Microsoft launches SSMS 22 Preview 1 with fresh themes and Fabric upgrades

Microsoft has released the first preview of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 22. The preview, announced on September 9, can be installed side-by-side with earlier releases, including SSMS 21, which also became available the same day.

According to Microsoft, the preview allows delivering new features into the hands of users faster, while collecting feedback before the final rollout. SSMS 22 Preview 1 introduces several standout changes. However, some components like SSIS and GitHub Copilot are not yet available and will return in future builds.

One of the key features of this update is Unified Settings. It brings a modern interface with search, filtering, and flexible save options that can be applied at user, instance, or solution level. The classic blue theme has also been retired in favor of more accessible light and dark themes. That’s not all; you’re in for expanded customization for fonts, backgrounds, and colors.

Another welcome addition is results grid zooming, which can now be adjusted independently of the editor window using simple shortcuts. For users working with Microsoft Fabric, SSMS 22 Preview 1 offers group-by-schema support for SQL databases and refined context menus, with more Fabric-focused integration on the way.

Microsoft says that developers will also notice updates to IntelliSense, now supporting newer SQL syntax like AI_GENERATE_EMBEDDINGS, regular expressions, and ANSI concatenation with the ||= operator. Microsoft has further resolved previous UI issues, ensuring dialogs appear where expected.

Moving on, future previews will add Windows ARM64 support, GitHub Copilot integration, deeper Fabric integration, and features for SQL Server 2025. You can download SSMS 22 Preview 1 now, while keeping SSMS 21 installed for tasks like SSIS management.