Microsoft has rolled out its July 2025 Patch Tuesday security update for Windows 11, delivering significant improvements across all supported versions.
The update arrives as KB5062553 for Windows 11 24H2 and KB5062552 for versions 23H2 and 22H2, bringing devices to build versions 26100.4652, 22631.5624, and 22621.5624, respectively.
The most notable enhancement in the 24H2 update introduces smaller taskbar icons, addressing a long-standing user request. This feature operates intelligently, automatically reducing icon sizes when the taskbar becomes crowded with multiple open applications.
Users can configure this behavior through Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, with options to enable it "When taskbar is full" or "Always." The implementation includes smooth animations and requires no system restart to activate.
Beyond taskbar improvements, the update delivers critical security fixes and resolves several persistent issues. Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the fix for cursor synchronization problems that occurred when using Alt+Tab to switch between full-screen games and other applications. The update also addresses notification sound failures that affected system alerts, volume adjustments, and sign-in audio cues.
For users in the European Economic Area, default app selection has been streamlined with a new one-click "Set default" button that automatically configures file associations and taskbar placement for chosen browsers. Additionally, the update enhances accessibility features, with Narrator gaining a privacy screen option and Voice Access expanding to support Simplified and Traditional Chinese languages.
Copilot+ PC users receive the new "Click to Do" functionality, which integrates with Microsoft 365 Copilot for seamless text and image analysis. File Explorer performance has been optimized for handling large compressed archives, while numerous stability improvements address display issues, touch keyboard responsiveness, and legacy SMB share compatibility.
Microsoft reports no known issues with this mandatory security update, which installs automatically through Windows Update.
Users experiencing problems can uninstall the update through Windows Update settings, though Microsoft recommends keeping it installed for security purposes. Direct download links are available through the Microsoft Update Catalog for offline installation scenarios. You can find the update for 24H2 here, and 23H2 and 22H2 here.