Microsoft is dropping a new Windows 11 preview build for Insiders within the Dev Channel, and it has a brand new characteristic that permits handwriting entries immediately into fields all through the OS. Beforehand, handwriting-to-text conversion largely labored in sure software program, like OneNote, or inside a particular handwritten textual content recognition field.
The brand new Ink characteristic additionally consists of improved textual content recognition from handwriting and a scratch-out gesture characteristic that helps customers repair a mistake. Whereas Microsoft has solely enabled this characteristic for US English, different languages are on the way in which.
Microsoft is rolling out the upgraded Home windows Ink characteristic to customers on Preview Construct 23481, however it gained’t be out there instantly to everybody, even when they’re within the Dev Channel. You possibly can verify to see if it is out there by going to Settings > Bluetooth and units > Pen and Home windows Ink, which is below “Shell Handwriting.”
Do be warned, because it’s in testing, there are just a few identified Home windows Ink bugs on this construct. At the moment, you possibly can’t use handwriting to erase textual content inside Microsoft Edge — and the deal with field might “not work appropriately,” both. Additionally, search bins and remark fields in Microsoft 365 apps could also be buggy too. Lastly, though you possibly can write inside fields, you possibly can’t convert handwriting to textual content inside some 365 apps like Phrase paperwork and Excel spreadsheets.
Should you’ve seen a characteristic like this earlier than, it’s as a result of pill units like iPads already assist writing immediately into textual content bins and fields, and the native OS takes care of shortly changing it into textual content and coming into it for you. Even budget-friendly units like the new Amazon Fire Max 11 let customers write in fields.