Microsoft stamps Windows function – and nobody notices
Microsoft stamped out the Windows "suggested actions" function before it became available in Europe.
(Image: Erstellt mit KI in Bing Designer durch heise online / dmk)
Microsoft has declared the "Suggested actions" function to be obsolete. Hardly anyone will notice this, as it was not yet generally enabled outside of North America.
In May 2022, Microsoft added "suggested actions" to a Windows Insider version, and it later became generally available for North America. This allows Windows to do what users are already used to on their smartphones: Suggesting to call a phone number by highlighting it, or recommending to create a calendar entry when selecting a date.
"Suggested actions" on the deprecated feature list
Microsoft has now moved the "suggested actions" function to the list of deprecated features. The entry is extremely brief: "Suggested actions that appear when you copy a phone number or future date into Windows 11 are deprecated and will be removed in a future Windows 11 update". Microsoft is not revealing the reasons for this decision.
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With the exception of local users of Windows Insider preview versions, no one is likely to notice the removal of this actually practical function, as it was only available there. The option could be found in the Windows settings under "System" – "Clipboard" – "Start" as "Suggested actions". A little bizarre: Microsoft removes a Windows function – and nobody notices.
Microsoft last threw the "Legacy DRM" services on the scrap heap in September. As Digital Rights Management (DRM) was used for self-created files, this could render older, self-ripped music albums or videos unusable. However, Microsoft provides a tool with which the DRM can at least be removed from affected WMA files.
(dmk)
