Microsoft has been diligently working on Windows 11 23H2, and it seems like the company is preparing for a public release of the update. References to Windows 11 23H2, also known as Moment 4, have already surfaced in the July 2023 cumulative update for the operating system.

As we confirmed earlier this year, Windows 11 23H2 was always intended to be a minor update rather than a completely new version of the OS. This feature update is based on Windows 11 22H2, which was released last year. Essentially, Windows 11 23H2 is an enablement package that activates dormant features within the OS.

Within the July 2023 Patch Tuesday update, we discovered references to various packages tied to “Moment 4.” It’s crucial to understand that Moment 4 refers to Windows 11 23H2 and not a separate update. In our testing, we identified an enablement package named ‘Microsoft-Windows-23H2Enablement-Package.’

The July 2023 Patch Tuesday release already includes mentions of “Microsoft-Windows-UpdateTargeting-ClientOS-SV2Moment4-EKB.” This pattern was previously observed in Windows 10 build 19045. Only a small enablement package is necessary to activate new features.

To illustrate further, we have included an image of the Moment 4 update package below:


This information reaffirms that an enablement switch will initiate the 23H2 update, and Microsoft has already commenced preparations for version 22H2 PCs to receive the upcoming update.

For those who are unfamiliar, Windows 11 enablement packages simply ‘switch on’ preloaded features on the PC. In this case, Microsoft has started bundling the features of the next major update with Windows 11 22H2, so there won’t be a significant amount of downloading or files necessary since the update is already included.

The Windows 11 23H2 update is set to bring a variety of new enhancements. These include a redesigned File Explorer with a recommended files section, a new header, more Mica, Fluent Design, improved search capabilities, and more. Other features encompass taskbar ungrouping, native support for archive packages like RAR and 7-Zip, and the introduction of Windows Copilot.

Microsoft is actively testing the fall 2023 update in the Beta and Dev channels of the Insider program. Windows 11 technical preview builds within the Dev Channel contain more features compared to the Beta channel, indicating that more features will be added to the update in the upcoming weeks.

In the near future, 23H2 will transition to the Release Preview channel before being rolled out to all users.