases when you connect your family's Microsoft accounts.

Helps prevent malicious software applications and unauthorized operating systems from loading during the system start-up process.

Uses facial recognition, fingerprint, or PIN, for a fast, secure, and password-free way to unlock your compatible Windows devices. 23

View and manage the security and health of your device.

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Power your passions

Fast, intuitive, powerful. Windows 11 meets you exactly where you are, so you can take your productivity, gaming, creative pursuits, and more to the next level.
Illustration of many different open Windows
Several Windows 11 PCs

Find your next PC

Sleek, innovative, and exactly what you need. Find a PC that can run Windows 11 and is just for you.
  • Screens simulated. Features and app availability may vary by region.
  • [1] To access files across your organization, you must be running Windows 11 Pro and signed into an Azure Active Directory.
  • [2] Timing of feature delivery varies by device. Feature availability may vary by market.
  • [3] Hardware-dependent.
  • [4] Only available on the latest version of Windows 11. In order to keep you as safe as possible, you must start with a fresh system. PCs that have been running previous versions of Windows must do a full reset of the Windows 11 operating system for the feature to work.
  • [5] Web site and app owners will have to create a passkey for their site or app for Windows users to leverage.
  • [7] Apps that are no longer open will not automatically be put back into place. Apps that come out of full screen mode when you undock will not be put back into full screen mode upon redocking but placed back as best as possible.
  • [8] English optimized for Live Captions. Now with language support for English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Danish.
  • [9] Windows Studio Effects (background blur, eye contact, voice focus, and automatic framing) are hardware dependent and require a qualified Neural Processing Unit (NPU).
  • [10] (Auto HDR requires an HDR monitor and is supported on titles using the DirectX 11 or later API.)
  • [11] Support for Dynamic Lighting available on compatible devices with RGB or single-color LED lighting using the HIDLampArray hardware protocol and in-software using Dynamic Lighting APIs.
  • [12]

    CASO System requirements:

    • Hybrid (integrated GPU + discrete or external GPU) device
    • Either Intel Tiger Lake (or later) or AMD Rembrandt (or later) with integrated graphics; there is no minimum requirement on the accompanying discrete GPU
    • WDDM 3.0+ driver (3.1 for AMD + any dGPU support)
    • Direct X 11 support: Windows 11, Build 22000.1817 or later
    • DirectX 12 support: Windows 11, Build 22621.1413 or later
  • [13] Available with supported games.
  • [14] Compatible controllers are wired or Bluetooth Game Input compatible controllers, such as the Xbox Wireless Controller.
  • [15] Requires a PC with touchscreen capability.
  • [16] For devices with supporting hardware components.
  • [17] Some layouts only available based on display resolution and scale settings.
  • [18] Collections feature supported in all Microsoft Edge markets except China. Feature availability and functionality may vary by device type, market, and browser version.
  • [19] Phone Link experience comes preinstalled on your PC with Windows 10 (running Windows 10, May 2019 Update at the least) or Windows 11. To experience the full functionality, Android phones must be running Android 8.0 or later. Phone Link for iOS requires iPhone with iOS 14 or higher, Windows 11 device, Bluetooth connection and the latest version of the Phone Link app. Not available for iPad (iPadOS) or MacOS. Device compatibility may vary. Regional restrictions may apply. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
  • [20] Ability to run x64 applications on Windows on ARM is only available with Windows 11.
  • [21] Requires TPM 2.0 or greater for TPM-based key protection.
  • [22] Requires InstantGo/AOAC/HSTI-compliant. More details here.
  • [23] Requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.
  • [24] Natural voices available worldwide in US English only. Narrator is available worldwide and supported in these languages: Appendix A: Supported languages and voices.
  • [25] Files may be made available for offline use. Otherwise, internet access required. Fees may apply. Requires Microsoft account.
  • [26] Hardware dependent. Requires Windows PC with microphone capability. US English only.
  • [27] Access to images stored on OneDrive is contingent on the associated Microsoft Account the device is signed in with.
  • [28] Timing of feature delivery varies by device. Feature availability may vary by market. Requires Microsoft account sign in.
  • [29] 50 credits available for initial use of Paint Cocreator. One credit applied per use. Credit system subject to change once preview is complete.
  • [30] Language support may be limited. More information on language support can be found here: Language support for Azure AI Vision.
  • [31] Microsoft Clipchamp Essentials – Subscription sold separately (Premium filters & effects, Premium stock video & audio content + Brand Kit).
  • [32] Requires device with touchscreen. Pen-capable tablet or PC required. Pen accessories may be sold separately. Some third-party apps may not be compatible with Windows Ink.
  • [33] GIF functionality is not available in China.
  • [34] DirectStorage requires API adoption by games. Direct Storage optimized systems require an NVMe SSD to store and run games that use the Standard NVM Express Controller driver and a DirectX12 GPU with Shader Model 6.0 support.
  • [35] DirectX 12 Ultimate available with supported games and graphics chips.
  • [36] Terms and exclusions apply. Game catalog varies over time, by region, and by device. Cancel subscription at any time to stop future charges. Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta): requires supported game and may require supported Bluetooth controller (each sold separately). Select regions and devices. Streaming limitations apply, server availability and wait times may vary. Requires internet, ISP fees apply. See xbox.com/gamepass and https://www.ea.com/ea-play/terms for details.
  • [37] Windows can back up files, settings, and apps from PCs running Windows 10 and higher. Restore is available on Window 11, version 22H2, and higher. Geographic restrictions may apply.
  • [38] Requires Microsoft account. Up to 5GB of Microsoft Storage is included. Data transfers exceeding 5GB require an active OneDrive subscription or trial.

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