Microsoft has released the anticipated Moment 3 update for Windows 11, introducing features including the ability to copy two-factor authentication codes at the click of a button and content-adaptive brightness control.
The wave of new features are evolutionary rather than revolutionary yet include a number of welcome enhancements. Chief among them is the option to display seconds on the system tray clock, which is nice even though apparently it uses more power than the default hours/minutes layout, so battery-powered machines may lose charge sooner.
Next, we have a quicker way to copy two-factor authentication codes from messages received via apps or connected phones. With more and more websites and apps including 2FA, such a feature becomes mandatory for quick access. Unfortunately, this one is currently only available for messages written in English.
Administrators can specify which apps can or cannot run on a specific device, handy for workspace machines or those used by children. In the same spirit, this update introduces live kernel memory dump in the detailed section of task manager – select the System service and click on ‘create live kernel memory dump file’, potentially handy for diagnostics.
The Moment 3 update also adds a VPN status indicator resembling a shield on top of the network icon when Windows detects a connection to a VPN. Plus, now we can choose when Windows can show a virtual keyboard, never, always, or when no keyboard is attached. We also have improvements for the Live captions and Voice access apps, with new designs and supported languages.
Finally, laptops and two-in-one devices can use content-adaptive brightness, new presence-sensing options have been added on compatible machines, USB 4 devices have got a dedicated page, and pressing the print screen key now opens the snipping tool by default. Good changes.
Interested? To install Moment 3, head on to Windows Update, select ‘Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available’, and click on Check for updates. Wait for it to complete, and you should be good to go.
