Microsoft has announced the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25169 to the Dev Channel Windows Insiders. The Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25169 includes a new lockdown feature for IT administrators and a brand-new Windows Spotlight theme. Moreover, the build also includes several bug fixes and improvements.
The Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25169 has introduced multi-app kiosk mode, which is a lockdown feature for Windows 11. It enables IT administrators to select a set of allowable apps to run on the device by blocking all other functionalities. This also enables users to create multiple different apps and access configurations for various user types on a single device. The lockdown customizations include limiting access to Settings except select pages such as Wi-Fi and screen brightness. The Start menu can be locked down to display only allowed apps. The toasts and pop-ups can be blocked to avoid unwanted UI.
The Multi-app Kiosk mode introduced with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25169 is ideal for scenarios where multiple people need to make use of the same device. This includes frontline workers, retail scenarios, education, and test-taking institutions. The multi-app kiosk mode can be enabled using PowerShell and WMI Bridge with support for MDM and provisioning package configuration.
If you make use of the Windows 10 sample XML file, then it will result in an empty Start menu. You can populate the Start menu with your own apps ad follow the instructions to generate the list of pinned apps. The final step is to add it to your XML file after closing the StartLayout section as shown below.
<win11:StartPins><![CDATA[ <em>Your JSON here </em>]]></win11:StartPins>
The Windows 11 Insider preview Build 25169 ships with a brand-new Windows Spotlight theme that can be accessed via Personalize | Personalization dashboard. You can also create your own custom themes with the help of Windows Spotlight rotating images. Microsoft revealed that this update is being rolled out in a phased manner and it will take some time for the Windows Insiders in the Dev channel to experience the new feature. Microsoft has updated the US English handwriting model to work faster and accurate.
The updated Handwriting Panel for ink-to-text has been included with the update. You can manage apps that were previously supported only from Control Panel from the Settings page. This includes uninstallation of apps that have inter-dependencies, repair, and modification of Win32 apps. The Windows Security app version is now visible in Windows Security settings under About. The update also includes several bug fixes and improvements.