Windows 11 update adds easier Android file sharing, faster voice dictation, and more

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Those who run Windows 11 may want to install the latest update to snag some helpful new features. Kicked off on Tuesday, this week's update from Microsoft, dubbed KB5041587, adds a new way to share files with Android devices and throws in a few other perks.

First up is the new sharing option that lets you more quickly exchange files between your Windows PC and Android device. The new feature requires that you install and set up Microsoft's Phone Link app in Windows and the Link to Windows app on your Android device.

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Once those apps are in place, you can send a file from Windows to Android through File Explorer just by choosing Phone Link as the destination app. Going the other way, you can send a file from Android to Windows via the standard Android sharing tool by selecting Link to Windows as the app.

You've long been able to exchange files between Windows and Android through such methods as Google's Nearby Share for Windows (now known as Quick Share) and Intel's Unison app. But the new trick is faster and simpler.

Next on the list is a performance tweak for the Windows Narrator, a tool that can read aloud text on the screen. The update helps Narrator scan text more quickly, a helpful tweak especially if you need to hear long web pages in Microsoft Edge or lengthy documents. To use the new scan mode, turn on Narrator and then press Caps lock + Spacebar.

The voice access feature in Windows 11 has also gotten a speed boost courtesy of the new update. You can now dictate the characters that you want to appear at a faster rate. Plus, you'll find more editing options for selecting, deleting, and moving text on the page.

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The new update has also helped File Explorer, but this takes the form of bug fixes. Based on Microsoft's description, the following flaws have been resolved:

When pressing Ctrl + F in File Explorer, sometimes the search would not start.The keyboard focus would sometimes get lost if you pressed Shift + Tab.Pressing the Windows logo key + E (which by default opens File Explorer) could prompt a screen reader to say that a pane has focus or that the focus might not even be set.Screen readers didn't announce if you opened or browsed files from the Open or Save dialog boxes.Screen readers didn't announce if you opened or browsed files in the column header.

The new update is optional, so you must head to Windows Update on your PC to install it. To do this, go to Settings, select Windows Update, and then click the "Check for updates " button. Allow the latest updates to download and install.

Also: How to make Windows updates less annoying, in three easy steps

After your PC reboots, go back to Windows Update, click the setting for "Update History," and go to the section for Quality Updates. Make sure that KB5041587 is listed as one of the latest updates.

You can also try the new Android file sharing or use Narrator and voice access to see if they're any faster. Microsoft cautioned that the latest tweaks might not be available to everyone as they're rolling out gradually. But when I checked my Windows 11 PC following the update, the new Windows and Android sharing option was available.