The Update BureauYou installed the update, read the release notes, and the new feature is not there. Your PC is probably fine: Microsoft delivers many new Windows 11 features step by step so it can watch for problems before everyone gets them. The method is called Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) or gradual rollout.
Gradual rollout and normal rollout
The release notes of an update split its content into two parts. Microsoft explains the terms in the notes themselves:
- Gradual rollout delivers features in phases, so availability varies by device. Two PCs with the same update can differ.
- Normal rollout is the broad release to all eligible devices at the same time, usually when the update reaches general availability.
New features usually appear first in an optional preview update, reach unmanaged PCs gradually, and are included later in the monthly security update. Feature availability can also depend on your device and market.
The switch you control
On Windows 11, open Settings › Windows Update and look at Get the latest updates as soon as they're available. When it is on, your PC receives optional updates and gradual feature rollouts automatically as soon as they are offered. When it is off, you can still install a preview yourself from Advanced options › Optional updates.
PCs managed by an organisation
On work or school PCs that get updates through Windows Update for Business or WSUS, two controls decide what you see:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Features off by default | Features that arrive through monthly updates and could disrupt organisations stay off until the next annual feature update. The KB article lists them. |
Optional updates policy (AllowOptionalContent) |
Decides whether the device receives optional updates, including gradual rollouts. |
IT admins find them in Group Policy at Computer Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Windows Update:
- Enable features introduced via servicing that are off by default (in Manage end user experience; Intune calls it Allow Temporary Enterprise Feature Control). If it is not configured or disabled, those features stay off.
- Enable optional updates (in Manage updates offered from Windows Update). The default is don't receive optional updates. The options are to receive optional updates including CFRs, to receive optional updates only, or to let users choose, which also shows them the switch above.
So on managed Enterprise and Education PCs a missing feature is usually deliberate. Ask your IT department. See Windows 11 for the current versions and the glossary for the terms.
Sources
Edited by the site editor. Written with AI from Microsoft's own documents, checked by rules and a second AI. How we work · Report a mistake