Apple has released the first public betas of its “27” series of operating systems, and feedback so far suggests they’re already very stable builds, even at this early end of the release cycle.
For most intrepid public beta testers, the big attractions here are Siri AI and the heavily improved Apple Intelligence tools – though Siri AI is not yet available in Europe due to regulatory problems there. Overnight social media commentary has been highly positive, with Siri widely seen as delivering on what we always thought it should be rather than the limited product it became.
Once installed, the new operating system is fast and better performing on the iPhone, though there are some limitations anyone considering the beta should consider first:
Siri AI is the big reward here. Joanna Stern called it “significantly better.” It will provide you with much better responses than its predecessor, and its contextual understanding is sophisticated and advanced.
That’s because Siri can search across your messages, emails, photos and more to help you find what you’re looking for and has some understanding of where you are and what you are doing to help it make even more accurate decisions. It is faster than it’s ever been with a dedicated app (which includes logs of your interactions) and a new glowing design when activated.
The assistant can now hold an ongoing conversation with you, understands what’s on screen, and take some actions in apps. One way that might be useful is if you are looking at a recipe online, you can ask Siri to write up a shopping list for the recipe ingredients and paste it in a Note. Siri has become much more knowledgeable than in the past thanks to its expanded and updated world knowledge database.
Apple Intelligence has been beefed up, too, with keyboard tools much improved on the last version. Siri can even reflect your personal tone and style based on the person you’re communicating with when sending a Mail or Messages post.
The Camera app now has a new Siri mode; it can do things like identify objects and people, or import event details from a leaflet. You can easily search or ask questions about what’s around you, and there are useful new actions you can take, such as getting nutritional insights about a plate of food.
Image Playground wasn’t terribly impressive when it first appeared, and a lot of people did little with it. It seems much better now, capable of generating photo-realistic images in virtually any style from natural language prompts or editing existing images. It’s a useful step up.
Another impressive feature is Spatial Reframing. This lets you shift the composition of a photo after you’ve taken it, using AI to create accurate renditions of what is outside the frame. A new Extend tool lets you expand images, which is useful for adjusting aspect ratios or creating Lock Screen wallpapers.
If you use an Apple Watch, you’ll be impressed, as the contextual AI extends to that device. So, you can have context-savvy conversations with your watch and ask it to do tasks on your behalf. It makes it feel like a bona fide computer on your wrist and bodes well for other future wearable products from the company.
There are lots of other interesting features in the beta. Call Context can automatically surface the information you need, like a confirmation code or reservation number, when calling up a business. And a new Notify Me feature in Safari lets you know when a web page changes, so you can watch for stock availability or ticket sales.
If you’re interested in installing the new OSes, Apple’s Beta Software Program website should be your first port of call. You’ll need to sign in to access the betas using your Apple Account. Once you’ve done that, open Settings and go to Software Update; there you can select Beta Updates and choose the 27 series Public beta. Tap Update Now and the installation will begin.
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Windows 11 25H2 has been publicly released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and help shape — upcoming features.
Our story “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” details how the Insider program has worked until now. However, Microsoft recently announced sweeping changes to the program that will include the ability to select which new features to test. As the first step, the company is introducing a new channel system and transitioning Insiders like so:
This transition is happening over time, starting with the Dev Channel. See Microsoft’s blog post for more information about the transition.
Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft in the past six months. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what’s in the build, and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it.
Note: If you’re looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not preview builds for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”
Release date: June 19, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update improves the reliability of the Start menu and of Settings > Apps > Startup. It also fixes one virtualization bug that could result in bug checks citing HYPERVISOR_ERROR (0x20001) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E) errors after installing the latest flights on some devices during system restarts, virtual machine operations, or while running some gaming applications.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8690.)
Release date: June 19, 2026
Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also improves the reliability of the inbox HD Audio driver.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2308.)
Release date: June 19, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including improving visual consistency and reliability of the Copy dialog in Dark mode. It also fixes one virtualization bug that could result in bug checks citing HYPERVISOR_ERROR (0x20001) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E) errors after installing the latest flights on some devices during system restarts, virtual machine operations, or while running some gaming applications.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8697.)
Release date: June 19, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also improves the reliability of the inbox HD Audio driver and improves caption style responsiveness by redrawing captions immediately for caption style changes.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2315.)
Release date: June 19, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out adjustments to Settings > System > Sounds, by updating the “All sound devices” page with the ability to change default devices from this page and other enhancements.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29613.1000.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel
A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including increased reliability of the Windows networking stack. It reduces bug checks (blue screen errors) related to Wi-Fi power and improves cellular (WWAN) connectivity, including support for IPv6 VPNs. Compatibility with third-party VPN software and SR-IOV configurations on server hardware is also improved. Network adapter settings and bindings are now preserved across OS upgrades.
Immediately rolling out are several quality improvements, including additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8728 and 26200.8728.)
Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel
Release date: June 12, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including improved visibility into NPU usage in Task Manager. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page. Neural engines that are part of a GPU now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI-related activity. A new optional Isolation column on the Processes and Details pages shows which apps are running in an AppContainer. You can add any of the new columns by right-clicking a column header in Task Manager and selecting them from the menu.
Being rolled out immediately is improved Netlogon secure channel connections between domain controllers, enabling successful connections from member servers to domain controllers set up before 2025.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2333.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update offers a wide variety of changes and improvements, including a new set of default Widget settings designed to reduce unexpected alerts and visual interruptions. They include:
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8680.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also introduces the new screen tint accessibility setting. In addition, Task Scheduler will now persist column width adjustments in task list view across sessions.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2298.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
Several minor new features and enhancements are being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar and a new recovery remote management plug-in for extending WinRE management capabilities for MDM providers.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8687.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as Start menu, Search, and Action Center.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2302.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements, including improved performance when navigating to see storage on large volumes via Settings > System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29610.1000.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update adds the ability to extend Windows Update as many times as you need. It also fixes three bugs: one that caused audio not to work, another that impacted the reliability of Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, and a third that caused freezes with search, Notepad, and other parts of Windows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8575.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2236.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2242.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being rolled out in this build, including consistent solid (donut) spinners across key Windows scenarios including Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update. This update replaces legacy spinner visuals to deliver a more cohesive experience aligned with Windows design standards. Users will now see a unified spinner behavior with corresponding status text (e.g., “Restarting”, “Working on updates”, “Welcome”).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8544.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including a number of changes to the Start menu. These were first outlined in the May 15 Insider blog post Making Taskbar and Start more personal. They include:
One known issue, in which resetting your PC may have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2207.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements that, in the words of Microsoft, include “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.” The update also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug in which some Insiders unexpectedly saw an erroneous message saying they weren’t connected to internet (when they actually were) when signing into their Microsoft account in certain apps. It also improves CPU speed display on the Performance page of Task Manager for VMs, so it doesn’t show higher than unexpected numbers after resuming from hibernate.
There is one known issue that causes crashes with AMD machines supporting System Guard, so these devices in Windows Information Protection will not be offered the build.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29599.1000.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.” It introduces Voice Isolation, a new option in Voice Access that helps the tool focus on your voice, even when others are speaking nearby, by filtering out other voices and background noise.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8491.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including several to improve accessibility. Among them are making it easier to connect the Braille display to Narrator by using the HID open industry standard for Braille displays. If your display supports HID, connect it via USB, with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID Braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory. Another new feature is Voice Isolation in Voice Access, as detailed for Beta Channel Build 26220.8491 above.
The build has one known issue, in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8497.)
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
Release date: May 22, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that improves the reliability of explorer.exe when closing the input switcher, and when switching between multiple desktops.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2149.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build, in the words of Microsoft, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29595.1000.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being rolled out in this build, including one that improves the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8474.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including the ability to change the position of taskbar on your screen. In Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors, you can select the side of the screen you want your taskbar on: bottom, top, left, or right. In these other positions, tooltips, flyouts, and animations will still come from the taskbar, and most customization settings like “small taskbar” and “never combine taskbar icons” will work with all locations.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8493.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out an improvement in the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive. It also rolls out gradual changes to updating Windows, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2134.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build introduces new features for Windows Update, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need. New Windows update features also include having always available options to shut down and restart with updating, and additional insight about available updates to make more informed installation decisions.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29591.1000.)
Release date: May 14, 2026
Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel
A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new shared audio feature that allows two people to listen to the same audio from a single Windows 11 PC at the same time. In addition, Task Manager now offers improved visibility into NPU usage on PCs with an NPU. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26200.8514/26220.8514.)
Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel
Release date: May 14, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that expands the list of archive formats that can be used in File Explorer to include uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg). Also being gradually rolled out is a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2173.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved reliability of Japanese IME usage when Administrator Protection is enabled. In addition, the build fixes a single bug, in which there were notification issues and certain apps hung on launch.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8370.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including new File Explorer address bar support for paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks (for example, C:\Users\user or “C:\Users\user”), improving compatibility with a wider range of inputs.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8376.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 26H1. It also improves performance when opening clipboard history.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2075.)
Release date: May 6, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
It also updates the experience when you use voice typing with the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29585.1000.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8340.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA). Another change “quiets” the default behavior for Widgets, with the goal of making them feel less distracting and overwhelming.
There are several known issues in this build, including one in which Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new WIP experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing state and applying changes will work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8346.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out several improvements to Task Manager, including one that provides better insight into NPU usage for PCs that include an NPU. Optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are now available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, with optional NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory columns on the Details page to give you deeper visibility into how workloads are using NPU resources. Additionally, if there are neural engines that are part of a GPU, they will now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI‑related system activity.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1921.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29580.1000.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8283.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
In a phased rollout, Insiders in the Dev Channel are being moved to the new Experimental channel. Insiders who do not see the new experience on their device can enable it under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.
Several minor new features are also being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
There is one known issue in this build: Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new Insider experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing the state and applying changes should work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8289.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of small improvements, including an updated voice typing experience for the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key rather than on a full-screen overlay.
It also fixes a bug in which Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage showed large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28200.1873.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of changes, including Point-in-time restore for Windows, which can quickly roll your device back to a previous state, potentially helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29576.1000.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide variety of new features rolled out gradually, including a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter. When Researcher works on a report, Windows shows progress on the taskbar so you can check updates at a glance.
For IT administrators, the update gradually rolls out support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education. It also removes default trust for cross‑signed third-party drivers, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed. Enterprise State Roaming can now be managed through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
The update also immediately introduces two minor improvements for everyone. Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, which increases coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. In Windows Security, the name of the affected application is now included in event logging related to CVE‑2024‑30098. This change makes it easier to identify applications that rely on smart card certificates and may need updates following recent security changes.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Builds 26100.8313 and 26200.8313.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new features were made available in this build for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8271.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, several minor new features are being gradually rolled for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8276.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build fixes a bug that prevented some apps from signing in due to a false report of no internet connectivity. The fix is rolling out gradually.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1863.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes rolling out gradually, including more widget options and support for lock screen widget personalization, a new setting in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad that lets you can choose how large the right-click zone is, and support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29570.1000.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8165.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8170.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out general improvements and fixes, including a new setting that lets users choose the size of their touchpad’s right-click zone, as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1812.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build includes “platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29565.1000.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including a new icon in print settings to indicate when a printer supports Windows Protected Print Mode.
Several bugs are also being fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8148.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which users will be able to feel haptic feedback effects on compatible input devices while performing certain actions, such as aligning objects in PowerPoint, window snapping, resizing, or hovering over the Close button. These haptic effects can be configured in Settings under Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Haptic signals.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8155.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel, this build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes, including improved reliability for configuring the fluid dictation option in voice typing settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1803.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” in the words of Microsoft. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which attached USB devices weren’t working for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29560.1000.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8138.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8142.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1797.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build introduces several new features, including a variety of improvements to the Windows Console, many of which were created by open-source contributors. Several bugs have also been fixed, including an authentication error people received when trying to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29558.1000.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8079.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build resumes rollout of the Point Indicator Accessibility setting, which enables low-vision users to easily locate and use their cursor. The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
In addition, several bugs were fixed, including one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8085.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes several new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which shared audio now provides individual sliders for each listener which adjusts their volume without affecting the other. You can continue to adjust volume for both listeners at the same time through the main volume controls available through Quick Settings or on-device and keyboard controls.
The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1743.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29553.1000.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8062.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8068.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build makes refinements to the Pen settings page, including small changes to the options for the pen tail button. A new option, “Same as Copilot key,” enables the pen tail button to launch the same app as the Copilot key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1737.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes, including one in which changes to global power settings (for example, Display, Sleep, Hibernate timeouts, Power/Sleep button, and lid close actions) from Settings are now applied to all power plans. This should help improve persistence of chosen settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29550.1000.)
Release date: March 12, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide range of minor features being rolled out gradually, including the ability to turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps.
The update also improves stability in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) when you run x64 apps on ARM64 devices. These apps run more smoothly and respond as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8106 and 26200.8106.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Build 26220.7961.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7965.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build lets you use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer. The build also improves the reliability of removing Windows Update files and windows.old files via Settings > System > Storage.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1685.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, giving a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7934.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who opted to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, offering a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7939.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have opted to receive the latest updates, this build gets a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for enterprise managed Windows Professional devices, as well as Windows Professional devices that are not domain-joined. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain-joined devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1673.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7872.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7877.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including one in which Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) supports peripheral fingerprint sensors. Previously, ESS was only available on PCs with built-in biometric sensors, but now it can be used when you plug in a supported ESS fingerprint reader.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1619.)
Release date: February 18, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build is the first in a new Canary Channel optional path with a focus on platform development, which will introduce new features before the existing 28000 Canary Channel series. Microsoft recommends that most people remain on the 28000 build path, but adds that those who want to get the newest platform changes as early as possible may want to switch to this new 29500 path. Note, though, that if you switch to the 29500 path by installing this build, you won’t be able to go back to the 28000 Canary Channel series.
The build itself, in Microsoft’s words, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
Microsoft warns, “because of the focus on platform development for this path, you may notice a temporary loss in some features that you have today. These features will return to this new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29531.1000.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build displays an option to upgrade to a different Microsoft 365 plan on the Accounts page within the Settings app. It also rolls out fixes for several bugs, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Preview Build 26220.7859.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization. The build also improves login screen reliability.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918.)
Release date: February 12, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build brings Sysmon functionality natively to Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and in a wide range of use cases.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1611.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 226220.7755.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7760.)
Release date: February 4, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders” running Windows.
It also fixes one bug that affected apps working with files stored on OneDrive or Dropbox.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1546.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7752.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7733.)
Release date: January 28, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience [of Windows 11].” It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that led to the Windows Update settings page hanging when loading.
The build has two known issues, one that sometimes causes all open File Explorer windows and tabs to unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home in File Explorer, and another in which the desktop watermark is showing the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 28020.1495.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features for Copilot+ PCs, including one in which Narrator gives you more control over how it announces on‑screen controls. You can choose which details are spoken and adjust their order to match how you navigate apps. These settings apply throughout the app to help reduce extra speech and make Narrator easier to follow.
The build also immediately rolls out a variety of new features for all PCs, including one in Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 26100.7701 and 26200.7701.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for an issue in which the Search process was showing an icon with an X instead of a magnifying glass.
The build has five known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7670.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, the Dev Channel jumps ahead to receive 26300 series builds. This means that the window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel is closed once Build 26300.7674is installed on your PC. This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the Windows 11 Build 26220.7653 release (see below).
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7674.)
Release date: January 21, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the January 16th Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653 released to the Beta Channel. See the writeup below for details.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 16, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several changes, including one in which you can now set .webp images for your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which Settings crashed when interacting with audio devices.
The build has four known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 14, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of bug fixes for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including a bug in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.
There is one known issue in this build: The desktop watermark shows the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1371.)
Release date: January 9, 2026
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out Copilot-powered image descriptions to Narrator on Copilot+ PCs, making it possible for blind and low-vision users to hear detailed, AI-generated descriptions of images, charts, and graphs.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for an issue in which File Explorer was causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when invoking the context menu on the desktop.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which Settings crashes when interacting with audio devices.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535.)
Microsoft Office users may find that some of their applications are failing to open when called on by third-party applications. It’s an issue that has emerged after the latest round of Microsoft updates.
The problem affects Word, Excel, and other Office applications opened from third-party offerings including CCH Engagement, Workpaper Manager, Zotero, or dental office software such as Dentrix or Softdent.
The update issued on June 9 appears to have triggered problems with the OLE automation that these third-party applications use to interact with Office. Users have reported that files are failing to open, with no error message indicating what has gone wrong,
According to one Windows user forum, the issue is particularly frustrating because of this lack of error message. As one user put it, “‘Word won’t open from our workpaper system’ is functionally the same as ‘Word is broken.’ To an administrator, the difference determines whether the next hour is spent repairing Office, rolling back Windows, calling a line-of-business vendor, or opening a Microsoft support case.”
Microsoft has said that it is aware of the issue and is working towards a resolution.
The company is also looking to fix a minor issue that has emerged from this latest round of updates: Users are finding that when items are deleted, the confirmation dialog box displays the internal Recycle Bin file name (for example, $Rxxxxx.ext) instead of the original file name. However, Microsoft stressed that in the Recycle Bin, the item still appears with its original name.
Google’s latest and greatest Android version is officially now out in the world and available — but if you’re using any phone other than a Pixel, that doesn’t mean much for you just yet.
The reason why is simple: Despite Google officially launching Android 17 and starting to send it out to Android phone-owners this week, it’s up to each individual device-maker to process the software and deliver it to its customers. And outside of Google itself, unfortunately, most Android device-makers are exasperatingly unreliable about making that happen — some of ’em to almost comically bad extremes (insert exaggerated sigh here).
Hold the phone, though — ’cause there is some good news here: While we can’t force any Android phone-maker to start treating software support as a priority, we can get creative and find ways to bring interesting new Android features to devices running older Android versions. In fact, all four of the Android 17 features I called out earlier this week can be emulated on any Android phone this instant. All it takes is a teensy pinch of inspiration and a dash of tenacity — and, of course, the right roadmap to make it all come together.
The tenacity’s on you, but if you’re game, I’ve got your roadmap ready. Here’s exactly how to enjoy a similar sort of Android-17-style sorcery on whatever phone you’re using right now — as far as some of the more surface-level highlights, at least — without having the actual Android 17 upgrade in front of you.
[Get fresh Android tips in your inbox with my free Android Intelligence newsletter — one new and useful thing to try every Friday!]
The most shape-shifting Android 17 of all, without a doubt, is Bubbles — a snazzy new way to turn any app into a floating, collapsible window that’s readily available for on-demand access but also out of your hair when you aren’t actively using it.
JR Raphael, Foundry
I wrote about Bubbles and ways to achieve similar feats just a few months back. It’s surprisingly easy to accomplish, even without Android 17 in the picture.
Look over this list of crafty Bubbles-bringing workarounds and see which makes the most sense for you. One way or another, you’ll find yourself facing a fantastic new option for multitasking anytime you want it — no waiting or out-of-reach upgrades required.
Our next Android 17 addition is a little trickier to emulate without the actual operating system update in the equation. But fear not, for this is Android — and when there’s a will, there’s a way.
The feature of which we speak is an expansion of Android’s framework for how apps can access your location. It’s a two-parter: First, whenever any app is accessing your location, you’ll now see a blue dot appear in the upper-right corner of your screen — and if you swipe down once from the top of your screen to open your notification panel, you can actually tap on the location icon that appears in its place to get detailed info about exactly which app or apps are involved. Second, when an app asks to access your precise location, Android 17 adds in the option to allow such access only temporarily — for that one brief moment and purpose — without giving the app permanent permission for ongoing use.
The second part, unfortunately, is challenging to achieve without Android 17 being present. But the first part is something we can make happen with a sliver of creative zest.
The trick revolves around a classic third-party app called Privacy Dashboard. Privacy Dashboard came about back in the Android 12 era, when Google first introduced a full-fledged privacy dashboard into Android and certain devices were lagging behind and taking too long to adopt it.
With Android 12 now being five years old, the app hasn’t had much need in recent years — until now. Interestingly enough, the ability to see full details about ongoing location access and then tap to adjust the associated app’s settings is something Privacy Dashboard has long offered. And it’s consequently a great way to bring that newfound native ability from Android 17 onto a device running an older Android version.
The catch is that because of the limited need for the app all this time, it’s no longer being actively developed — and as a result, if you hadn’t previously downloaded it, the Play Store will probably give you an error saying it’s made for an older Android version and can’t be installed on your device.
It will still work, though, and it’s perfectly functional and effective.
Provided you’re comfortable and that this won’t violate any of your company-associated policies, you can download the original verified Privacy Dashboard app package from my own personal Drive storage. I saved it using the Google Files file manager and then uploaded it directly to Drive. It’s quite literally the same exact app you’d get from the Play Store, if the Play Store would let you download it — and while I wouldn’t often advise installing apps from unknown sources, I don’t exactly consider myself to be “unknown” (most of the time). So as long as you share that same trust, you can grab the app from me and put it on any device you want.
Once you get the app installed and give it the permissions it needs to operate, open ‘er up and tap the “App Settings” options on its main screen. Tap the line that says “Indicator Customization,” beneath “Privacy Indicators,” then flip the toggle next to “Click action” into the on and active position.
Aaaaand, that’s it: Anytime an app is accessing your location, you’ll see a green location icon appear in the upper-right corner of your screen. And tapping it will take you to the system-level timeline of exactly which apps have accessed your location recently, for added context.
JR Raphael, Foundry
Before you install Privacy Dashboard, you might also want to try just opening an app that you know accesses your location — like Google Maps — and seeing what, if any, indicator appears in the corner of your screen and if you can tap it. While that ability is technically associated with Android 17, it was actually included in an earlier Android quarterly update, and it’s possible your device may already have that piece of the puzzle in place even if it isn’t yet running Android 17.
Android’s dark mode is better than ever as of Android 17, with a nifty new way to force each and every app to respect your device-wide dark mode setting and adjust its interface to a less glary look — even if it doesn’t technically support the option.
JR Raphael, Foundry
Well, get this: If your phone’s Android software is reasonably recent, it’s entirely possible you can unlock the very same function by adjusting a few out-of-sight system settings.
Try this:
JR Raphael, Foundry
And there ya have it: You should now be able to open any app, even if it doesn’t officially support dark mode, and see it shift into a darkened state whenever you have dark mode enabled at the system level.
Easy peasy, no?
Our final Android 17 feature is a saucy little somethin’ called Comfort View. It applies a softer, pastel-oriented filter to your display with automatic adjustments based on your current viewing environment in order to make your screen easier on the eyes.
If you’re using a Samsung device, you may already have something similar in place even with an older Android version. Look in the Display section of your system settings and see if you see something called “Adaptive color tone,” then try activating it if it’s there — and/or look for “Screen mode” and play around with some of the settings in that area to see vaguely similar sorts of adjustments. It isn’t quite as intelligent or automatic as the new incoming Android-level equivalent, but it’s a start!
In any other scenario — or if you just want more nuance and control, even with a Samsung gizmo — grab an app called Twilight. It’ll let you tweak all sorts of specifics about the appearance of your screen, and while it’s presented mostly for nighttime optimization, you can use those same controls to create your own custom modes for any scenario imaginable.
JR Raphael, Foundry
The app doesn’t collect or share any manner of data, and while it does offer a $10 Pro upgrade, the free version is perfectly functional for most purposes.
And with that, give yourself a pat on the back: Your phone is officially now set up to showcase some of Android 17’s finest flavors — even without the software itself being available to you yet.
That, my friend, is quite an accomplishment. Well done.
Don’t stop there: Come check out my free Android Intelligence newsletter to get something new and useful in your inbox every Friday — and get my awesome Android Notification Power-Pack today.
Well, hey, how ’bout that? Here we are, on a random quiet-seeming week in June, and a new Android version is officially making its way into the wild and onto our favorite Googley gizmos.
Yes, indeed: Google announced the launch of Android 17 this week, and the rollout is getting underway as we speak. As usual, the software will show up for current, still-supported Pixel devices right away, over the next few to several days. (As for everyone else — well, you know the drill by now, right? It’s up to each individual Android device-maker to process and send out its software updates, and outside of Pixels, that support is exasperatingly unreliable. But odds are, if you aren’t palming a Pixel, you’ll be waiting for a while — maybe even a long while, if you have a phone by a certain manufacturer whose name rhymes with Boatorola.)
As always, some of Android 17’s most important elements are the under-the-hood privacy, security, and performance enhancements that you won’t explicitly see but that will make a critical difference in your device’s ability to operate efficiently and advisably. But this latest Android release also packs an impressive punch of interesting surface-level touches that’ll bring an instant boost to your day-to-day productivity and all-around Android-enjoying experience.
As is often the case, many of the most useful elements are things you might not ever even notice or think to tap into if you don’t know where to look.
Here are the four Android 17 features I’ve found most noteworthy so far and how you can start putting ’em to use this second.
[Psst: Don’t let the learning stop here. Check out my free Pixel Academy e-course to discover all sorts of advanced intelligence lurking within whatever Pixel you’re using!]
Our first Android 17 addition on its way to Pixel owners this week is something that’s been in the works for many a moon now — and that’s a handy new multitasking mode known as Bubbles.
Bubbles first came into the Android picture way back in 2019, but at that point, it was limited mostly to messaging and never came close to reaching its full promised potential. At long last, now, Bubbles are back, baby, and becoming everything we’d always wanted them to be.
The simplest way to think about Bubbles is as a way to turn any app you’re using into a floating, collapsible window — so you can pull it up on demand when you want it, then minimize it back down into a small icon (a “bubble” — get it?!) to get it out of your hair but keep it nearby for easy ongoing access.
It’s an interesting way to multitask without having to commit to a full-fledged split-screen setup. It can be quite useful for keeping things like lists, documents, emails, chats, or anything else you’re coming back to regularly at your fingertips — so you can pop into it as needed, without any real effort, but also without having it in your face all the time.
JR Raphael, Foundry
In Android 17, Bubbles is easy to launch with any app in front of you. The only catch is that as of now, at least, it can be triggered only from the standard stock Pixel Launcher — not a custom Android launcher like Smart Launcher or Niagara.
Provided you’re using the standard Android home screen setup, though, all you’ve gotta do is:
JR Raphael, Foundry
You can also add additional bubbled apps into that same view via the plus icon next to the first app’s icon when a bubble is open. Pretty nifty, wouldn’t ya say?
Allowing apps access to your location inevitably requires a certain amount of compromise when it comes to the ever-prickly subject of privacy — and it demands a certain level of trust that the apps in question won’t abuse the privilege or use it for reasons beyond their intended purposes.
Android 17 makes it meaningfully easier to accept that bargain and rest easy knowing your info isn’t being misused, thanks to a pair of related new privacy protection measures:
JR Raphael, Foundry
Hey, we’ll take it. Just remember to keep tabs on the permissions Google itself is claiming these days, too, as those don’t always come with a prominent pop-up.
Dark mode may be one of the more divisive interface adjustments of our modern mobile moment, but if you’re a fan of the dimmer, less glary view across your Android experience, you’re bound to appreciate the added option Android 17 affords you in that area.
It’s a simple one-tap checkbox that forces apps to adjust and comply with your dark mode preference, when it’s active — even if they don’t natively support such a setting. That means those pesky apps that’d typically maintain the same standard light interface even when you activate dark mode will now turn dark along with the rest of your setup whenever Android’s dark mode is on.
All it takes it quite literally one tap on the freshly added Android 17 option:
JR Raphael, Foundry
Now, one note: By forcing apps to adapt to dark mode even if they aren’t designed for it, it’s possible some programs may end up lookin’ a little funky. If that ever happens and you aren’t thrilled with an app’s adaptation, go back to that same settings screen we were just starin’ at and tap the gear-shaped icon alongside the “Expanded dark theme” option. That’ll let you create exceptions and select specific apps that don’t get dark mode automatically applied.
JR Raphael, Foundry
But everything else will now be in the dark when you want it — just like your dark, brooding heart desires.
Whether you’re a prince/princess/dutchess/middle-manager of darkness or not, Android 17’s new Comfort View may be just the thing for you.
Comfort View is an off-by-default addition to your Pixel that applies a softer, more pastel-oriented filter to the display with automatic adjustments based on your current viewing environment — in other words, how bright it is around you at any given moment. Ooh, ahh, etc.
To try it out, march your way back into those Display settings, and this time, tap the line labeled “Comfort Filters.” Flip the switch next to “Comfort View,” make sure the “Dynamic” checkbox is active, and see how you feel about your newly optimized screen-color view as you move throughout your day.
JR Raphael, Foundry
If you find the filtering to be too extreme or not enough to make a difference, you can also try disabling the “Dynamic” option there and then manually adjusting the “Intensity” slider to suit your specific peeper preferences. But I suspect if you give it enough time, you’ll find the automatic adjustments to be one of those things that just works for you and makes your device a little easier on the eyes, relative to each and every viewing environment — without being something you actively think about or pay much mind.
That, if you ask me, is the sign of an effective feature. And it’s a welcome addition to Android and the ever-evolving Pixel experience.
Don’t let yourself miss an ounce of Pixel magic. Come check out my free Pixel Academy e-course to find tons of hidden features and time-saving tricks for your Googley gizmo.
Windows 11 25H2 has been publicly released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and help shape — upcoming features.
Our story “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” details how the Insider program has worked until now. However, Microsoft recently announced sweeping changes to the program that will include the ability to select which new features to test. As the first step, the company is introducing a new channel system and transitioning Insiders like so:
This transition is happening over time, starting with the Dev Channel. See Microsoft’s blog post for more information about the transition.
Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft in the past six months. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what’s in the build, and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it.
Note: If you’re looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not preview builds for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel
A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including increased reliability of the Windows networking stack. It reduces bug checks (blue screen errors) related to Wi-Fi power and improves cellular (WWAN) connectivity, including support for IPv6 VPNs. Compatibility with third-party VPN software and SR-IOV configurations on server hardware is also improved. Network adapter settings and bindings are now preserved across OS upgrades.
Immediately rolling out are several quality improvements, including additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8728 and 26200.8728.)
Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel
Release date: June 12, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including improved visibility into NPU usage in Task Manager. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page. Neural engines that are part of a GPU now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI-related activity. A new optional Isolation column on the Processes and Details pages shows which apps are running in an AppContainer. You can add any of the new columns by right-clicking a column header in Task Manager and selecting them from the menu.
Being rolled out immediately is improved Netlogon secure channel connections between domain controllers, enabling successful connections from member servers to domain controllers set up before 2025.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2333.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update offers a wide variety of changes and improvements, including a new set of default Widget settings designed to reduce unexpected alerts and visual interruptions. They include:
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8680.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also introduces the new screen tint accessibility setting. In addition, Task Scheduler will now persist column width adjustments in task list view across sessions.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2298.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
Several minor new features and enhancements are being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar and a new recovery remote management plug-in for extending WinRE management capabilities for MDM providers.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8687.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 26H1. It also accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as Start menu, Search, and Action Center.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2302.)
Release date: June 12, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements, including improved performance when navigating to see storage on large volumes via Settings > System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29610.1000.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update adds the ability to extend Windows Update as many times as you need. It also fixes three bugs: one that caused audio not to work, another that impacted the reliability of Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, and a third that caused freezes with search, Notepad, and other parts of Windows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8575.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2236.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2242.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being rolled out in this build, including consistent solid (donut) spinners across key Windows scenarios including Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update. This update replaces legacy spinner visuals to deliver a more cohesive experience aligned with Windows design standards. Users will now see a unified spinner behavior with corresponding status text (e.g., “Restarting”, “Working on updates”, “Welcome”).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8544.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including a number of changes to the Start menu. These were first outlined in the May 15 Insider blog post Making Taskbar and Start more personal. They include:
One known issue, in which resetting your PC may have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2207.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements that, in the words of Microsoft, include “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.” The update also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug in which some Insiders unexpectedly saw an erroneous message saying they weren’t connected to internet (when they actually were) when signing into their Microsoft account in certain apps. It also improves CPU speed display on the Performance page of Task Manager for VMs, so it doesn’t show higher than unexpected numbers after resuming from hibernate.
There is one known issue that causes crashes with AMD machines supporting System Guard, so these devices in Windows Information Protection will not be offered the build.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29599.1000.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.” It introduces Voice Isolation, a new option in Voice Access that helps the tool focus on your voice, even when others are speaking nearby, by filtering out other voices and background noise.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8491.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including several to improve accessibility. Among them are making it easier to connect the Braille display to Narrator by using the HID open industry standard for Braille displays. If your display supports HID, connect it via USB, with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID Braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory. Another new feature is Voice Isolation in Voice Access, as detailed for Beta Channel Build 26220.8491 above.
The build has one known issue, in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8497.)
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
Release date: May 22, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that improves the reliability of explorer.exe when closing the input switcher, and when switching between multiple desktops.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2149.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build, in the words of Microsoft, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29595.1000.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being rolled out in this build, including one that improves the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8474.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including the ability to change the position of taskbar on your screen. In Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors, you can select the side of the screen you want your taskbar on: bottom, top, left, or right. In these other positions, tooltips, flyouts, and animations will still come from the taskbar, and most customization settings like “small taskbar” and “never combine taskbar icons” will work with all locations.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8493.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out an improvement in the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive. It also rolls out gradual changes to updating Windows, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2134.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build introduces new features for Windows Update, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need. New Windows update features also include having always available options to shut down and restart with updating, and additional insight about available updates to make more informed installation decisions.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29591.1000.)
Release date: May 14, 2026
Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel
A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new shared audio feature that allows two people to listen to the same audio from a single Windows 11 PC at the same time. In addition, Task Manager now offers improved visibility into NPU usage on PCs with an NPU. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26200.8514/26220.8514.)
Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel
Release date: May 14, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that expands the list of archive formats that can be used in File Explorer to include uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg). Also being gradually rolled out is a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2173.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved reliability of Japanese IME usage when Administrator Protection is enabled. In addition, the build fixes a single bug, in which there were notification issues and certain apps hung on launch.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8370.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including new File Explorer address bar support for paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks (for example, C:\Users\user or “C:\Users\user”), improving compatibility with a wider range of inputs.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8376.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 26H1. It also improves performance when opening clipboard history.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2075.)
Release date: May 6, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
It also updates the experience when you use voice typing with the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29585.1000.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8340.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA). Another change “quiets” the default behavior for Widgets, with the goal of making them feel less distracting and overwhelming.
There are several known issues in this build, including one in which Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new WIP experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing state and applying changes will work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8346.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out several improvements to Task Manager, including one that provides better insight into NPU usage for PCs that include an NPU. Optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are now available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, with optional NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory columns on the Details page to give you deeper visibility into how workloads are using NPU resources. Additionally, if there are neural engines that are part of a GPU, they will now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI‑related system activity.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1921.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29580.1000.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8283.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
In a phased rollout, Insiders in the Dev Channel are being moved to the new Experimental channel. Insiders who do not see the new experience on their device can enable it under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.
Several minor new features are also being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
There is one known issue in this build: Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new Insider experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing the state and applying changes should work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8289.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of small improvements, including an updated voice typing experience for the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key rather than on a full-screen overlay.
It also fixes a bug in which Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage showed large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28200.1873.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of changes, including Point-in-time restore for Windows, which can quickly roll your device back to a previous state, potentially helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29576.1000.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide variety of new features rolled out gradually, including a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter. When Researcher works on a report, Windows shows progress on the taskbar so you can check updates at a glance.
For IT administrators, the update gradually rolls out support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education. It also removes default trust for cross‑signed third-party drivers, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed. Enterprise State Roaming can now be managed through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
The update also immediately introduces two minor improvements for everyone. Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, which increases coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. In Windows Security, the name of the affected application is now included in event logging related to CVE‑2024‑30098. This change makes it easier to identify applications that rely on smart card certificates and may need updates following recent security changes.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Builds 26100.8313 and 26200.8313.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new features were made available in this build for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8271.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, several minor new features are being gradually rolled for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8276.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build fixes a bug that prevented some apps from signing in due to a false report of no internet connectivity. The fix is rolling out gradually.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1863.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes rolling out gradually, including more widget options and support for lock screen widget personalization, a new setting in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad that lets you can choose how large the right-click zone is, and support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29570.1000.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8165.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8170.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out general improvements and fixes, including a new setting that lets users choose the size of their touchpad’s right-click zone, as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1812.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build includes “platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29565.1000.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including a new icon in print settings to indicate when a printer supports Windows Protected Print Mode.
Several bugs are also being fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8148.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which users will be able to feel haptic feedback effects on compatible input devices while performing certain actions, such as aligning objects in PowerPoint, window snapping, resizing, or hovering over the Close button. These haptic effects can be configured in Settings under Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Haptic signals.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8155.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel, this build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes, including improved reliability for configuring the fluid dictation option in voice typing settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1803.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” in the words of Microsoft. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which attached USB devices weren’t working for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29560.1000.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8138.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8142.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1797.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build introduces several new features, including a variety of improvements to the Windows Console, many of which were created by open-source contributors. Several bugs have also been fixed, including an authentication error people received when trying to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29558.1000.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8079.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build resumes rollout of the Point Indicator Accessibility setting, which enables low-vision users to easily locate and use their cursor. The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
In addition, several bugs were fixed, including one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8085.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes several new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which shared audio now provides individual sliders for each listener which adjusts their volume without affecting the other. You can continue to adjust volume for both listeners at the same time through the main volume controls available through Quick Settings or on-device and keyboard controls.
The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1743.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29553.1000.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8062.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8068.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build makes refinements to the Pen settings page, including small changes to the options for the pen tail button. A new option, “Same as Copilot key,” enables the pen tail button to launch the same app as the Copilot key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1737.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes, including one in which changes to global power settings (for example, Display, Sleep, Hibernate timeouts, Power/Sleep button, and lid close actions) from Settings are now applied to all power plans. This should help improve persistence of chosen settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29550.1000.)
Release date: March 12, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide range of minor features being rolled out gradually, including the ability to turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps.
The update also improves stability in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) when you run x64 apps on ARM64 devices. These apps run more smoothly and respond as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8106 and 26200.8106.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Build 26220.7961.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7965.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build lets you use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer. The build also improves the reliability of removing Windows Update files and windows.old files via Settings > System > Storage.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1685.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, giving a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7934.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who opted to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, offering a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7939.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have opted to receive the latest updates, this build gets a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for enterprise managed Windows Professional devices, as well as Windows Professional devices that are not domain-joined. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain-joined devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1673.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7872.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7877.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including one in which Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) supports peripheral fingerprint sensors. Previously, ESS was only available on PCs with built-in biometric sensors, but now it can be used when you plug in a supported ESS fingerprint reader.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1619.)
Release date: February 18, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build is the first in a new Canary Channel optional path with a focus on platform development, which will introduce new features before the existing 28000 Canary Channel series. Microsoft recommends that most people remain on the 28000 build path, but adds that those who want to get the newest platform changes as early as possible may want to switch to this new 29500 path. Note, though, that if you switch to the 29500 path by installing this build, you won’t be able to go back to the 28000 Canary Channel series.
The build itself, in Microsoft’s words, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
Microsoft warns, “because of the focus on platform development for this path, you may notice a temporary loss in some features that you have today. These features will return to this new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29531.1000.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build displays an option to upgrade to a different Microsoft 365 plan on the Accounts page within the Settings app. It also rolls out fixes for several bugs, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Preview Build 26220.7859.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization. The build also improves login screen reliability.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918.)
Release date: February 12, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build brings Sysmon functionality natively to Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and in a wide range of use cases.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1611.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 226220.7755.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7760.)
Release date: February 4, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders” running Windows.
It also fixes one bug that affected apps working with files stored on OneDrive or Dropbox.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1546.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7752.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7733.)
Release date: January 28, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience [of Windows 11].” It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that led to the Windows Update settings page hanging when loading.
The build has two known issues, one that sometimes causes all open File Explorer windows and tabs to unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home in File Explorer, and another in which the desktop watermark is showing the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 28020.1495.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features for Copilot+ PCs, including one in which Narrator gives you more control over how it announces on‑screen controls. You can choose which details are spoken and adjust their order to match how you navigate apps. These settings apply throughout the app to help reduce extra speech and make Narrator easier to follow.
The build also immediately rolls out a variety of new features for all PCs, including one in Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 26100.7701 and 26200.7701.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for an issue in which the Search process was showing an icon with an X instead of a magnifying glass.
The build has five known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7670.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, the Dev Channel jumps ahead to receive 26300 series builds. This means that the window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel is closed once Build 26300.7674is installed on your PC. This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the Windows 11 Build 26220.7653 release (see below).
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7674.)
Release date: January 21, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the January 16th Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653 released to the Beta Channel. See the writeup below for details.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 16, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several changes, including one in which you can now set .webp images for your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which Settings crashed when interacting with audio devices.
The build has four known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 14, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of bug fixes for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including a bug in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.
There is one known issue in this build: The desktop watermark shows the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1371.)
Release date: January 9, 2026
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out Copilot-powered image descriptions to Narrator on Copilot+ PCs, making it possible for blind and low-vision users to hear detailed, AI-generated descriptions of images, charts, and graphs.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for an issue in which File Explorer was causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when invoking the context menu on the desktop.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which Settings crashes when interacting with audio devices.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535.)
Release date: December 19, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out a version of Copilot on the taskbar tailored for commercial customers. It uses Work IQ as contextual information that they can reference in their Copilot chats and with Microsoft 365 AI agents. In addition, the build introduces Agent Launchers, a new framework that enables Windows apps to register AI agents and make them discoverable across the system.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including one that addresses an issue in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.
The build has nine known issues, including one in which opening the context menu is causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7523.)
Release date: December 15, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out several new features for Copilot+ PCs, including a streamlined design for the Click to Do context menu that makes frequently used actions like Copy, Save, Share, and Open easier to access. It also rolls out new features for all PCs, including improvements to the dark mode experience in File Explorer.
A variety of bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including one for an issue in which Settings became unresponsive when attempting to navigate to the Network & Internet section.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1362.)
Release date: December 9, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows. It also enables more of the new features and improvements originally released with the October non-security preview update for Windows 11.
In addition, the build fixes a bug that caused some Storage Spaces to become inaccessible or Storage Spaces Direct to fail when creating a storage cluster.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.1340.)
Release date: December 5, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that gives AI agents a universal way to connect with apps, tools, and services. Agents can discover and connect to these tools and other agents via a secure, manageable Windows on-device registry (ODR). By default, all agent connectors in the Windows ODR will be contained in a secure environment with their own identity and audit trail.
In addition, Quick machine recovery (QMR) will now be turned on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain joined. These devices will get the same recovery features as Windows Home users. For enterprise computers that are domain joined, nothing changes — QMR will stay off unless your organization turns it on.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a number of bug fixes, including addressing a bug in which the search window to unexpectedly started floating above the taskbar.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which File Explorer shows a white flash when navigating between pages.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7344.)
Release date: November 21, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
This build introduces several features being rolled out gradually for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates. These include point-in-time restore for Windows, which lets you to quickly roll your device back to a previous state to minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting, and (on NPU devices) fluid dictation in voice typing, which automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak.
The build also expands the availability of the Xbox full-screen experience to additional Windows 11 PCs. You can add a controller to your PC for task switching and streamlined gaming on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including one that resolves a hung taskbar after receiving certain notifications.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which File Explorer shows a white flash when navigating between pages.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271.)
Release date: November 18, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.1199.)
Release date: November 17, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This update introduces a wide range of features being rolled out gradually, including several for Copilot+ PCs, such as Windows Studio Effects, which provide AI-powered camera enhancements on an additional, alternative camera such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
All Windows 11 PCs get a variety of new features being gradually rolled out, including Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS), now supporting peripheral fingerprint sensors. Also, on PCs with the settings “quick machine recovery” and “automatically check for solutions” both enabled, Quick Machine Recovery now runs a one‑time scan by default instead of repeating scans in a loop. If a fix isn’t available right away, QMR will quickly point you to the most appropriate recovery options to get you back up and running.
A bug fix is being immediately rolled out to all PCs to address an issue that affects Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS), when LSASS could become unstable due to an access violation.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7296 and 26200.7296.)
Release date: November 17, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including using high-definition voices for English (US) in Narrator and Magnifier that use generative AI to adjust tone and pacing for more natural, expressive speech. Also rolling out is a new “Experimental agentic features” toggle in the Settings app that enables the creation of AI agent accounts and an agent workspace, and grants agentic apps access to your Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Music, Pictures, and Videos folders. (Find out more about experimental agentic features.)
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for a bug in which the Task Manager process wasn’t stopping correctly after Task Manager was closed. As a result, Task Manager might have been unexpectedly open on boot.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer and when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7262.)
Release date: November 7, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including the ability to choose your default dashboard in an updated Widget Board Settings.
Everyone gets an updated Quick Machine Recovery in Windows, which makes it easier and quicker to get back to a working PC. The experience in both Windows Settings and the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) has been streamlined.
A variety of bug fixes are being rolled out gradually to those who have opted to receive the latest updates, including one that fixes a bug in which the “Automatically hide the taskbar” setting unexpectedly turned off after displaying a message saying, “a toolbar is already hidden on this side of your screen.”
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7070.)
Release date: November 7, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes.” There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which the credentials window was not accessible when trying to log in to Outlook.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolls to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.)
Release date: November 4, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, and Sports on the lock screen. Windows also provides suggested widgets on the lock screen. To customize your lock screen widgets, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
Also new is a “drag tray” that appears at the top of your screen when you drag a local file from File Explorer or your desktop. You can drop the file into one of the displayed apps or select More to open the Windows share window.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which if you used your PC for a while without rebooting, explorer.exe might start crashing repeatedly.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolls to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27982.)
Release date: October 31, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including Ask Copilot in the taskbar, which gives you one-click access to Copilot Vision and Voice, so you can search via Copilot using text, voice, or guided support with Copilot Vision. As you type, results appear and update instantly. Turn it on by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot. You can also manage whether the Copilot app launches automatically at sign-in using the “Auto start on log in” toggle in the Copilot app settings.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes being rolled out gradually, including one to address an issue in which interacting with a folder or its contents in Start menu could result in the folder becoming invisible.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7051.)
Release date: October 24, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of changes being gradually rolled out, including Copy & Search, which allows you to search the text in your clipboard with a single click. When you copy text anywhere in Windows, a paste gleam will appear in your search box. Click on this gleam and your copied text will appear in the search field, allowing you to search instantly.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for a bug in which the search icon in File Explorer sometimes infinitely looped in an animation.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6982.)
Release date: October 23, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which Settings crashed when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacted accessing the drive information from the properties when you right-clicked a drive in File Explorer.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolled to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27975.)
Release date: October 21, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This update includes a wide variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including a redesigned Start menu that includes a scrollable All section, has new category and grid views, and which adapts to your screen size. The build also includes new features for Click to Do, which can now translate text into other languages. File Explorer now has a recommended files feature that shows content such as files you frequently use, have recently downloaded, or have added to your File Explorer Gallery.
Two bugs are fixed in this build: one that caused an ACCESS_DENIED error when users attempted to change passwords remotely on member servers or workgroup devices, even when they had the required permissions, and another in which protected content playback failed on some machines after installing KB506408.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7015 and 26200.7015.)
Release date: October 17, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature being rolled out slowly, which lets you add and manage your mobile devices from Settings by navigating to “Mobile Devices” under the Bluetooth & Devices section. The page allows you to view your mobile devices, add new mobile devices, and manage features such as using your device as a connected camera or accessing your device’s files in File Explorer.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get two bug fixes being rolled out slowly, one for a bug that caused File Explorer to show a Catastrophic Error (0x8000FFFF) when extracting large (1.5GB+) archive files, and another that sometimes caused an old white toolbar to randomly appear in File Explorer.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the copy dialog in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6972.)
Release date: October 16, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build, the Notification Center can be used on secondary monitors. You’ll be able to see your calendar on any of your monitors and open Notification Center on any of them by clicking the date and time in the system tray of your taskbar. Note that this functionality will be rolled out gradually.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which File Explorer crashed when transferring files to a network drive.
There are three known issues in this build, including one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27971.)
Release date: October 10, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those with Copilot+ PCs who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a handful of changes and new features, including one in Settings in which more results appear in the search flyout and let you quickly modify the settings you’re searching for.
Those with any PCs who have turned the toggle on get several changes, including a new OneDrive icon in Accounts and Homepages in Settings, and the return of the ability to enable Administrator Protection via Windows Security under Account protection.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for an issue in the previous flight in which File Explorer frequently crashed, and another that was causing the Start menu to unexpectedly scroll to the top when interacting with it.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the copy dialog in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6780.)
Release date: October 10, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This update is identical to Build 26120.6780 for the Beta Channel, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6780.)
Release date: October 8, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This update introduces a new scrollable Start menu, with “All” on the top level, so apps are accessible without having to navigate to a secondary page. There are also new category and grid views to browse and launch your installed apps in the “All” section. The new menu adapts its size based on your device’s screen size.
There are also several bug fixes, including one in which the taskbar was not autohiding correctly.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which Settings may crash when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacts accessing the drive information from the properties when you right-click a drive in File Explorer.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27965.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This update introduces the option to move the hardware indicators for brightness, volume, airplane mode, and virtual desktops to different positions on your screen, including the current bottom position and new top-left and top-center positions.
There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which icons and text sometimes overlapped on the desktop when using increased text scaling.
There is one known issue in this build, in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27959.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including Image Object select for Click to Do in Copilot+ PCs, in which you can hover over your image to preview selectable areas. Once selected, you can copy and paste your object into other apps or use it to kick off a chat with Copilot. Also included are improvements to dark mode for File Explorer for all PCs and the ability to use peripheral fingerprint sensors with Windows Hello. These changes are rolling out gradually.
The same group gets a variety of bugs fixed, including one in which Encrypted File System (EFS) related dialogs in File Explorer weren’t responding to increased text scaling. The bug fixes are rolling out gradually.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6772.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This update is identical to Build 26120.6772, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6772.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including the ability to do a network speed test straight from the taskbar. You can launch it via the Wi-Fi and Cellular Quick Settings pages or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The tool opens in your default browser and supports testing Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections. It helps in assessing network performance and troubleshooting.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including for an issue in which the battery icon got out of sync with the actual charging state — for example, it would show that you weren’t plugged in when you were.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for developers that addresses an issue in which PIX on Windows was unable to play back GPU captures.
There are six known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6760.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including the ability to do a network speed test straight from the taskbar. You can launch it via the Wi-Fi and Cellular Quick Settings pages or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The tool opens in your default browser and supports testing Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections. It helps in assessing network performance and troubleshooting.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including for an issue in which the battery icon got out of sync with the actual charging state — for example, it would show that you weren’t plugged in when you were.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for developers that addresses an issue in which PIX on Windows was unable to play back GPU captures.
There are six known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6760.)
Release date: September 25, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows. It also includes fixes one bug in which you might not be able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT) after the latest updates.
There is one known issue in this build, in which PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are affected, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact Microsoft on the DirectX Discord server and get help via private builds.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27954.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned on a toggle to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which Click to Do can let users translate on-screen text with just a few clicks.
All PCs that have turned a toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one in which File Explorer became unresponsive if a UNC server name was directly typed into address bar. There are 10 known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6690.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned on a toggle to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which Click to Do can let you translate on-screen text with just a few clicks.
All PCs which have turned a toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one in which File Explorer became unresponsive if a UNC server name was directly typed into address bar. There are 10 known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6690.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows. In addition, Advanced Settings will revert to the previous “For Developers” experience after updating to this build.
There are also a number of bug fixes, including one in which the app preview windows in the taskbar became misaligned (away from the app icon you’d clicked / hovered over) after a display resolution change.
There are two known issues in this build, including one for developers in which PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, anyone impacted can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact Microsoft on the DirectX Discord server and Microsoft can help provide private builds.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27950.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
Build 26100.6713 is for those on Windows 11 24H2, and 26200.6713 is for those on Windows 25H2.
These builds gradually roll out a large number of new features, including AI actions in File Explorer for editing images or summarizing documents, and the ability to pin favorite apps in the Windows share window to quickly access them when you need them.
The builds fix several bugs immediately, including one that disrupted Windows Update for those using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). Additionally, several bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which when Windows Sandbox was enabled, the VmmemCmFirstBoot process may have consumed large amounts of CPU after login, causing your PC to become unresponsive.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.6713 and 26200.6713.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned the toggle on to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out a new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do designed to streamline interaction with Microsoft Copilot.
New emoji from Emoji 16.0 are being gradually rolled out in the emoji panel for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for one that caused some PCs to bug check (green screen) while hibernating, and another in which the Shared section in File Explorer Home was visible even if there was no content to display.
There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out a new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do designed to streamline interaction with Microsoft Copilot. New emoji from Emoji 16.0 are also being gradually rolled out to the same group.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for one that caused some PCs to bug check (green screen) while hibernating, and another in which the Shared section in File Explorer Home was visible even if there was no content to display.
There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6682.)
Release date: September 11, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows.
There are also a number of bug fixes, including for a bug that caused Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files to get stuck when scanning files. This issue also caused the entry to clean up previous Windows Installations to not show in Storage Settings.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including “ACPI Audio Compositor” and others. Selecting Properties on these devices will show “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943.)
Release date: September 8, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build introduces AI actions into File Explorer. These offer new capabilities when you right-click a file, such as editing a graphic or summarizing a Word document. For now, there are four of them, all related to image files. You can perform a Bing search based on an image file, blur the background in an image, erase objects in an image, and remove the background in an image.
A number of bugs have been fixed, including one that caused Task Manager to freeze when going to the performance section, and another in which the red color used for a low space drive in This PC was unexpectedly light colored.
The build has five known issues, including one in which audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27938.)
Release date: September 5, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs, this build introduces fluid dictation, which makes voice-based dictation easier. It automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak, reducing the need for manual editing. In addition, being rolled out on supported Copilot+ PCs is the ability to use Studio Effect’s AI-powered camera enhancements with an additional, alternative camera — such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get new on-hover actions in File Manager Home for faster file management.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one for a bug in which the right-click context menu in File Explorer sometimes unexpectedly switched back and forth between the normal initial view and “Show more options” with each right-click when certain apps were installed.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which for some users, the Shared section in File Explorer Home may be visible even if there is no content to display.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5790.)
Release date: September 5, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build appears to be identical to Build 26120.5790 for the Beta Channel, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.5790.)
Long before Taco Tuesday became part of the pop-culture vernacular, Tuesdays were synonymous with security — and for anyone in the tech world, they still are. Patch Tuesday, as you most likely know, refers to the day each month when Microsoft releases security updates and patches for its software products — everything from Windows to Office to SQL Server, developer tools to browsers.
The practice, which happens on the second Tuesday of the month, was initiated to streamline the patch distribution process and make it easier for users and IT system administrators to manage updates. Like tacos, Patch Tuesday is here to stay.
In a blog post celebrating the 20th anniversary of Patch Tuesday, the Microsoft Security Response Center wrote: “The concept of Patch Tuesday was conceived and implemented in 2003. Before this unified approach, our security updates were sporadic, posing significant challenges for IT professionals and organizations in deploying critical patches in a timely manner.”
Patch Tuesday will continue to be an “important part of our strategy to keep users secure,” Microsoft said, adding that it’s now an important part of the cybersecurity industry. As a case in point, Adobe, among others, follows a similar patch cadence.
Patch Tuesday coverage has also long been a staple of Computerworld’s commitment to provide critical information to the IT industry. That’s why we’ve gathered together this collection of recent patches, a rolling list we’ll keep updated each month.
In case you missed a recent Patch Tuesday announcement, here are the latest six months of updates.
Microsoft this month released 206 updates affecting Windows, Office, Exchange Server, and its developer tools — including three Windows vulnerabilities already publicly disclosed. That trio includes an elevation of privilege in the Collaborative Translation Framework (CVE-2026-45586), a denial of service in HTTP.sys (CVE-2026-49160), and a BitLocker security feature bypass (CVE-2026-50507). At the moment, none appear to be under active exploitation, but all three are rated “Exploitation More Likely.”
Even without an exploited zero-day, the June 2026 Patch Tuesday release requires Patch Now recommendations for Windows, Office, and Exchange. The latter is back in the patch picture with a consolidated security update that Microsoft recommends installing “as soon as possible.”
More info is available here on Microsoft Security updates for June 2026.
Microsoft this month released 139 updates affecting Windows, Office, .NET, and SQL Server (though there were no updates for Microsoft Exchange Server). Despite the absence of zero-days, the May Patch Tuesday update still requires Patch Now recommendations for Windows and Office.
The combination of three unauthenticated network RCEs (Netlogon, DNS Client, and SSO Plugin for Jira and Confluence), four Word Preview Pane RCEs, the large TCP/IP vulnerability cluster, and the carry-over BitLocker recovery condition (still active on Windows 10 and Windows Server) warrants an accelerated deployment release schedule.
More info is available here on Microsoft Security updates for May 2026.
Windows admins are going to be busy this month, dealing with the largest Patch Tuesday cycle in memory. The April release involves 165 updates and roughly 340 unique CVEs from Microsoft — including two zero-days, one of which is already being actively exploited in the wild.
The Readiness team recommends “Patch Now” schedules for nearly every major product family: Windows, Office (with a zero-day), Microsoft Edge (Chromium), SQL Server, and Microsoft Developer Tools (.NET). April also brings Phase 2 of Microsoft’s Kerberos RC4 hardening with full enforcement set for July. There is a lot to cover, so here’s a useful infographic mapping the deployment risk for each platform.
More info is available here on Microsoft Security updates for April 2026.
Microsoft’s March Patch Tuesday release addresses 83 vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, SQL Server, Azure, and .NET — with two publicly disclosed zero-days affecting SQL Server and .NET (though neither is being actively exploited in the wild.) Six additional vulnerabilities spanning the Windows Kernel, Graphics Component, SMB Server, Accessibility Infrastructure, and Winlogon are flagged as “Exploitation More Likely.”
The most significant change this month is the introduction of Common Log File System (CLFS) hardening with signature verification, which will affect how Windows handles log files across the operating system. More info on Microsoft Security updates for March 2026.
The company’s Patch Tuesday release for February addresses 59 CVEs across the company’s product family — roughly half the volume of January’s 159 patches. Six vulnerabilities, affecting Windows Shell, MSHTML, Desktop Window Manager, Remote Desktop, Remote Access, and Microsoft Word, are already being actively exploited. (All five Critical-rated CVEs target Azureservices rather than Windows, however.)
Both Windows and Office get a “Patch Now” recommendation, with CISA setting a March 3 enforcement deadline for all six exploited vulnerabilities. Two new enforcement timelines also take effect in April: Kerberos RC4 deprecation (CVE-2026-20833) and Windows Deployment Services hardening (CVE-2026-0386). More info on Microsoft Security updates for February 2026.
The first Patch Tuesday release of 2026 addresses 112 CVEs across Microsoft’s product portfolio, including eight rated critical and three zero-day vulnerabilities. One zero-day (CVE-2026-20805), an information disclosure flaw in the Desktop Window Manager, is already under active exploitation, prompting CISA to add it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog with a remediation deadline of Feb. 3, 2026. (Note: 95 of the vulnerabilities affect Windows.) More info on Microsoft Security updates for January 2026.
Microsoft this week released 206 updates affecting Windows, Office, Exchange Server, and its developer tools — including three Windows vulnerabilities already publicly disclosed. That trio includes an elevation of privilege in the Collaborative Translation Framework (CVE-2026-45586), a denial of service in HTTP.sys (CVE-2026-49160), and a BitLocker security feature bypass (CVE-2026-50507). At the moment, none appear to be under active exploitation, but all three are rated “Exploitation More Likely.”
Even without an exploited zero-day, the June 2026 Patch Tuesday release requires Patch Now recommendations for Windows, Office, and Exchange. The latter is back in the patch picture with a consolidated security update that Microsoft recommends installing “as soon as possible.”
The Readiness team suggests testing start with domain controllers, Hyper-V hosts, anything self-hosting on HTTP.sys, and Outlook-heavy desktops — in that order. To help navigate these changes, here’s a useful infographic detailing the risks of deploying the updates to each platform.
(More information about recent Patch Tuesday releases is available here.)
This June release note from Microsoft flags known issues with three updates:
One continuing advisory from May remains in effect: Windows Update can still replace manually installed graphics drivers with older OEM versions from the Windows Update catalogue.
Unlike last month, this patch cycle delivered two genuine revisions and a cluster of out-of-band fixes that require action:
Interestingly, there were two omissions from last month’s list:
That makes two months running: the Patch Tuesday list is never final. The June release itself also carried a substantive revision:
Given the month SharePoint just had, SharePoint 2016/2019 require some of the cycle’s most active patching on a platform with one update left. If migration is not already in progress, July’s final update is the deadline. Here are the other key dates:
This month’s release is a security-only release with a clear feature focus: the Remote Desktop client. The Remote Desktop ActiveX control (mstscax.dll) is the most patched component this cycle with five separate updates (see below).
The secondary theme is Windows authentication, with three updates to the NTLM security package. Every Windows binary this month reports no functional changes, so the work is pure regression validation. Lower-risk patches reach DHCP, telephony, Hyper-V, UDF and Projected File System storage, and the graphics stack.
The Remote Desktop client (mstscax.dll) draws a high-risk flag that lands specifically on printer redirection — the path that maps a client’s local printers into a remote session. A regression here typically shows as missing redirected printers, failed print jobs, or a hang on connect or reconnect. The wider Remote Desktop stack is also updated, including RemoteApp and clipboard redirection (rdpclip.exe, RdpCoreTS.dll) and Remote Desktop Licensing (lserver.dll). So, be sure to validate connection, session, and licensing together.
A passing run is a remote session that connects, redirects printers, prints, and survives a reconnect with no crashes or missing devices.
Three updates touch the NTLM security support provider (msv1\_0.dll), the module behind network authentication when Kerberos is not used. Authentication changes are regression-sensitive: the failure modes are logon failures, broken file-share or RDP access, and application sign-in problems. Validate across domain-joined and workgroup machines.
The remaining updates carry no functional changes, so cover them with routine regression by area.
June’s Office updates are MSI editions only: Excel 2016 (KB5002877), Word 2016 (KB5002879), Office 2016 shared components (KB5002878, KB5002852, and the rich-edit control KB5002578), and Office Online Server 2019 (KB5002875). The shared Office 2016 component updates also apply to the SharePoint Server 2016, 2019, and Subscription Edition baselines. No Critical non-security client release ships this cycle, and Click-to-Run estates are unaffected.
June’s fixes update the .NET SDK across the 8.0, 9.0, and 10.0 servicing lines (8.0.422, 9.0.315, 10.0.301), and ships SQL Server GDR security updates spanning SQL Server 2016 SP3 through SQL Server 2025, in both RTM+GDR and cumulative-update+GDR branches.
The Readiness team suggests that this month’s testing lead with Remote Desktop. The client is both the most-patched component and the sole High Risk item, so give it a focused regression pass centered on printer redirection, then broaden to general connectivity, RemoteApp, clipboard and device redirection, gateway access, and licensing.
The NTLM authentication updates are the second priority: validate domain and standalone logon, file-share access, and application sign-in. Everything else is a no-functional-change security update, so cover networking, Hyper-V, storage, and graphics with routine regression. Office is MSI-only, with Click-to-Run untouched, and the .NET and SQL Server updates round out the developer and database estate.
Each month, we break down the update cycle into product families (as defined by Microsoft) with the following basic groupings:
Microsoft Edge released the stable version (149.0.4022.52) on June 4, per the Edge security release notes. Nothing ships for Internet Explorer, which remains retired. This cycle is unusually lopsided: just one Edge-engineered CVE against a very large Chromium upstream flow:
The Chromium volume looks alarming but is routine plumbing — it flows to Edge through its own auto-update channel. Add these updates to your standard release schedule for Edge-managed environments.
Microsoft addressed 119 vulnerabilities in Windows this month, 22 rated critical and 97, important — nearly double May’s count. Elevation of privilege again dominates by volume (49 entries), followed by remote code execution (28), information disclosure (16), security feature bypass (15), denial of service (6), and a handful of spoofing and tampering entries. All three of June’s publicly disclosed zero-days land here:
At the feature level, the critical risks are concentrated in nine areas:
Given the publicly disclosed vulnerabilities this month, add this Windows update to your Patch Now schedule.
Microsoft released 53 Office CVEs this month — 10 critical, 43 important. Remote code execution again leads (24 entries), but the surprise is spoofing at 20 entries, almost all of it SharePoint. (SharePoint Server appears in 30 of the 53 CVEs this cycle.) The rest split across information disclosure (6), elevation of privilege (2), and a security feature bypass.
Add these Office updates to your Patch Now deployment, prioritizing Outlook-heavy desktops and SharePoint farms.
The pattern inverts from May: SQL Server receives nothing (no patches at all), while Exchange Server — absent in May — returns with a consolidated security update carrying seven CVEs for on-premises builds (Exchange Server 2016 CU23 and Exchange Server 2019), plus one cloud-side critical:
Microsoft also revised the May Exchange spoofing entry (CVE-2026-42897) to point at this same June security update, with the recommendation to install “as soon as possible.” Add the June Exchange SU to your Patch Now schedule.
Microsoft released 10 CVEs across its developer tooling this month, all rated important — though the top score outranks most of this cycle’s criticals, and the concentration in Visual Studio Code (seven of 10 entries) continues last month’s pattern:
Add these Microsoft updates to your standard developer update release plan.
Adobe released APSB26-63 for Acrobat and Reader this cycle, fixing critical code-execution flaws; Adobe reports no exploitation in the wild. Add it to your standard third-party schedule. This is a big (fat) Windows update this month (and yes, I think that AI has something to do with the number of these patches).
Good luck with your deployments.
A Windows launch isn’t the end a process — it’s really just the beginning. Microsoft continually works on improving Windows 11 by fixing bugs, releasing security patches, and occasionally adding new features.
In this story we summarize what you need to know about each update released to the public for the most recent mainstream version of Windows 11 — currently version 25H2 — over the past year. (We also cover updates for Windows 11 26H1, a targeted release of Windows for devices with specific chips.) For each build, we’ve included the date of its release and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it. The most recent updates appear first.
The easiest way to install updates is via Windows Update. Not sure how? See “How to handle Windows 10 and 11 updates” for full instructions. Note that Windows 11 version 25H2 is being released as a phased rollout and may not be available to you in Windows Update yet.
If you’re still using Windows 10, see “Windows 10: A guide to the updates.” And if you’re looking for information about Insider Program previews for upcoming feature releases of Windows 11, see “Windows 11 Insider Previews: What’s in the latest build?”
Release date: June 9, 2026
In this build, for devices running Windows 24H2 and 25H2, Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(For more about Secure Boot certificate upgrades, see the Computerworld story “FAQ: What you need to know about expiring Windows Secure Boot certificates.”)
The build also fixes one bug that could have resulted in Stop errors HYPERVISOR_ERROR (0x20001) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E) after installing KB5089573 on some devices during system restarts, virtual machine operations, or while running some gaming applications.
The build has one known issue, in which devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5094126.)
Release date: June 9, 2026
This update, for devices on Windows 11 version 26H1, improves the reliability of BitLocker Drive Encryption testing by ensuring that all required files are available for the USB BIOS logo test.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see June 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5095051.)
Release date: May 26, 2026
With this update, Windows quality updates include additional high-confidence device targeting data, making more devices eligible to receive new Secure Boot certificates. The old certificates expire at the end of June: see Computerworld’s FAQ for details. The build also adds Group Policy and MDM settings that IT admins can enable to limit the Secure Boot service data sent to Microsoft. (See Microsoft documentation.)
This update also includes a wide variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including Shared Audio, which enables two Bluetooth audio devices to connect to a single Windows 11 PC at the same time; Multi-App Camera, which allows multiple applications to access the camera stream simultaneously; improved visibility into NPU usage in Task Manager; and several performance and behavior improvements for Windows Hello.
There is one known issue in the update, in which after you install update KB5089549, some devices might fail to complete installation with error code 0x800f0922. This issue occurs on devices that have limited free space on the EFI System Partition (ESP), especially if it has 10MB or less available.
(Get more info about KB5089573 Preview, including workarounds for the issue described above.)
Release date: May 12, 2026
This build enables dynamic status reporting for Secure Boot states in the Windows Security app. It also fixes a bug in which the Remote Desktop Connection security warning dialog sometimes rendered incorrectly in multi-monitor configurations with different display scaling settings.
It also includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2026 Security Updates.
The build has one known issue: devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5089549.)
Release date: April 30, 2026
This update includes a large number of new features being rolled out gradually, including File Explorer’s ability to handle new archive formats including uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg). Windows also gets a new way to monitor agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter.
Also being rolled out gradually is a security improvement that changes how the Windows kernel trusts third‑party drivers. Default trust for cross‑signed drivers is removed, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed.
The update also includes several changes available immediately, including one that increases coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout. For more information, see Windows Secure Boot certificate expiration and CA updates.
A bug in the Remote Desktop Connection security warning dialog is being fixed immediately. Previously, the dialog could have rendered incorrectly in a multi-monitor scenario when the monitors had different scaling settings.
(Get more info about KB5083631 Preview.)
Release date: April 14, 2026
This update fixes several bugs, including one that caused device reset to fail when using the “Keep my files” or “Remove everything” options. It also improves protection against phishing attacks that use Remote Desktop (.rdp) files. For more information, see Understanding security warnings when opening Remote Desktop (RDP) files.
It also enables dynamic status reporting for Secure Boot states in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security, with a green, yellow, or red badge indicating your current Secure Boot status. See Secure Boot certificate update status in the Windows Security app for more information.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
Update, April 15: Microsoft has confirmed an issue with this release: “Devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.” See Microsoft’s KB5083769 information page for details and workarounds.
(Get more info about KB5083769.)
Release date: March 31, 2026
This update fixes a bug in which some devices running Windows 11 version 25H2 or 24H2 encountered the following error while installing the Windows preview update KB5079391 (listed below): “Some update files are missing or have problems. We’ll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712).”
(Get more info about Windows 11 KB5086672 Out-of-band.)
Release date: March 26, 2026
This update includes a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one that allows you to turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps. To learn more, see App & Browser Control in the Windows Security App.
The build also includes several improvements and bug fixes, including one that improves Application ID tagging in Application Control for Business policies. With this update, the system identifies which apps should receive tags more accurately and behaves more reliably, Microsoft says.
(Get more info about Windows 11 KB5079391 Preview.)
Release date: March 21, 2026
This update fixes a bug some users experienced when signing in to apps with a Microsoft account. Even when the device had a working internet connection, a “no Internet” error appeared during sign-in and prevented access to Microsoft services and apps such as Microsoft Teams Free and OneDrive.
(Get more info about KB5085516 Out-of-band.)
Release date: March 10, 2026
This build improves how Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) handles COM objects allowlisting policies. COM objects were blocked when the endpoint security policy was set higher than the allowlisting policy. With this update, COM objects are allowed as expected. The build also introduces additional high confidence device targeting data to Windows quality updates, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5079473.)
Release date: February 24, 2026
This update includes a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.
It also includes several features available immediately, including one in which Windows quality updates include additional high-confidence device-targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about KB5077241 Preview.)
Release date: February 10, 2025
This Patch Tuesday build fixes several bugs, including one that prevented some devices from connecting to certain WPA3‑Personal Wi‑Fi networks. It also includes a broad set of targeting data that identifies devices and their ability to receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after they show sufficient successful update signals, which helps ensure a safe and phased rollout.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5077181.)
Release date: January 29, 2025
In this build, several new features are immediately available, including one for Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.
One new feature is being gradually rolled out: The Settings Agent now supports more languages, with expanded support for German, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Italian, and Chinese (Simplified).
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one that caused some systems to stop responding during startup when Windows Boot Manager debugging was enabled.
Get more info about KB5074105 Preview.)
Release date: January 24, 2026
This update fixes a bug in which some applications were unresponsive or encountered unexpected errors when opening files from or saving files to cloud-based storage, such as OneDrive or Dropbox. In certain Outlook configurations that store PST files on OneDrive, Outlook sometimes hung and failed to reopen unless the process was terminated or the system was restarted. Users may have also experienced missing sent items or previously downloaded emails.
(Get more info about KB5078127 Out-of-band.)
Release date: January 17, 2026
This update fixes a bug in which some users experienced sign-in failures during Remote Desktop connections. This issue affected authentication steps for different Remote Desktop applications on Windows such as the Windows App.
There is one known issue in this build, in which the password icon might be missing or invisible in the lock screen sign-in options.
Get more info about KB5077744 Out-of-band.)
Release date: January 13, 2026
This build fixes several bugs, including one in which you might experience RemoteApp connection failures in Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments. This might occur after installing KB5070311. It also updates the Windows core component, WinSqlite3.dll. Previously, some security software might have detected this component as vulnerable.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2026 Security Updates.
It has one known issue, in which you might notice that the password icon is not visible in the sign-in options on the lock screen. If you hover over the space where the icon should appear, you’ll see that the password button is still available. Select this placeholder to open the password text box and enter your password. After entering your password, you can sign in normally. People using Windows Home or Pro editions on personal devices are very unlikely to experience this issue. This issue primarily affects enterprise or managed IT environments.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5074109.)
Release date: December 9, 2025
This build fixes several bugs, including one in which File Explorer briefly flashed white when you navigated between pages.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2025 Security Updates.
It has one known issue, in which the password icon might not be visible in the sign-in options on the lock screen. If you hover over the space where the icon should appear, you’ll see that the password button is still available. Select this placeholder to open the password text box and enter your password. After entering your password, you can sign in normally. People using Windows Home or Pro editions on personal devices are very unlikely to experience this issue — it primarily affects enterprise or managed IT environments.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5072033.)
Release date: December 1, 2025
A variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including several for Copilot+ PCs. The Click to Do context menu in Copilot+ PCs now has a streamlined design that makes it easier to access frequently used actions such as Copy, Save, Share, and Open. In Copilot+ PCs you can now also use Windows Studio Effects, which provide AI-powered camera enhancements, on an additional camera such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
New features being rolled out gradually to all Windows 11 PCs include a simplified File Explorer context menu for easier navigation. Common actions like Share, Copy, and Move now appear in a single organized menu.
A variety of bugs have been fixed for all PCs, including one in which the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) could become unstable due to an access violation.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which when opening File Explorer in dark mode, the window might briefly display a blank white screen before loading files and folders. In addition, the password icon is missing or invisible in the lockscreen sign-in options on some PCs. (Here’s a workaround for the latter bug.)
Get more info about KB5070311 Preview.)
Release date: November 11, 2025
This Patch Tuesday build fixes several bugs, including one in which closing Task Manager with the Close button didn’t fully end the process, leaving background instances that could slow performance over time.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5068861.)
Release date: October 28, 2025
A variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including several for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs — notably a streamlined interaction between Click to Do and Copilot. You can now type a custom prompt directly into the text box, which sends your prompt and selected on-screen content to Copilot. Suggested prompts appear below the text box and are available for text selections in English, Spanish, and French.
New features are being gradually rolled out for all Windows 11 PCs as well, including a redesigned Start menu, which includes scrollable “All” section and category and grid views. The menu now adapts to your screen size.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which text sometimes didn’t render correctly when editing content within a multiline text box in certain apps.
Get more info about KB5067036 Preview.)
Release date: October 20, 2025
This build fixes one bug, in which USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, did not function in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This issue prevented navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE.
This build has one known issue: some digital TV and Blu-ray/DVD apps might not play protected content as expected after installing the August 29, 2025, Windows non-security preview update (KB5064081) or later updates. Apps that use Enhanced Video Renderer with HDCP enforcement or Digital Rights Management (DRM) for digital audio might show copyright protection errors, frequent playback interruptions, unexpected stops, or black screens. Streaming services are not affected.
(Get more info about KB5070773 Out-of-band.)
Release date: October 14, 2025
This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused the print preview screen to stop responding in Chromium-based browsers.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5066791.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
This build gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one in which you can use AI actions in File Explorer to edit images or summarize documents. To do it, right-click (or press Shift + F10 on the keyboard) on the file and select AI actions.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which you might not have been able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT).
(Get more info about KB5065789 Preview.)
At the end of September, Microsoft upgraded Windows 11 from version 24H2 to 25H2, in a slow rollout that could take months to complete. Typically in the past, Microsoft would introduce new features in a once-a-year update like this. That’s not the case with 25H2, though.
Microsoft has been introducing new features in smaller updates all year round, so 25H2 doesn’t include any major new features. Rather, it includes all the new features that have accumulated in all those smaller updates.
As the company explains, “While this update doesn’t introduce major new features, it activates enhancements that have been gradually rolled out over the past year ensuring your device is up to date with the latest refinements.”
Here are some of the most important features in 25H2 that have been introduced for end users and IT pros since 24H2 was released last fall:
New features for users:
New features for IT:
Release date: September 22, 2025
This update fixes a bug that affected Microsoft Office applications running in Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) environments. The failure occurred due to a double handle closure in the AppVEntSubsystems32 or AppVEntSubsystems64 system component.
There is one issue in this build: you might fail to connect to shared files and folders using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT). This issue can occur if either the SMB client or the SMB server has the September 2025 security update installed.
(Get more info about KB5068221 (OS Build 26100.6588) Out-of-band).
Release date: September 9, 2025
This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused non-admin users to receive unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts when MSI installers performed certain custom actions, such as configuration or repair operations in the foreground or background during the initial installation of an application.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5065426.)
Release date: August 29, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new personalized homepage in Windows Recall that displays your recent activity and top-used apps and websites (available only in Copilot+ PCs). Among the changes rolling out to all users is a new grid view for Search from the Windows taskbar that helps you more quickly and accurately identify the desired image within your search.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some system recovery features did not work properly due to a temporary file sharing conflict. This affected certain device management tools and disrupted key functions on some devices.
(Get more info about KB5064081 Preview.)
Release date: August 12, 2025
This build fixes a bug that caused delays during sign-in on new devices. The delay was due to certain preinstalled packages. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5063878.)
Release date: July 22, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new agent in Copilot+ PCs that is designed to help you find and change settings on your PC. You can describe what you need help with, such as “how to control my PC by voice” or “my mouse pointer is too small,” and the agent will suggest steps to resolve the issue. The agent uses AI on your PC to understand your request and, with your permission, can automate and complete tasks for you. It is rolling out to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs now, with support for AMD and Intel PCs coming soon.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which If you have an app pinned to your desktop and it updates, the app icon might not display correctly and instead show a white page.
(Get more info about KB5062660 Preview.)
Release date: July 13, 2025
This update fixes a bug that prevented some virtual machines (VMs) from starting when Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) was enabled. It affected VMs using version 8.0 (a non-default version) where VBS was offered by the host. In Azure, this applies to standard (non–Trusted Launch) General Enterprise (GE) VMs running on older VM SKUs. The problem was caused by a secure kernel initialization issue.
(Get more info about KB5064489 Out-of-band.)
Release date: July 8, 2025
The build fixes several bugs, including one in which notification sounds didn’t play. Affected sounds included those for on-screen alerts, volume adjustments, and sign-in. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5062553.)
Release date: June 26, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new Settings home page that includes enterprise-specific device info cards for commercial customers on PCs managed by an IT administrator. The taskbar also now resizes icons to fit more apps when space runs low.
Users in the European Economic Area will see several small changes related to default browsers, such as mapping additional file and link types to the default browser and pinning it to the taskbar and Start menu.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one that prevented the automatic renewal of expiring certificates in Windows Hello for Business.
There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
(Get more info about KB5060829 Preview.)
Release date: June 11, 2025
This out-of-band update replaces the KB5060842 Patch Tuesday release, fixing a bug in which Windows sometimes restarted unexpectedly when users opened games that use the Easy Anti-Cheat service. Easy Anti-Cheat automatically installs with certain games to enhance security and prevent cheating in multiplayer online PC games.
Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.
(Get more info about KB5063060 Out-of-band.)
Release date: June 10, 2025
After installing this update, Windows will retain system restore points for 60 days only. Restore points older than 60 days are not available. This 60-day limit will also apply to future versions of Windows 11, version 24H2.
The build fixes a bug that prevented users from signing in with self-signed certificates when using Windows Hello for Business with the Key Trust model. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2025 Security Updates.
Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5060842.)
Release date: May 27, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including one in which Click to Do gets the new Ask Copilot action. When you highlight text or an image, Click to Do offers the Ask Copilot option. Selecting it opens Microsoft Copilot with your content in the prompt box. You can send the selected text or image directly to the Copilot app to complete your prompt.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which devices with BitLocker on removable drives could encounter a blue screen error after resuming from sleep or hybrid-booting.
(Get more info about KB5058499 Preview.)
Release date: May 27, 2025
This out-of-band update fixes a bug in the direct send path for a guest physical address (GPA). This issue caused confidential virtual machines running on Hyper-V with Windows Server 2022 to intermittently stop responding or restart unexpectedly. As a result, service availability was affected, and manual intervention was required. This problem primarily impacted Azure confidential VMs.
(Get more info about KB5061977.)
Release date: May 13, 2025
This update fixes two bugs, one in which your microphone might have muted unexpectedly, and the other in which the eye controller app didn’t launch. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5058411.)
Release date: April 25, 2025
This build gradually rolls out several new features for Copilot+ PCs, including a preview of Windows Recall. When you opt in, Recall takes snapshots of your activity so you can quickly find and go back to what you have seen before on your PC. With it, you can use a timeline to find the content you remember seeing.
Copilot+ PCs also get a new natural-language Windows search in which you can search for anything on your PC without having to remember specific file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Just describe what you’re looking for. On Copilot+ PCs, you can also more easily find photos stored and saved in the cloud by typing your own words (like “summer picnics”) in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer.
All PCs get a number of new features, including speech recap, in which you can keep track of what Narrator has spoken and access it for quick reference. With speech recap, you can quickly access spoken content, follow along with live transcription, and copy what Narrator last said using keyboard shortcuts.
A variety of bugs are being fixed, including one in which some devices experienced intermittent internet connections when resuming from sleep mode. Several AI components have also been updated.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox from the Microsoft Store on Windows.
(Get more info about KB5055627 Preview.)
Release date: April 8, 2025
This update includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.
(Get more info about KB5055523.)
Windows 10 has reached the end of mainstream support, which means most users will no longer receive new features, bug fixes, or security updates. Microsoft encourages businesses and individuals to upgrade to Windows 11.
Another option is to purchase extended security updates for Windows 10. Those enrolled in the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program will receive monthly security updates, but no new feature releases.
In this story we summarize what you need to know about each update released for the most recent versions of Windows 10 — versions 22H2 and 21H2. (Microsoft releases updates for those two versions together.) For each build, we’ve included the date of its initial release and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it. The most recent updates appear first.
For details about how to install and manage Windows updates, see “How to handle Windows 10 and 11 updates.”
As of November 2025, only computers enrolled in the Windows 10 ESU program (or those with a Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 or 2024 license) will receive Windows 10 updates.
Release date: June 9, 2026
This build includes several minor improvements, including a new policy setting, LimitSecureBootRequiredServiceData, under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Secure Boot. When this setting is enabled, Windows limits the Secure Boot service data it sends by suppressing the event normally sent to Microsoft. This policy is also included in the Windows Restricted Traffic Limited Functionality Baseline package. For information about the policy, see Microsoft’s Manage connections from Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating system components to Microsoft services page.
For more about Secure Boot certificate upgrades, see the Computerworld story “FAQ: What you need to know about expiring Windows Secure Boot certificates.”
The build includes one known issue, in which devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5094127.)
Release date: May 12, 2026
This Patch Tuesday update enables dynamic status reporting for Secure Boot states in the Windows Security app. It also fixes a bug in which the Remote Desktop Connection security warning dialog sometimes rendered incorrectly in multi-monitor configurations with different display scaling settings.
The build also includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2026 Security Updates.
This build has one known issue: devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5087544.)
Release date: April 14, 2026
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
This update fixes several bugs, including one that prevented users from signing into apps with a Microsoft account. It also improves protection against phishing attacks that use Remote Desktop (.rdp) files. For more information, see Understanding security warnings when opening Remote Desktop (RDP) files.
It also enables dynamic status reporting for Secure Boot states in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security, with a green, yellow, or red badge indicating your current Secure Boot status. See Secure Boot certificate update status in the Windows Security app for more information.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
Update, April 15: Microsoft has confirmed an issue with this release: “Devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.” See Microsoft’s KB5082200 information page for details and workarounds.
(Get more info about KB5082200.)
Release date: March 10, 2026
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
With this update, Windows quality updates include additional high confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. This targeting is based primarily on client device diagnostic data; due to limited data, servers are unlikely to qualify, though not explicitly excluded. Devices receive new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5078885.)
Release date: February 10, 2025
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
This Patch Tuesday update fixes a variety of bugs, including one that affected folder renaming with desktop.ini files in File Explorer. The LocalizedResourceName setting was ignored, so custom folder names did not show. Now, custom folder names appear as expected.
It also includes a broad set of targeting data that identifies devices and their ability to receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after they show sufficient successful update signals, which helps ensure a safe and phased rollout.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5075912.)
Release date: January 24, 2026
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
This update fixes a bug in which some applications were unresponsive or encountered unexpected errors when opening files from or saving files to cloud-based storage, such as OneDrive or Dropbox. In certain Outlook configurations that store PST files on OneDrive, Outlook sometimes hung and failed to reopen unless the process was terminated or the system was restarted. Users may have also experienced missing sent items or previously downloaded emails.
Get more info about KB5078129 Out-of-band.)
Release date: January 17, 2026
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
This update fixes a bug in which some users experienced sign-in failures during Remote Desktop connections. This issue affected authentication steps for different Remote Desktop applications on Windows such as the Windows App.
(Get more info about KB5077796 Out-of-band.)
Release date: January 13, 2026
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
This Patch Tuesday update includes a subset of high-confidence device targeting data that identifies devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, ensuring a safe and phased deployment.
It also fixes one bug, in which some security software might have detected the Windows core component, WinSqlite3.dll as being as vulnerable.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5073724.)
Release date: December 18, 2025
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
This update fixes a bug in the Message Queuing (MSMQ) functionality. This bug also affected a clustered MSMQ environment under load. This issue could have led to message queues becoming inactive, messages about insufficient resources, applications unable to write to message queues, error messages about the message cannot be created, or messages about insufficient disk space or memory. This issue primarily affected enterprise or managed IT environments.
(Get more info about KB5074976 Out-of-band.)
Release date: December 9, 2025
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
In this update, PowerShell’s Invoke-WebRequest command now includes a confirmation prompt with a security warning of a script execution risk. You can choose to continue or cancel the request. For additional details, see CVE-2025-54100 and KB5074596: PowerShell 5.1: Preventing script execution from web content.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5071546.)
Release date: November 11, 2025
Applies to: Windows 10 ESU
This update fixes a bug in which after installing the October 14, 2025 Windows update (KB5066791), the message “Your version of Windows has reached the end of support” might incorrectly display in the Windows Update Settings page. To view the page, click Start > Settings > Windows Update.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5068781.)
Release date: November 11, 2025
This build fixes a bug in the Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Update (ESU) enrollment process, where the enrollment wizard may fail during enrollment.
(Get more info about KB5071959 Out-of-band.)
Release date: October 14, 2025
This update fixes several bugs, including one in which command time in PowerShell Remoting and WinRMntime out after 600 seconds.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2025 Security Updates.
Note that today marks the official end of support for Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Enterprise, except for organizations and individuals enrolled in Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5066791.)
Release date: September 25, 2025
This build fixes two bugs, one in which you might not be able to connect to shared files and folders if you’re using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT), and another in which those using Windows Autopilot to deploy Windows 10, version 22H2 to devices with the Enrollment Status Page (ESP) configured might find that the ESP doesn’t load during the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE).
(Get more info about KB5063842 (OS Build 19045.6396) Preview.)
Release date: September 9, 2025
This update fixes several bugs, including one that caused non-admin users to receive unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts when MSI installers performed certain custom actions, such as configuration or repair operations in the foreground or background during the initial installation of an application.
The build also enables auditing SMB client compatibility for SMB Server signing as well as SMB Server EPA. This allows customers to assess their environment and identify any potential device or software incompatibility issues before deploying the hardening measures that are already supported by SMB Server. For detailed guidance, see CVE-2025-55234 | Windows SMB Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5065429.)
Release date: August 26, 2025
In this build, Windows Backup for Organizations is now generally available. It lets your organization back up Windows 10 settings and restore them on a Microsoft Entra joined device. You can also enable backup of the list of installed Microsoft Store apps, with the ability to restore them to the user’s Start menu as well.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which mf.dll failed to enumerate redirected web camera devices on Remote Desktop Services (RDS) environments.
(Get more info about KB5063842 Preview.)
Release date: August 19, 2025
This build fixes a bug introduced by the August 2025 security update (KB5063709) in which attempts to reset and recover the device fail. This issue happens when users perform one or more of the following processes:
For more information on the issue, see Windows release health. Microsoft recommends you install this optional update if you have encountered this issue. The company also says that if your system isn’t affected or you don’t plan using the methods described above, you can choose not to install it.
(Get more info about KB5066188 Out-of-band.)
Release date: August 12, 2025
The update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5063709.)
Release date: July 22, 2025
This build adds the ability to deploy SKUSiPolicy VBS Anti-rollback protections through the Secure Boot AvailableUpdates registry key.
It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that affected the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) enrollment wizard. Some users experienced a problem where clicking “Enroll now” caused the wizard window to open, begin loading, and then close unexpectedly.
(Get more info about KB5062649 Preview.
Release date: July 8, 2025
The update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2025 Security Updates.
Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5062554.)
Release date: June 24, 2025
This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused jump lists to disappear from the Start menu.
There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
(Get more info about KB5061087 Preview.)
Release date: June 10, 2025
The update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2025 Security Updates.
Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5060533.)
Release date: May 28, 2025
This build offers several new features, including one that brings back the clock view that displays seconds on the calendar. It also fixes several bugs, including one in which in GDI/GDI+, some GB18030-2022 characters in plane 2 were not rendered.
There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
(Get more info about KB5058481 Preview.)
Release date: May 27, 2025
This out-of-band update fixes a bug in the direct send path for a guest physical address (GPA). This issue caused confidential virtual machines running on Hyper-V with Windows Server 2022 to intermittently stop responding or restart unexpectedly. As a result, service availability was affected, and manual intervention was required. This problem primarily impacted Azure confidential VMs.
There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
(Get more info about KB5061979.)
Release date: May 19, 2025
This out-of-band build fixes a bug in the recent May 13 Patch Tuesday build (KB5058379) that caused the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process to terminate unexpectedly, triggering an Automatic Repair prompting for the BitLocker recovery key.
There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
(Get more info about KB5061768.)
Release date: May 13, 2025
The update improves Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) and Linux Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) for the detection of Linux systems. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5058379.)
Release date: April 22, 2025
This build fixes two bugs, including one in which the check for GPU paravirtualization was case-sensitive in Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2). This issue might have potentially caused GPU paravirtualization support to fail.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update. This issue was observed on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411.
(Get more info about KB5055612 Preview.)
Release date: April 8, 2025
The update has a broad variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
There are two known issues in this build including one in which devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update.
(Get more info about KB5055518.)
Release date: October 18, 2022
The Windows 10 2022 Update is, in Microsoft’s words, “a scoped release focused on quality improvements to the overall Windows experience in existing feature areas such as quality, productivity and security.” In other words, there’s not much new here, although Computerworld blogger Susan Bradley did uncover a handful of new group policies in the release.
Home and Pro editions of the 2022 Update will receive 18 months of servicing, and Enterprise and Education editions will have 30 months of servicing.
To install the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check for updates. If the update appears, select Download to install it.
(Get more info about the Windows 10 2022 Update.)
Release date: November 16, 2021
Version 21H2, called the Windows 10 November 2021 Update, is the second feature update to Windows 10 released in 2021. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new:
There are also a number of features designed for IT and business:
Microsoft has also announced that starting with this release, Windows 10 will get feature updates only once a year.
Release date: May 18, 2021
Version 21H1, called the Windows 10 May 2021 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. This is a relatively minor update, but it does have a few new features.
Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in 21H1:
Release date: October 20, 2020
Version 20H2, called the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. This is a relatively minor update but does have a few new features.
Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in 20H2:
What IT needs to know: Windows 10 version 20H2 also has a variety of small changes of note for sysadmins and those in IT.
For more details, see Microsoft’s “What’s new for IT pros in Windows 10, version 20H2.”
Release date: May 27, 2020
Version 2004, called the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. This is a relatively minor update but does have a variety of new features for both users and system administrators. For more details, see: “Review: Windows 10 May 2020 Update delivers little tweaks that add up to… well, not a lot.”
Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in 2004:
Release date: Nov. 12, 2019
Version 1909, called the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, is the most recent update to Windows 10. There are very few new features in this update, making it more like a service pack of old than a feature update. At this point it’s not clear whether in the future there will be one full-featured update and one service-pack-like update per year or whether Microsoft will go back to its two-feature-updates-a-year schedule. For more details, see “What we know so far about the unusual Windows 10 1909” and “5 unanswered questions about Windows 10 1909.”
Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in 1909.
What IT needs to know: The following features in 1909 are of note for IT staff.
There are two known issues in this update: one in which some users cannot set Win32 program defaults for certain app and file type combinations using the Open with… command or Settings > Apps > Default apps, and another in which Microsoft Notepad and other Win32 programs cannot be set as default applications.
(Get more info about KB4464455.)
Release date: October 2, 2018; paused October 5; re-released November 13, 2018
Version 1809, called the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, is the feature update that preceded the May 2019 Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in it. (For more details, see our full review.)
What IT needs to know: There are few significant changes that affect IT in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, other than New Microsoft Edge Group Policies that let admins enable and disable full-screen mode, printing, the favorites bar, and browser history saves. IT can also allow or ban Edge extensions (not that there are many available) and configure the Home button and new tab page and startup options.
Release date: April 30, 2018
Version 1803, called the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, is the major update to Windows 10 that preceded the October 2018 Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in it. (For more details, see our full review.)
What IT needs to know: IT staff should be aware of these features that are new in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update:
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curl and tar utilities for downloading files and extracting .tar archives built directly into Windows. Windows also now natively supports Unix sockets (AF_UNIX) with a new afunix.sys kernel driver. That will make it easier to port software to Windows from Linux as well as from other Unix-like operating systems.For more details, see the Microsoft blog post “Making IT simpler with a modern workplace.”
Release date: October 17, 2017
Version 1709, called the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, is the major update to Windows 10 that preceded the April 2018 Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in it. (For more details, see our full review.)
What IT needs to know: IT staff should be aware of these features that are new in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update:
For more details about new features for IT, see “What’s new in Windows 10, version 1709 IT Pro content,” “Announcing end-to-end security features in Windows 10” and “Delivering the Modern IT promise with Windows 10” from Microsoft.
Release date: April 5, 2017
Version 1703, dubbed the Creators Update, is the major update to Windows 10 that preceded the Fall Creators Update. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new for users in the Creators Update. (For more details, see our full review.)
What IT needs to know: IT staff should be aware of these features that are new in the Windows 10 Creators Update:
For more details about new features for IT, see the Microsoft blog posts “Windows 10 Creators Update advances security and best-in-class modern IT tools” and “What’s new in Windows 10, version 1703 IT pro content.”
Windows 11 25H2 has been publicly released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and help shape — upcoming features.
Our story “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” details how the Insider program has worked until now. However, Microsoft recently announced sweeping changes to the program that will include the ability to select which new features to test. As the first step, the company is introducing a new channel system and transitioning Insiders like so:
This transition is happening over time, starting with the Dev Channel. See Microsoft’s blog post for more information about the transition.
Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft in the past six months. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what’s in the build, and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it.
Note: If you’re looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not preview builds for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update adds the ability to extend Windows Update as many times as you need. It also fixes three bugs: one that caused audio not to work, another that impacted the reliability of Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, and a third that caused freezes with search, Notepad, and other parts of Windows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8575.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Beta 26H1 Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2236.)
Release date: June 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11 version 26H1.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2242.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being rolled out in this build, including consistent solid (donut) spinners across key Windows scenarios including Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update. This update replaces legacy spinner visuals to deliver a more cohesive experience aligned with Windows design standards. Users will now see a unified spinner behavior with corresponding status text (e.g., “Restarting”, “Working on updates”, “Welcome”).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8544.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including a number of changes to the Start menu. These were first outlined in the May 15 Insider blog post Making Taskbar and Start more personal. They include:
One known issue, in which resetting your PC may have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2207.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements that, in the words of Microsoft, include “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.” The update also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug in which some Insiders unexpectedly saw an erroneous message saying they weren’t connected to internet (when they actually were) when signing into their Microsoft account in certain apps. It also improves CPU speed display on the Performance page of Task Manager for VMs, so it doesn’t show higher than unexpected numbers after resuming from hibernate.
There is one known issue that causes crashes with AMD machines supporting System Guard, so these devices in Windows Information Protection will not be offered the build.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29599.1000.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.” It introduces Voice Isolation, a new option in Voice Access that helps the tool focus on your voice, even when others are speaking nearby, by filtering out other voices and background noise.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8491.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including several to improve accessibility. Among them are making it easier to connect the Braille display to Narrator by using the HID open industry standard for Braille displays. If your display supports HID, connect it via USB, with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID Braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory. Another new feature is Voice Isolation in Voice Access, as detailed for Beta Channel Build 26220.8491 above.
The build has one known issue, in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8497.)
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
Release date: May 22, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that improves the reliability of explorer.exe when closing the input switcher, and when switching between multiple desktops.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2149.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build, in the words of Microsoft, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29595.1000.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being rolled out in this build, including one that improves the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8474.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including the ability to change the position of taskbar on your screen. In Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors, you can select the side of the screen you want your taskbar on: bottom, top, left, or right. In these other positions, tooltips, flyouts, and animations will still come from the taskbar, and most customization settings like “small taskbar” and “never combine taskbar icons” will work with all locations.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8493.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out an improvement in the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive. It also rolls out gradual changes to updating Windows, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2134.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build introduces new features for Windows Update, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need. New Windows update features also include having always available options to shut down and restart with updating, and additional insight about available updates to make more informed installation decisions.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29591.1000.)
Release date: May 14, 2026
Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel
A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new shared audio feature that allows two people to listen to the same audio from a single Windows 11 PC at the same time. In addition, Task Manager now offers improved visibility into NPU usage on PCs with an NPU. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26200.8514/26220.8514.)
Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel
Release date: May 14, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that expands the list of archive formats that can be used in File Explorer to include uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg). Also being gradually rolled out is a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2173.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved reliability of Japanese IME usage when Administrator Protection is enabled. In addition, the build fixes a single bug, in which there were notification issues and certain apps hung on launch.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8370.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including new File Explorer address bar support for paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks (for example, C:\Users\user or “C:\Users\user”), improving compatibility with a wider range of inputs.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8376.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 26H1. It also improves performance when opening clipboard history.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2075.)
Release date: May 6, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
It also updates the experience when you use voice typing with the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29585.1000.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8340.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA). Another change “quiets” the default behavior for Widgets, with the goal of making them feel less distracting and overwhelming.
There are several known issues in this build, including one in which Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new WIP experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing state and applying changes will work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8346.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out several improvements to Task Manager, including one that provides better insight into NPU usage for PCs that include an NPU. Optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are now available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, with optional NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory columns on the Details page to give you deeper visibility into how workloads are using NPU resources. Additionally, if there are neural engines that are part of a GPU, they will now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI‑related system activity.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1921.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29580.1000.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8283.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
In a phased rollout, Insiders in the Dev Channel are being moved to the new Experimental channel. Insiders who do not see the new experience on their device can enable it under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.
Several minor new features are also being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
There is one known issue in this build: Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new Insider experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing the state and applying changes should work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8289.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of small improvements, including an updated voice typing experience for the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key rather than on a full-screen overlay.
It also fixes a bug in which Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage showed large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28200.1873.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of changes, including Point-in-time restore for Windows, which can quickly roll your device back to a previous state, potentially helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29576.1000.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide variety of new features rolled out gradually, including a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter. When Researcher works on a report, Windows shows progress on the taskbar so you can check updates at a glance.
For IT administrators, the update gradually rolls out support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education. It also removes default trust for cross‑signed third-party drivers, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed. Enterprise State Roaming can now be managed through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
The update also immediately introduces two minor improvements for everyone. Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, which increases coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. In Windows Security, the name of the affected application is now included in event logging related to CVE‑2024‑30098. This change makes it easier to identify applications that rely on smart card certificates and may need updates following recent security changes.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Builds 26100.8313 and 26200.8313.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new features were made available in this build for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8271.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, several minor new features are being gradually rolled for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8276.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build fixes a bug that prevented some apps from signing in due to a false report of no internet connectivity. The fix is rolling out gradually.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1863.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes rolling out gradually, including more widget options and support for lock screen widget personalization, a new setting in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad that lets you can choose how large the right-click zone is, and support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29570.1000.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8165.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8170.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out general improvements and fixes, including a new setting that lets users choose the size of their touchpad’s right-click zone, as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1812.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build includes “platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29565.1000.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including a new icon in print settings to indicate when a printer supports Windows Protected Print Mode.
Several bugs are also being fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8148.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which users will be able to feel haptic feedback effects on compatible input devices while performing certain actions, such as aligning objects in PowerPoint, window snapping, resizing, or hovering over the Close button. These haptic effects can be configured in Settings under Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Haptic signals.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8155.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel, this build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes, including improved reliability for configuring the fluid dictation option in voice typing settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1803.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” in the words of Microsoft. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which attached USB devices weren’t working for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29560.1000.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8138.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8142.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1797.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build introduces several new features, including a variety of improvements to the Windows Console, many of which were created by open-source contributors. Several bugs have also been fixed, including an authentication error people received when trying to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29558.1000.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8079.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build resumes rollout of the Point Indicator Accessibility setting, which enables low-vision users to easily locate and use their cursor. The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
In addition, several bugs were fixed, including one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8085.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes several new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which shared audio now provides individual sliders for each listener which adjusts their volume without affecting the other. You can continue to adjust volume for both listeners at the same time through the main volume controls available through Quick Settings or on-device and keyboard controls.
The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1743.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29553.1000.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8062.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8068.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build makes refinements to the Pen settings page, including small changes to the options for the pen tail button. A new option, “Same as Copilot key,” enables the pen tail button to launch the same app as the Copilot key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1737.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes, including one in which changes to global power settings (for example, Display, Sleep, Hibernate timeouts, Power/Sleep button, and lid close actions) from Settings are now applied to all power plans. This should help improve persistence of chosen settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29550.1000.)
Release date: March 12, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide range of minor features being rolled out gradually, including the ability to turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps.
The update also improves stability in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) when you run x64 apps on ARM64 devices. These apps run more smoothly and respond as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8106 and 26200.8106.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Build 26220.7961.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7965.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build lets you use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer. The build also improves the reliability of removing Windows Update files and windows.old files via Settings > System > Storage.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1685.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, giving a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7934.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who opted to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, offering a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7939.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have opted to receive the latest updates, this build gets a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for enterprise managed Windows Professional devices, as well as Windows Professional devices that are not domain-joined. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain-joined devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1673.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7872.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7877.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including one in which Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) supports peripheral fingerprint sensors. Previously, ESS was only available on PCs with built-in biometric sensors, but now it can be used when you plug in a supported ESS fingerprint reader.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1619.)
Release date: February 18, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build is the first in a new Canary Channel optional path with a focus on platform development, which will introduce new features before the existing 28000 Canary Channel series. Microsoft recommends that most people remain on the 28000 build path, but adds that those who want to get the newest platform changes as early as possible may want to switch to this new 29500 path. Note, though, that if you switch to the 29500 path by installing this build, you won’t be able to go back to the 28000 Canary Channel series.
The build itself, in Microsoft’s words, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
Microsoft warns, “because of the focus on platform development for this path, you may notice a temporary loss in some features that you have today. These features will return to this new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29531.1000.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build displays an option to upgrade to a different Microsoft 365 plan on the Accounts page within the Settings app. It also rolls out fixes for several bugs, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Preview Build 26220.7859.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization. The build also improves login screen reliability.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918.)
Release date: February 12, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build brings Sysmon functionality natively to Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and in a wide range of use cases.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1611.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 226220.7755.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7760.)
Release date: February 4, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders” running Windows.
It also fixes one bug that affected apps working with files stored on OneDrive or Dropbox.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1546.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7752.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7733.)
Release date: January 28, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience [of Windows 11].” It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that led to the Windows Update settings page hanging when loading.
The build has two known issues, one that sometimes causes all open File Explorer windows and tabs to unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home in File Explorer, and another in which the desktop watermark is showing the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 28020.1495.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features for Copilot+ PCs, including one in which Narrator gives you more control over how it announces on‑screen controls. You can choose which details are spoken and adjust their order to match how you navigate apps. These settings apply throughout the app to help reduce extra speech and make Narrator easier to follow.
The build also immediately rolls out a variety of new features for all PCs, including one in Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 26100.7701 and 26200.7701.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for an issue in which the Search process was showing an icon with an X instead of a magnifying glass.
The build has five known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7670.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, the Dev Channel jumps ahead to receive 26300 series builds. This means that the window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel is closed once Build 26300.7674is installed on your PC. This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the Windows 11 Build 26220.7653 release (see below).
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7674.)
Release date: January 21, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the January 16th Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653 released to the Beta Channel. See the writeup below for details.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 16, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several changes, including one in which you can now set .webp images for your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which Settings crashed when interacting with audio devices.
The build has four known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 14, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of bug fixes for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including a bug in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.
There is one known issue in this build: The desktop watermark shows the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1371.)
Release date: January 9, 2026
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out Copilot-powered image descriptions to Narrator on Copilot+ PCs, making it possible for blind and low-vision users to hear detailed, AI-generated descriptions of images, charts, and graphs.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for an issue in which File Explorer was causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when invoking the context menu on the desktop.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which Settings crashes when interacting with audio devices.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535.)
Release date: December 19, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out a version of Copilot on the taskbar tailored for commercial customers. It uses Work IQ as contextual information that they can reference in their Copilot chats and with Microsoft 365 AI agents. In addition, the build introduces Agent Launchers, a new framework that enables Windows apps to register AI agents and make them discoverable across the system.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including one that addresses an issue in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.
The build has nine known issues, including one in which opening the context menu is causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7523.)
Release date: December 15, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out several new features for Copilot+ PCs, including a streamlined design for the Click to Do context menu that makes frequently used actions like Copy, Save, Share, and Open easier to access. It also rolls out new features for all PCs, including improvements to the dark mode experience in File Explorer.
A variety of bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including one for an issue in which Settings became unresponsive when attempting to navigate to the Network & Internet section.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1362.)
Release date: December 9, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows. It also enables more of the new features and improvements originally released with the October non-security preview update for Windows 11.
In addition, the build fixes a bug that caused some Storage Spaces to become inaccessible or Storage Spaces Direct to fail when creating a storage cluster.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.1340.)
Release date: December 5, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that gives AI agents a universal way to connect with apps, tools, and services. Agents can discover and connect to these tools and other agents via a secure, manageable Windows on-device registry (ODR). By default, all agent connectors in the Windows ODR will be contained in a secure environment with their own identity and audit trail.
In addition, Quick machine recovery (QMR) will now be turned on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain joined. These devices will get the same recovery features as Windows Home users. For enterprise computers that are domain joined, nothing changes — QMR will stay off unless your organization turns it on.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a number of bug fixes, including addressing a bug in which the search window to unexpectedly started floating above the taskbar.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which File Explorer shows a white flash when navigating between pages.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7344.)
Release date: November 21, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
This build introduces several features being rolled out gradually for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates. These include point-in-time restore for Windows, which lets you to quickly roll your device back to a previous state to minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting, and (on NPU devices) fluid dictation in voice typing, which automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak.
The build also expands the availability of the Xbox full-screen experience to additional Windows 11 PCs. You can add a controller to your PC for task switching and streamlined gaming on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including one that resolves a hung taskbar after receiving certain notifications.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which File Explorer shows a white flash when navigating between pages.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271.)
Release date: November 18, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.1199.)
Release date: November 17, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This update introduces a wide range of features being rolled out gradually, including several for Copilot+ PCs, such as Windows Studio Effects, which provide AI-powered camera enhancements on an additional, alternative camera such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
All Windows 11 PCs get a variety of new features being gradually rolled out, including Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS), now supporting peripheral fingerprint sensors. Also, on PCs with the settings “quick machine recovery” and “automatically check for solutions” both enabled, Quick Machine Recovery now runs a one‑time scan by default instead of repeating scans in a loop. If a fix isn’t available right away, QMR will quickly point you to the most appropriate recovery options to get you back up and running.
A bug fix is being immediately rolled out to all PCs to address an issue that affects Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS), when LSASS could become unstable due to an access violation.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7296 and 26200.7296.)
Release date: November 17, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including using high-definition voices for English (US) in Narrator and Magnifier that use generative AI to adjust tone and pacing for more natural, expressive speech. Also rolling out is a new “Experimental agentic features” toggle in the Settings app that enables the creation of AI agent accounts and an agent workspace, and grants agentic apps access to your Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Music, Pictures, and Videos folders. (Find out more about experimental agentic features.)
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for a bug in which the Task Manager process wasn’t stopping correctly after Task Manager was closed. As a result, Task Manager might have been unexpectedly open on boot.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer and when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7262.)
Release date: November 7, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including the ability to choose your default dashboard in an updated Widget Board Settings.
Everyone gets an updated Quick Machine Recovery in Windows, which makes it easier and quicker to get back to a working PC. The experience in both Windows Settings and the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) has been streamlined.
A variety of bug fixes are being rolled out gradually to those who have opted to receive the latest updates, including one that fixes a bug in which the “Automatically hide the taskbar” setting unexpectedly turned off after displaying a message saying, “a toolbar is already hidden on this side of your screen.”
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7070.)
Release date: November 7, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes.” There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which the credentials window was not accessible when trying to log in to Outlook.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolls to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.)
Release date: November 4, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, and Sports on the lock screen. Windows also provides suggested widgets on the lock screen. To customize your lock screen widgets, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
Also new is a “drag tray” that appears at the top of your screen when you drag a local file from File Explorer or your desktop. You can drop the file into one of the displayed apps or select More to open the Windows share window.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which if you used your PC for a while without rebooting, explorer.exe might start crashing repeatedly.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolls to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27982.)
Release date: October 31, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including Ask Copilot in the taskbar, which gives you one-click access to Copilot Vision and Voice, so you can search via Copilot using text, voice, or guided support with Copilot Vision. As you type, results appear and update instantly. Turn it on by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot. You can also manage whether the Copilot app launches automatically at sign-in using the “Auto start on log in” toggle in the Copilot app settings.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes being rolled out gradually, including one to address an issue in which interacting with a folder or its contents in Start menu could result in the folder becoming invisible.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7051.)
Release date: October 24, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of changes being gradually rolled out, including Copy & Search, which allows you to search the text in your clipboard with a single click. When you copy text anywhere in Windows, a paste gleam will appear in your search box. Click on this gleam and your copied text will appear in the search field, allowing you to search instantly.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for a bug in which the search icon in File Explorer sometimes infinitely looped in an animation.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6982.)
Release date: October 23, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which Settings crashed when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacted accessing the drive information from the properties when you right-clicked a drive in File Explorer.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolled to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27975.)
Release date: October 21, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This update includes a wide variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including a redesigned Start menu that includes a scrollable All section, has new category and grid views, and which adapts to your screen size. The build also includes new features for Click to Do, which can now translate text into other languages. File Explorer now has a recommended files feature that shows content such as files you frequently use, have recently downloaded, or have added to your File Explorer Gallery.
Two bugs are fixed in this build: one that caused an ACCESS_DENIED error when users attempted to change passwords remotely on member servers or workgroup devices, even when they had the required permissions, and another in which protected content playback failed on some machines after installing KB506408.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7015 and 26200.7015.)
Release date: October 17, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature being rolled out slowly, which lets you add and manage your mobile devices from Settings by navigating to “Mobile Devices” under the Bluetooth & Devices section. The page allows you to view your mobile devices, add new mobile devices, and manage features such as using your device as a connected camera or accessing your device’s files in File Explorer.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get two bug fixes being rolled out slowly, one for a bug that caused File Explorer to show a Catastrophic Error (0x8000FFFF) when extracting large (1.5GB+) archive files, and another that sometimes caused an old white toolbar to randomly appear in File Explorer.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the copy dialog in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6972.)
Release date: October 16, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build, the Notification Center can be used on secondary monitors. You’ll be able to see your calendar on any of your monitors and open Notification Center on any of them by clicking the date and time in the system tray of your taskbar. Note that this functionality will be rolled out gradually.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which File Explorer crashed when transferring files to a network drive.
There are three known issues in this build, including one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27971.)
Release date: October 10, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those with Copilot+ PCs who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a handful of changes and new features, including one in Settings in which more results appear in the search flyout and let you quickly modify the settings you’re searching for.
Those with any PCs who have turned the toggle on get several changes, including a new OneDrive icon in Accounts and Homepages in Settings, and the return of the ability to enable Administrator Protection via Windows Security under Account protection.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for an issue in the previous flight in which File Explorer frequently crashed, and another that was causing the Start menu to unexpectedly scroll to the top when interacting with it.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the copy dialog in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6780.)
Release date: October 10, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This update is identical to Build 26120.6780 for the Beta Channel, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6780.)
Release date: October 8, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This update introduces a new scrollable Start menu, with “All” on the top level, so apps are accessible without having to navigate to a secondary page. There are also new category and grid views to browse and launch your installed apps in the “All” section. The new menu adapts its size based on your device’s screen size.
There are also several bug fixes, including one in which the taskbar was not autohiding correctly.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which Settings may crash when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacts accessing the drive information from the properties when you right-click a drive in File Explorer.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27965.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This update introduces the option to move the hardware indicators for brightness, volume, airplane mode, and virtual desktops to different positions on your screen, including the current bottom position and new top-left and top-center positions.
There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which icons and text sometimes overlapped on the desktop when using increased text scaling.
There is one known issue in this build, in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27959.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including Image Object select for Click to Do in Copilot+ PCs, in which you can hover over your image to preview selectable areas. Once selected, you can copy and paste your object into other apps or use it to kick off a chat with Copilot. Also included are improvements to dark mode for File Explorer for all PCs and the ability to use peripheral fingerprint sensors with Windows Hello. These changes are rolling out gradually.
The same group gets a variety of bugs fixed, including one in which Encrypted File System (EFS) related dialogs in File Explorer weren’t responding to increased text scaling. The bug fixes are rolling out gradually.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6772.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This update is identical to Build 26120.6772, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6772.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including the ability to do a network speed test straight from the taskbar. You can launch it via the Wi-Fi and Cellular Quick Settings pages or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The tool opens in your default browser and supports testing Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections. It helps in assessing network performance and troubleshooting.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including for an issue in which the battery icon got out of sync with the actual charging state — for example, it would show that you weren’t plugged in when you were.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for developers that addresses an issue in which PIX on Windows was unable to play back GPU captures.
There are six known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6760.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including the ability to do a network speed test straight from the taskbar. You can launch it via the Wi-Fi and Cellular Quick Settings pages or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The tool opens in your default browser and supports testing Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections. It helps in assessing network performance and troubleshooting.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including for an issue in which the battery icon got out of sync with the actual charging state — for example, it would show that you weren’t plugged in when you were.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for developers that addresses an issue in which PIX on Windows was unable to play back GPU captures.
There are six known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6760.)
Release date: September 25, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows. It also includes fixes one bug in which you might not be able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT) after the latest updates.
There is one known issue in this build, in which PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are affected, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact Microsoft on the DirectX Discord server and get help via private builds.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27954.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned on a toggle to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which Click to Do can let users translate on-screen text with just a few clicks.
All PCs that have turned a toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one in which File Explorer became unresponsive if a UNC server name was directly typed into address bar. There are 10 known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6690.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned on a toggle to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which Click to Do can let you translate on-screen text with just a few clicks.
All PCs which have turned a toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one in which File Explorer became unresponsive if a UNC server name was directly typed into address bar. There are 10 known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6690.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows. In addition, Advanced Settings will revert to the previous “For Developers” experience after updating to this build.
There are also a number of bug fixes, including one in which the app preview windows in the taskbar became misaligned (away from the app icon you’d clicked / hovered over) after a display resolution change.
There are two known issues in this build, including one for developers in which PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, anyone impacted can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact Microsoft on the DirectX Discord server and Microsoft can help provide private builds.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27950.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
Build 26100.6713 is for those on Windows 11 24H2, and 26200.6713 is for those on Windows 25H2.
These builds gradually roll out a large number of new features, including AI actions in File Explorer for editing images or summarizing documents, and the ability to pin favorite apps in the Windows share window to quickly access them when you need them.
The builds fix several bugs immediately, including one that disrupted Windows Update for those using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). Additionally, several bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which when Windows Sandbox was enabled, the VmmemCmFirstBoot process may have consumed large amounts of CPU after login, causing your PC to become unresponsive.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.6713 and 26200.6713.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned the toggle on to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out a new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do designed to streamline interaction with Microsoft Copilot.
New emoji from Emoji 16.0 are being gradually rolled out in the emoji panel for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for one that caused some PCs to bug check (green screen) while hibernating, and another in which the Shared section in File Explorer Home was visible even if there was no content to display.
There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out a new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do designed to streamline interaction with Microsoft Copilot. New emoji from Emoji 16.0 are also being gradually rolled out to the same group.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for one that caused some PCs to bug check (green screen) while hibernating, and another in which the Shared section in File Explorer Home was visible even if there was no content to display.
There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6682.)
Release date: September 11, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows.
There are also a number of bug fixes, including for a bug that caused Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files to get stuck when scanning files. This issue also caused the entry to clean up previous Windows Installations to not show in Storage Settings.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including “ACPI Audio Compositor” and others. Selecting Properties on these devices will show “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943.)
Release date: September 8, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build introduces AI actions into File Explorer. These offer new capabilities when you right-click a file, such as editing a graphic or summarizing a Word document. For now, there are four of them, all related to image files. You can perform a Bing search based on an image file, blur the background in an image, erase objects in an image, and remove the background in an image.
A number of bugs have been fixed, including one that caused Task Manager to freeze when going to the performance section, and another in which the red color used for a low space drive in This PC was unexpectedly light colored.
The build has five known issues, including one in which audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27938.)
Release date: September 5, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs, this build introduces fluid dictation, which makes voice-based dictation easier. It automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak, reducing the need for manual editing. In addition, being rolled out on supported Copilot+ PCs is the ability to use Studio Effect’s AI-powered camera enhancements with an additional, alternative camera — such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get new on-hover actions in File Manager Home for faster file management.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one for a bug in which the right-click context menu in File Explorer sometimes unexpectedly switched back and forth between the normal initial view and “Show more options” with each right-click when certain apps were installed.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which for some users, the Shared section in File Explorer Home may be visible even if there is no content to display.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5790.)
Release date: September 5, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build appears to be identical to Build 26120.5790 for the Beta Channel, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.5790.)
Microsoft has announced Coreutils, a new Windows 11 feature that allows developers to run many popular Linux command line utilities natively on Windows from a single binary.
Revealed at this week’s Build 2026 developer conference in Seattle, Coreutils is about reducing what Microsoft terms the “cognitive load” faced by developers when moving between Windows and other platforms.
Currently, accessing the Linux command line utilities that are considered essential in many CI/CD development environments on Windows requires a kludge that involves either opening an emulation such as Git Bash, or a virtualized Windows Linux Subsystem (WSL) terminal.
Both are time-consuming and inefficient. As Microsoft’s announcement puts it: “Developers constantly move between platforms, but familiar commands don’t work consistently, forcing workarounds, lost speed and context switching.”
Coreutils removes the need for this back and forth, allowing developers to run most Linux commands straight from the Windows CMD command prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal.
“Whether you’re moving between Linux, macOS, WSL, containers or cloud environments, the commands and workflows you’ve built over years just work in your Windows environment,” Microsoft said.
Installed as a single executable (via WinGet: install Microsoft.Coreutils), Coreutils for Windows itself is a Rust rewrite of the GNU uutils/coreutils project that provides commands that are universal across Linux distros.
Fundamental to making Coreutils efficient to manage is the fact that individual Linux commands run from a multi-call executable which maps via NTFS hardlinks pointing to each command. The advantage of this approach is that there’s only one binary to install, one binary to sign, and one binary to patch or update.
Microsoft lists 75 Linux utilities supported by Coreutils, including commonly-used commands such as ls, cp, find, grep, find, rm, du, hostname, and uptime.
However, some Coreutils commands clash with existing CMD or Powershell commands, or are otherwise not possible to execute; Microsoft provides a compatibility table listing conflicts. This means that some commands are not available, specifically: dir, expand, kill, more, timeout, and whoami.
There are also some commands omitted from Coreutils because a command relies on a POSIX Unix/Linux feature that Windows doesn’t implement in a compatible way; some examples are chmod, chown, id, stty, and chroot.
In other cases, the command will execute in one context, CMD, but not in PowerShell. Microsoft explained the complex order of precedence: “Whether the Coreutils version runs depends on the shell, the PATH order, and (for PowerShell) the alias table.”
As well as Coreutils, the Build 2026 developer conference also saw Microsoft announce WSL containers CLI and API to deploy Linux containers on Windows, a new framework for autonomous agents with open source governance tools, and Microsoft Scout, an AI agent designed to automate tasks in Microsoft 365.
This article originally appeared on InfoWorld.
One of the best parts about using Android is the good old-fashioned geeky fun that comes with finding new ways to improve your digital environment — and improve your day-to-day efficiency.
That capability manifests itself in all sorts of interesting freedoms that (cough, cough) other mobile platforms don’t trust their users enough to allow — from added on-screen elements to custom air gestures, advanced multitasking additions, and all sorts of other shape-shifting enhancements that can completely change the way you interact with your device.
Perhaps the most classic example of advanced Android customization, though, is a splendid little somethin’ called the home screen launcher — a fancy way of saying the system that controls how your home screen and app drawer look and work. Your phone has a built-in process that handles that by default, but here in the land o’ Googley matters, you can always replace that with something completely different and make your device adapt to the way you like to work instead of the other way around.
We’ve got no shortage of interesting Android launcher options, too, ranging from versatile blank slates for complete customization to carefully crafted frameworks for ergonomic efficiency and even throwbacks to mobile operating systems past.
The real beauty of this ecosystem, though, is how much power it gives to Android developers — and subsequently to us, as Android-appreciating animals who embrace these creations! — to experiment and try out all sorts of new concepts. Sometimes, an Android launcher approach speaks to you for its practicality. Other times, it’s just a refreshingly interesting take on how you can get around your phone and get stuff done.
Today, I’ve got a perfect example to share with you. It’s a whole new approach to the Android home screen that’s both unlike anything else I’ve ever seen in this arena and delightfully familiar, in a retro-tech sense.
Lemme show ya what it’s all about.
[Get fresh Googley goodness in your inbox with my free Android Intelligence newsletter — three new things to try every Friday.]
My friend and fellow enlightened Android phone owner, allow me to introduce you to a creative little concoction called Key Launcher.
Key Launcher has only been out and available on the Play Store for a matter of weeks now, but it’s impressively polished — and, even more important, impressively original while also having some fantastic geek-tech throwback vibes.
To that end, the core distinctive element of Key Launcher is the T9-style dialpad that sits front and center on the lower third of its primary panel. It is quite literally the same set of letter-packin’ numbers and characters you’d see on an old-school phone — or in the dialer of your favorite Android phone app.
JR Raphael, Foundry
And in this context, it serves some pretty interesting purposes:
JR Raphael, Foundry
JR Raphael, Foundry
Function-packed as all of that may be, that dialpad is still just one piece of the Key Launcher puzzle. Above it sits a grid of app shortcuts that includes both your own pinned favorites and a dynamic selection of recently opened items. And above that is a handy built-in widget that shows a rotating array of upcoming calendar events from your agenda along with the local time and weather — and, in an especially neat twist, can also be customized to act as an interactive stack that lets you flip through your own set of standard Android widgets right then and there as well.
JR Raphael, Foundry
Speaking of widgets, if you swipe toward the left on Key Launcher’s dialpad, you’ll reveal the launcher’s built-in “Widget Center” panel — which is an entire screen dedicated to holding however many widgets you want, in any configuration you like, for easy ongoing access.
JR Raphael, Foundry
A swipe in the other direction will take you to an enlarged view of your active notifications, meanwhile, while a swipe downward can be set to launch either a quick search (of Google or whatever provider you prefer), a search of your apps, or a direct Android app shortcut within any app on your device.
JR Raphael, Foundry
And if all of that seems like a lot of productivity-boosting possibilities, just wait ’til you get into this thing’s settings. Key Launcher is overflowing with options to customize and control practically every facet of its operation, ranging from basic visuals to the specifics of how the dialpad works and even a toggle for optimizing the interface for left- or right-handed use.
JR Raphael, Foundry
Key Launcher is free on its base level with an optional Pro upgrade that unlocks certain limitations and more advanced features. That path is available for five bucks a year or $10 as a single lifetime purchase, and you get a month-long trial the first time you install the app so you can check it out in its full form.
JR Raphael, Foundry
Even if you just stick to the free version, though, this thing has an awful lot to offer — and it really is unlike anything else out there, with so many clever and potentially useful touches.
It’s that kind of creativity and constant discovery that keeps Android so interesting and advantageous, even after all this time — and that’s true whether you end up sticking with Key Launcher for the long haul or just giving it a go for a few hours and appreciating the deliciously original thinking it offers.
Keep the geeky goodies coming with my free Android Intelligence newsletter — three new things to try every Friday, straight from me to you.
Windows 11 25H2 has been publicly released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and help shape — upcoming features.
Our story “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” details how the Insider program has worked until now. However, Microsoft recently announced sweeping changes to the program that will include the ability to select which new features to test. As the first step, the company is introducing a new channel system and transitioning Insiders like so:
This transition is happening over time, starting with the Dev Channel. See Microsoft’s blog post for more information about the transition.
Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft in the past six months. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what’s in the build, and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it.
Note: If you’re looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not preview builds for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being rolled out in this build, including consistent solid (donut) spinners across key Windows scenarios including Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update. This update replaces legacy spinner visuals to deliver a more cohesive experience aligned with Windows design standards. Users will now see a unified spinner behavior with corresponding status text (e.g., “Restarting”, “Working on updates”, “Welcome”).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8544.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
Several minor new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including a number of changes to the Start menu. These were first outlined in the May 15 Insider blog post Making Taskbar and Start more personal. They include:
One known issue, in which resetting your PC may have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2207.)
Release date: May 29, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out several minor changes and improvements that, in the words of Microsoft, include “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.” The update also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug in which some Insiders unexpectedly saw an erroneous message saying they weren’t connected to internet (when they actually were) when signing into their Microsoft account in certain apps. It also improves CPU speed display on the Performance page of Task Manager for VMs, so it doesn’t show higher than unexpected numbers after resuming from hibernate.
There is one known issue that causes crashes with AMD machines supporting System Guard, so these devices in Windows Information Protection will not be offered the build.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29599.1000.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
This update, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small number of minor bug fixes and improvements.” It introduces Voice Isolation, a new option in Voice Access that helps the tool focus on your voice, even when others are speaking nearby, by filtering out other voices and background noise.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8491.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including several to improve accessibility. Among them are making it easier to connect the Braille display to Narrator by using the HID open industry standard for Braille displays. If your display supports HID, connect it via USB, with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID Braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory. Another new feature is Voice Isolation in Voice Access, as detailed for Beta Channel Build 26220.8491 above.
The build has one known issue, in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8497.)
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
Release date: May 22, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that improves the reliability of explorer.exe when closing the input switcher, and when switching between multiple desktops.
Microsoft says the single known issue with this release, in which your PC could have gotten stuck when using “Reset this PC,” has been fixed.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2149.)
Release date: May 22, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build, in the words of Microsoft, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29595.1000.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being rolled out in this build, including one that improves the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8474.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including the ability to change the position of taskbar on your screen. In Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors, you can select the side of the screen you want your taskbar on: bottom, top, left, or right. In these other positions, tooltips, flyouts, and animations will still come from the taskbar, and most customization settings like “small taskbar” and “never combine taskbar icons” will work with all locations.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8493.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out an improvement in the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive. It also rolls out gradual changes to updating Windows, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need.
It has one known issue in which your PC may get stuck when using “Reset this PC.” To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2134.)
Release date: May 15, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build introduces new features for Windows Update, including the ability to skip updates immediately during the out of box experience (OOBE) and to extend update pauses as many times as you need. New Windows update features also include having always available options to shut down and restart with updating, and additional insight about available updates to make more informed installation decisions.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29591.1000.)
Release date: May 14, 2026
Released to: Release Preview 24H2/25H2 Channel
A wide variety of features and enhancements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new shared audio feature that allows two people to listen to the same audio from a single Windows 11 PC at the same time. In addition, Task Manager now offers improved visibility into NPU usage on PCs with an NPU. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26200.8514/26220.8514.)
Released to: Release Preview 26H1 Channel
Release date: May 14, 2026
This build, for Insiders using Windows 11 26H1, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one that expands the list of archive formats that can be used in File Explorer to include uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg). Also being gradually rolled out is a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter.
One new feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.2173.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved reliability of Japanese IME usage when Administrator Protection is enabled. In addition, the build fixes a single bug, in which there were notification issues and certain apps hung on launch.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8370.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including new File Explorer address bar support for paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks (for example, C:\Users\user or “C:\Users\user”), improving compatibility with a wider range of inputs.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8376.)
Release date: May 8, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 26H1. It also improves performance when opening clipboard history.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.2075.)
Release date: May 6, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
It also updates the experience when you use voice typing with the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29585.1000.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements are being gradually rolled out in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8340.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
A variety of new features are being rolled out gradually in this build, including making Windows ShareSheet more intelligent for Azure Active Directory (AAD) users, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. Previously, that capability was only available to Windows users with Managed Service Accounts (MSA). Another change “quiets” the default behavior for Widgets, with the goal of making them feel less distracting and overwhelming.
There are several known issues in this build, including one in which Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new WIP experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing state and applying changes will work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8346.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build gradually rolls out several improvements to Task Manager, including one that provides better insight into NPU usage for PCs that include an NPU. Optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are now available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, with optional NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory columns on the Details page to give you deeper visibility into how workloads are using NPU resources. Additionally, if there are neural engines that are part of a GPU, they will now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI‑related system activity.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1921.)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build gradually rolls out, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29580.1000.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new improvements and fixes are being gradually rolled out in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8283.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Channel (formerly Dev)
In a phased rollout, Insiders in the Dev Channel are being moved to the new Experimental channel. Insiders who do not see the new experience on their device can enable it under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.
Several minor new features are also being rolled out gradually in this build, including improved detection of clicks at the leftmost edge of the taskbar to invoke the Start menu when the taskbar icons are left-aligned.
There is one known issue in this build: Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new Insider experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current; however, changing the state and applying changes should work as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8289.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental 26H1 Channel (formerly Canary)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of small improvements, including an updated voice typing experience for the touch keyboard. To reduce distractions, the new design shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key rather than on a full-screen overlay.
It also fixes a bug in which Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage showed large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28200.1873.)
Release date: April 24, 2026
Released to: Experimental Future Platforms Channel (formerly Canary optional 29500)
This build is gradually rolling out a variety of changes, including Point-in-time restore for Windows, which can quickly roll your device back to a previous state, potentially helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29576.1000.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide variety of new features rolled out gradually, including a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter. When Researcher works on a report, Windows shows progress on the taskbar so you can check updates at a glance.
For IT administrators, the update gradually rolls out support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education. It also removes default trust for cross‑signed third-party drivers, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed. Enterprise State Roaming can now be managed through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
The update also immediately introduces two minor improvements for everyone. Windows quality updates now include additional high-confidence device targeting data, which increases coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. In Windows Security, the name of the affected application is now included in event logging related to CVE‑2024‑30098. This change makes it easier to identify applications that rely on smart card certificates and may need updates following recent security changes.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Builds 26100.8313 and 26200.8313.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Several minor new features were made available in this build for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8271.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, several minor new features are being gradually rolled for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including improved reliability and performance of Windows Hello fingerprint after your PC wakes from sleep.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8276.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build fixes a bug that prevented some apps from signing in due to a false report of no internet connectivity. The fix is rolling out gradually.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1863.)
Release date: April 17, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes rolling out gradually, including more widget options and support for lock screen widget personalization, a new setting in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad that lets you can choose how large the right-click zone is, and support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29570.1000.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8165.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which the size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes via the command line has increased from 32GB to 2TB, and another in which the Windows Security app gets new badges and text that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
It also gradually rolls out a fix for a bug that caused Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large, unrealistic values.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8170.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out general improvements and fixes, including a new setting that lets users choose the size of their touchpad’s right-click zone, as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1812.)
Release date: April 10, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build includes “platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” as well as new badges and text in the Windows Security app that reflect your device’s Secure Boot state and certificate status
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29565.1000.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including a new icon in print settings to indicate when a printer supports Windows Protected Print Mode.
Several bugs are also being fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8148.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several minor features, including one in which users will be able to feel haptic feedback effects on compatible input devices while performing certain actions, such as aligning objects in PowerPoint, window snapping, resizing, or hovering over the Close button. These haptic effects can be configured in Settings under Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Haptic signals.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some apps weren’t able to sign in, citing an internal connection issue when internet was actually connected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8155.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel, this build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes, including improved reliability for configuring the fluid dictation option in voice typing settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1803.)
Release date: April 3, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build,” in the words of Microsoft. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which attached USB devices weren’t working for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29560.1000.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8138.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can enable Administrator Protection in Settings under Privacy & security > Windows Security > Account protection and switching the toggle to on. A restart will be required.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8142.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of running Windows 11.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1797.)
Release date: March 30, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel on the optional 29500 build series, this build introduces several new features, including a variety of improvements to the Windows Console, many of which were created by open-source contributors. Several bugs have also been fixed, including an authentication error people received when trying to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29558.1000.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8079.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build resumes rollout of the Point Indicator Accessibility setting, which enables low-vision users to easily locate and use their cursor. The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
In addition, several bugs were fixed, including one in which the Network and Sharing Center incorrectly displayed two active Wi-Fi connections after switching from one Wi-Fi network to another. The Network and Sharing Center now correctly shows a single active Wi-Fi connection when you connect to a new network.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8085.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes several new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which shared audio now provides individual sliders for each listener which adjusts their volume without affecting the other. You can continue to adjust volume for both listeners at the same time through the main volume controls available through Quick Settings or on-device and keyboard controls.
The build also introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1743.)
Release date: March 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build introduces the new Feedback Hub, which offers Insiders simpler navigation and feedback submission flows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29553.1000.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8062.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build includes numerous changes and refinements, including an update to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education SKUs that allows IT administrators to remove MSIX/APPX apps by adding their app package family name (PFNs) to a dynamic list.
Starting with this update, the Windows kernel will enforce a new policy removing default trust for cross-signed drivers. The policy allows third-party drivers from the WHCP program by default, with an allow list of trustworthy publishers and drivers from the cross-signing program.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8068.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build makes refinements to the Pen settings page, including small changes to the options for the pen tail button. A new option, “Same as Copilot key,” enables the pen tail button to launch the same app as the Copilot key.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1737.)
Release date: March 13, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel (29500 build series)
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates in the Canary Channel’s optional 29500 build series, this build has a variety of minor changes, including one in which changes to global power settings (for example, Display, Sleep, Hibernate timeouts, Power/Sleep button, and lid close actions) from Settings are now applied to all power plans. This should help improve persistence of chosen settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29550.1000.)
Release date: March 12, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build introduces a wide range of minor features being rolled out gradually, including the ability to turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps.
The update also improves stability in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) when you run x64 apps on ARM64 devices. These apps run more smoothly and respond as expected.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.8106 and 26200.8106.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Build 26220.7961.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build re-enables Administrator protection, which aims to protect free-floating admin rights for administrator users, allowing them to still perform all admin functions with just-in-time admin privileges. This feature is off by default and can be enabled via OMA-URI in Intune or via group policy.
Other changes and improvements being gradually rolled out to the same group include the ability to use voice typing when renaming files in File Explorer, as well as a smaller peek view in the drag tray.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7965.)
Release date: March 6, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build lets you use voice typing (Windows key + H) when renaming files in File Explorer. The build also improves the reliability of removing Windows Update files and windows.old files via Settings > System > Storage.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1685.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, giving a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7934.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who opted to receive the latest updates, this build gives administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors additional controls over the processing of batch files and CMD scripts. Starting with this release, admins can enable a more secure mode for processing batch files that ensures they do not change during execution by adding a value to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor named LockBatchFilesWhenInUse (DWORD, value 0 or 1). Policy authors can also use the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control documented here to enable this mode.
There are a variety of other improvements being rolled out gradually, including one in which a new taskbar indicator displays while you’re sharing, offering a quick reminder that audio is still being shared. Clicking the indicator is a fast path to open sharing settings to change volume or stop sharing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7939.)
Release date: Feb. 27, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have opted to receive the latest updates, this build gets a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for enterprise managed Windows Professional devices, as well as Windows Professional devices that are not domain-joined. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain-joined devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1673.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7872.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including simplified specifications on the ‘Device info’ Card on the Settings Home page and improved mouseover animations for app groups on the taskbar.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7877.)
Release date: February 20, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers a variety of new features, including one in which Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) supports peripheral fingerprint sensors. Previously, ESS was only available on PCs with built-in biometric sensors, but now it can be used when you plug in a supported ESS fingerprint reader.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1619.)
Release date: February 18, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build is the first in a new Canary Channel optional path with a focus on platform development, which will introduce new features before the existing 28000 Canary Channel series. Microsoft recommends that most people remain on the 28000 build path, but adds that those who want to get the newest platform changes as early as possible may want to switch to this new 29500 path. Note, though, that if you switch to the 29500 path by installing this build, you won’t be able to go back to the 28000 Canary Channel series.
The build itself, in Microsoft’s words, “includes platform changes in moving to a new active development build.”
Microsoft warns, “because of the focus on platform development for this path, you may notice a temporary loss in some features that you have today. These features will return to this new active development build.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29531.1000.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build displays an option to upgrade to a different Microsoft 365 plan on the Accounts page within the Settings app. It also rolls out fixes for several bugs, including one in which all File Explorer open windows and tabs unexpectedly jumped to Desktop or Home.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Preview Build 26220.7859.)
Release date: February 17, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. These devices receive the same recovery features available to Windows Home users. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization. The build also improves login screen reliability.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918.)
Release date: February 12, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build brings Sysmon functionality natively to Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and in a wide range of use cases.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1611.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 226220.7755.)
Release date: February 9, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including Emoji 16.0, which contains a new set of emojis, and the ability to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7760.)
Release date: February 4, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This update, in the words of Microsoft, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders” running Windows.
It also fixes one bug that affected apps working with files stored on OneDrive or Dropbox.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1546.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7752.)
Release date: February 3, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get Sysmon functionality natively in Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases. (This feature is being gradually rolled out.)
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a File Explorer bug in which icons/tooltips for “Add to favorites” were missing.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7733.)
Release date: January 28, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build, in Microsoft’s words, “includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience [of Windows 11].” It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that led to the Windows Update settings page hanging when loading.
The build has two known issues, one that sometimes causes all open File Explorer windows and tabs to unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home in File Explorer, and another in which the desktop watermark is showing the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 28020.1495.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of new features for Copilot+ PCs, including one in which Narrator gives you more control over how it announces on‑screen controls. You can choose which details are spoken and adjust their order to match how you navigate apps. These settings apply throughout the app to help reduce extra speech and make Narrator easier to follow.
The build also immediately rolls out a variety of new features for all PCs, including one in Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 26100.7701 and 26200.7701.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several bug fixes, including for an issue in which the Search process was showing an icon with an X instead of a magnifying glass.
The build has five known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26220.7670.)
Release date: January 27, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, the Dev Channel jumps ahead to receive 26300 series builds. This means that the window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel is closed once Build 26300.7674is installed on your PC. This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the Windows 11 Build 26220.7653 release (see below).
(Get more info about Insider Preview Build 26300.7674.)
Release date: January 21, 2026
Released to: Dev Channel
This build for the Dev Channel is identical to the January 16th Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653 released to the Beta Channel. See the writeup below for details.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 16, 2026
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out several changes, including one in which you can now set .webp images for your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which Settings crashed when interacting with audio devices.
The build has four known issues, including one in which some Insiders’ apps aren’t showing in the system tray when they should be.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653.)
Release date: January 14, 2026
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out a variety of bug fixes for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, including a bug in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.
There is one known issue in this build: The desktop watermark shows the wrong build number.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1371.)
Release date: January 9, 2026
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out Copilot-powered image descriptions to Narrator on Copilot+ PCs, making it possible for blind and low-vision users to hear detailed, AI-generated descriptions of images, charts, and graphs.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including for an issue in which File Explorer was causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when invoking the context menu on the desktop.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which Settings crashes when interacting with audio devices.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535.)
Release date: December 19, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out a version of Copilot on the taskbar tailored for commercial customers. It uses Work IQ as contextual information that they can reference in their Copilot chats and with Microsoft 365 AI agents. In addition, the build introduces Agent Launchers, a new framework that enables Windows apps to register AI agents and make them discoverable across the system.
The same group also gets a number of bug fixes being gradually rolled out, including one that addresses an issue in which File Explorer showed a white flash when navigating between pages.
The build has nine known issues, including one in which opening the context menu is causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7523.)
Release date: December 15, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out several new features for Copilot+ PCs, including a streamlined design for the Click to Do context menu that makes frequently used actions like Copy, Save, Share, and Open easier to access. It also rolls out new features for all PCs, including improvements to the dark mode experience in File Explorer.
A variety of bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including one for an issue in which Settings became unresponsive when attempting to navigate to the Network & Internet section.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1362.)
Release date: December 9, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows. It also enables more of the new features and improvements originally released with the October non-security preview update for Windows 11.
In addition, the build fixes a bug that caused some Storage Spaces to become inaccessible or Storage Spaces Direct to fail when creating a storage cluster.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.1340.)
Release date: December 5, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
For those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build offers native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that gives AI agents a universal way to connect with apps, tools, and services. Agents can discover and connect to these tools and other agents via a secure, manageable Windows on-device registry (ODR). By default, all agent connectors in the Windows ODR will be contained in a secure environment with their own identity and audit trail.
In addition, Quick machine recovery (QMR) will now be turned on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain joined. These devices will get the same recovery features as Windows Home users. For enterprise computers that are domain joined, nothing changes — QMR will stay off unless your organization turns it on.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a number of bug fixes, including addressing a bug in which the search window to unexpectedly started floating above the taskbar.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which File Explorer shows a white flash when navigating between pages.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7344.)
Release date: November 21, 2025
Released to: Dev & Beta Channels
This build introduces several features being rolled out gradually for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates. These include point-in-time restore for Windows, which lets you to quickly roll your device back to a previous state to minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting, and (on NPU devices) fluid dictation in voice typing, which automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak.
The build also expands the availability of the Xbox full-screen experience to additional Windows 11 PCs. You can add a controller to your PC for task switching and streamlined gaming on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including one that resolves a hung taskbar after receiving certain notifications.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which File Explorer shows a white flash when navigating between pages.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271.)
Release date: November 18, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.1199.)
Release date: November 17, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This update introduces a wide range of features being rolled out gradually, including several for Copilot+ PCs, such as Windows Studio Effects, which provide AI-powered camera enhancements on an additional, alternative camera such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
All Windows 11 PCs get a variety of new features being gradually rolled out, including Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS), now supporting peripheral fingerprint sensors. Also, on PCs with the settings “quick machine recovery” and “automatically check for solutions” both enabled, Quick Machine Recovery now runs a one‑time scan by default instead of repeating scans in a loop. If a fix isn’t available right away, QMR will quickly point you to the most appropriate recovery options to get you back up and running.
A bug fix is being immediately rolled out to all PCs to address an issue that affects Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS), when LSASS could become unstable due to an access violation.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7296 and 26200.7296.)
Release date: November 17, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including using high-definition voices for English (US) in Narrator and Magnifier that use generative AI to adjust tone and pacing for more natural, expressive speech. Also rolling out is a new “Experimental agentic features” toggle in the Settings app that enables the creation of AI agent accounts and an agent workspace, and grants agentic apps access to your Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Music, Pictures, and Videos folders. (Find out more about experimental agentic features.)
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for a bug in which the Task Manager process wasn’t stopping correctly after Task Manager was closed. As a result, Task Manager might have been unexpectedly open on boot.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer and when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7262.)
Release date: November 7, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including the ability to choose your default dashboard in an updated Widget Board Settings.
Everyone gets an updated Quick Machine Recovery in Windows, which makes it easier and quicker to get back to a working PC. The experience in both Windows Settings and the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) has been streamlined.
A variety of bug fixes are being rolled out gradually to those who have opted to receive the latest updates, including one that fixes a bug in which the “Automatically hide the taskbar” setting unexpectedly turned off after displaying a message saying, “a toolbar is already hidden on this side of your screen.”
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7070.)
Release date: November 7, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes.” There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which the credentials window was not accessible when trying to log in to Outlook.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolls to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000.)
Release date: November 4, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which you can add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, and Sports on the lock screen. Windows also provides suggested widgets on the lock screen. To customize your lock screen widgets, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
Also new is a “drag tray” that appears at the top of your screen when you drag a local file from File Explorer or your desktop. You can drop the file into one of the displayed apps or select More to open the Windows share window.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which if you used your PC for a while without rebooting, explorer.exe might start crashing repeatedly.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolls to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27982.)
Release date: October 31, 2025
Released to: Beta and Dev Channels
In this build, those have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of features being gradually rolled out, including Ask Copilot in the taskbar, which gives you one-click access to Copilot Vision and Voice, so you can search via Copilot using text, voice, or guided support with Copilot Vision. As you type, results appear and update instantly. Turn it on by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot. You can also manage whether the Copilot app launches automatically at sign-in using the “Auto start on log in” toggle in the Copilot app settings.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes being rolled out gradually, including one to address an issue in which interacting with a folder or its contents in Start menu could result in the folder becoming invisible.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7051.)
Release date: October 24, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of changes being gradually rolled out, including Copy & Search, which allows you to search the text in your clipboard with a single click. When you copy text anywhere in Windows, a paste gleam will appear in your search box. Click on this gleam and your copied text will appear in the search field, allowing you to search instantly.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for a bug in which the search icon in File Explorer sometimes infinitely looped in an animation.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in dark mode version of the copy dialog.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6982.)
Release date: October 23, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build has, in Microsoft’s words, a “small set of general improvements and fixes” that improve Windows.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which Settings crashed when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacted accessing the drive information from the properties when you right-clicked a drive in File Explorer.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders, and the other in which the new Start menu unexpectedly scrolled to the top.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27975.)
Release date: October 21, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This update includes a wide variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including a redesigned Start menu that includes a scrollable All section, has new category and grid views, and which adapts to your screen size. The build also includes new features for Click to Do, which can now translate text into other languages. File Explorer now has a recommended files feature that shows content such as files you frequently use, have recently downloaded, or have added to your File Explorer Gallery.
Two bugs are fixed in this build: one that caused an ACCESS_DENIED error when users attempted to change passwords remotely on member servers or workgroup devices, even when they had the required permissions, and another in which protected content playback failed on some machines after installing KB506408.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.7015 and 26200.7015.)
Release date: October 17, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature being rolled out slowly, which lets you add and manage your mobile devices from Settings by navigating to “Mobile Devices” under the Bluetooth & Devices section. The page allows you to view your mobile devices, add new mobile devices, and manage features such as using your device as a connected camera or accessing your device’s files in File Explorer.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get two bug fixes being rolled out slowly, one for a bug that caused File Explorer to show a Catastrophic Error (0x8000FFFF) when extracting large (1.5GB+) archive files, and another that sometimes caused an old white toolbar to randomly appear in File Explorer.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the copy dialog in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6972.)
Release date: October 16, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build, the Notification Center can be used on secondary monitors. You’ll be able to see your calendar on any of your monitors and open Notification Center on any of them by clicking the date and time in the system tray of your taskbar. Note that this functionality will be rolled out gradually.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which File Explorer crashed when transferring files to a network drive.
There are three known issues in this build, including one in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27971.)
Release date: October 10, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those with Copilot+ PCs who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a handful of changes and new features, including one in Settings in which more results appear in the search flyout and let you quickly modify the settings you’re searching for.
Those with any PCs who have turned the toggle on get several changes, including a new OneDrive icon in Accounts and Homepages in Settings, and the return of the ability to enable Administrator Protection via Windows Security under Account protection.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for an issue in the previous flight in which File Explorer frequently crashed, and another that was causing the Start menu to unexpectedly scroll to the top when interacting with it.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which the scrollbar and footer are missing in File Explorer when text is scaled in the copy dialog in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6780.)
Release date: October 10, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This update is identical to Build 26120.6780 for the Beta Channel, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6780.)
Release date: October 8, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This update introduces a new scrollable Start menu, with “All” on the top level, so apps are accessible without having to navigate to a secondary page. There are also new category and grid views to browse and launch your installed apps in the “All” section. The new menu adapts its size based on your device’s screen size.
There are also several bug fixes, including one in which the taskbar was not autohiding correctly.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which Settings may crash when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacts accessing the drive information from the properties when you right-click a drive in File Explorer.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27965.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This update introduces the option to move the hardware indicators for brightness, volume, airplane mode, and virtual desktops to different positions on your screen, including the current bottom position and new top-left and top-center positions.
There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which icons and text sometimes overlapped on the desktop when using increased text scaling.
There is one known issue in this build, in which sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27959.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including Image Object select for Click to Do in Copilot+ PCs, in which you can hover over your image to preview selectable areas. Once selected, you can copy and paste your object into other apps or use it to kick off a chat with Copilot. Also included are improvements to dark mode for File Explorer for all PCs and the ability to use peripheral fingerprint sensors with Windows Hello. These changes are rolling out gradually.
The same group gets a variety of bugs fixed, including one in which Encrypted File System (EFS) related dialogs in File Explorer weren’t responding to increased text scaling. The bug fixes are rolling out gradually.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6772.)
Release date: October 6, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This update is identical to Build 26120.6772, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6772.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including the ability to do a network speed test straight from the taskbar. You can launch it via the Wi-Fi and Cellular Quick Settings pages or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The tool opens in your default browser and supports testing Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections. It helps in assessing network performance and troubleshooting.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including for an issue in which the battery icon got out of sync with the actual charging state — for example, it would show that you weren’t plugged in when you were.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for developers that addresses an issue in which PIX on Windows was unable to play back GPU captures.
There are six known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6760.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
In this build, those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of new features, including the ability to do a network speed test straight from the taskbar. You can launch it via the Wi-Fi and Cellular Quick Settings pages or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The tool opens in your default browser and supports testing Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections. It helps in assessing network performance and troubleshooting.
The same group gets a variety of bug fixes, including for an issue in which the battery icon got out of sync with the actual charging state — for example, it would show that you weren’t plugged in when you were.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one for developers that addresses an issue in which PIX on Windows was unable to play back GPU captures.
There are six known issues in this build, including one in which some searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6760.)
Release date: September 25, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows. It also includes fixes one bug in which you might not be able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT) after the latest updates.
There is one known issue in this build, in which PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are affected, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact Microsoft on the DirectX Discord server and get help via private builds.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27954.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned on a toggle to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which Click to Do can let users translate on-screen text with just a few clicks.
All PCs that have turned a toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one in which File Explorer became unresponsive if a UNC server name was directly typed into address bar. There are 10 known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6690.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned on a toggle to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out several new features, including one in which Click to Do can let you translate on-screen text with just a few clicks.
All PCs which have turned a toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one in which File Explorer became unresponsive if a UNC server name was directly typed into address bar. There are 10 known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6690.)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows. In addition, Advanced Settings will revert to the previous “For Developers” experience after updating to this build.
There are also a number of bug fixes, including one in which the app preview windows in the taskbar became misaligned (away from the app icon you’d clicked / hovered over) after a display resolution change.
There are two known issues in this build, including one for developers in which PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, anyone impacted can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact Microsoft on the DirectX Discord server and Microsoft can help provide private builds.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27950.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Release Preview Channel
Build 26100.6713 is for those on Windows 11 24H2, and 26200.6713 is for those on Windows 25H2.
These builds gradually roll out a large number of new features, including AI actions in File Explorer for editing images or summarizing documents, and the ability to pin favorite apps in the Windows share window to quickly access them when you need them.
The builds fix several bugs immediately, including one that disrupted Windows Update for those using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). Additionally, several bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which when Windows Sandbox was enabled, the VmmemCmFirstBoot process may have consumed large amounts of CPU after login, causing your PC to become unresponsive.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 26100.6713 and 26200.6713.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned the toggle on to receive the latest update, this build gradually rolls out a new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do designed to streamline interaction with Microsoft Copilot.
New emoji from Emoji 16.0 are being gradually rolled out in the emoji panel for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for one that caused some PCs to bug check (green screen) while hibernating, and another in which the Shared section in File Explorer Home was visible even if there was no content to display.
There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682.)
Release date: September 12, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build is for those who have already upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2.
For those who have Copilot+ PCs and have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, this build gradually rolls out a new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do designed to streamline interaction with Microsoft Copilot. New emoji from Emoji 16.0 are also being gradually rolled out to the same group.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including for one that caused some PCs to bug check (green screen) while hibernating, and another in which the Shared section in File Explorer Home was visible even if there was no content to display.
There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which the placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6682.)
Release date: September 11, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running” Windows.
There are also a number of bug fixes, including for a bug that caused Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files to get stuck when scanning files. This issue also caused the entry to clean up previous Windows Installations to not show in Storage Settings.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including “ACPI Audio Compositor” and others. Selecting Properties on these devices will show “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943.)
Release date: September 8, 2025
Released to: Canary Channel
This build introduces AI actions into File Explorer. These offer new capabilities when you right-click a file, such as editing a graphic or summarizing a Word document. For now, there are four of them, all related to image files. You can perform a Bing search based on an image file, blur the background in an image, erase objects in an image, and remove the background in an image.
A number of bugs have been fixed, including one that caused Task Manager to freeze when going to the performance section, and another in which the red color used for a low space drive in This PC was unexpectedly light colored.
The build has five known issues, including one in which audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27938.)
Release date: September 5, 2025
Released to: Beta Channel
For those who have Copilot+ PCs, this build introduces fluid dictation, which makes voice-based dictation easier. It automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak, reducing the need for manual editing. In addition, being rolled out on supported Copilot+ PCs is the ability to use Studio Effect’s AI-powered camera enhancements with an additional, alternative camera — such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get new on-hover actions in File Manager Home for faster file management.
The same group also gets a variety of bug fixes rolled out gradually, including one for a bug in which the right-click context menu in File Explorer sometimes unexpectedly switched back and forth between the normal initial view and “Show more options” with each right-click when certain apps were installed.
There are five known issues in this build, including one in which for some users, the Shared section in File Explorer Home may be visible even if there is no content to display.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5790.)
Release date: September 5, 2025
Released to: Dev Channel
This build appears to be identical to Build 26120.5790 for the Beta Channel, detailed above.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.5790.)
A Windows launch isn’t the end a process — it’s really just the beginning. Microsoft continually works on improving Windows 11 by fixing bugs, releasing security patches, and occasionally adding new features.
In this story we summarize what you need to know about each update released to the public for the most recent version of Windows 11 — currently version 25H2 — over the past year. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it. The most recent updates appear first.
The easiest way to install updates is via Windows Update. Not sure how? See “How to handle Windows 10 and 11 updates” for full instructions. Note that Windows 11 version 25H2 is being released as a phased rollout and may not be available to you in Windows Update yet.
If you’re still using Windows 10, see “Windows 10: A guide to the updates.” And if you’re looking for information about Insider Program previews for upcoming feature releases of Windows 11, see “Windows 11 Insider Previews: What’s in the latest build?”
Release date: May 26, 2026
With this update, Windows quality updates include additional high-confidence device targeting data, making more devices eligible to receive new Secure Boot certificates. The old certificates expire at the end of June: see Computerworld’s FAQ for details. The build also adds Group Policy and MDM settings that IT admins can enable to limit the Secure Boot service data sent to Microsoft. (See Microsoft documentation.)
This update also includes a wide variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including Shared Audio, which enables two Bluetooth audio devices to connect to a single Windows 11 PC at the same time; Multi-App Camera, which allows multiple applications to access the camera stream simultaneously; improved visibility into NPU usage in Task Manager; and several performance and behavior improvements for Windows Hello.
There is one known issue in the update, in which after you install update KB5089549, some devices might fail to complete installation with error code 0x800f0922. This issue occurs on devices that have limited free space on the EFI System Partition (ESP), especially if it has 10MB or less available.
(Get more info about KB5089573 Preview, including workarounds for the issue described above.)
Release date: May 12, 2026
This build enables dynamic status reporting for Secure Boot states in the Windows Security app. It also fixes a bug in which the Remote Desktop Connection security warning dialog sometimes rendered incorrectly in multi-monitor configurations with different display scaling settings.
It also includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2026 Security Updates.
The build has one known issue: devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5089549.)
Release date: April 30, 2026
This update includes a large number of new features being rolled out gradually, including File Explorer’s ability to handle new archive formats including uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg). Windows also gets a new way to monitor agents from the taskbar. It supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter.
Also being rolled out gradually is a security improvement that changes how the Windows kernel trusts third‑party drivers. Default trust for cross‑signed drivers is removed, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed.
The update also includes several changes available immediately, including one that increases coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout. For more information, see Windows Secure Boot certificate expiration and CA updates.
A bug in the Remote Desktop Connection security warning dialog is being fixed immediately. Previously, the dialog could have rendered incorrectly in a multi-monitor scenario when the monitors had different scaling settings.
(Get more info about KB5083631 Preview.)
Release date: April 14, 2026
This update fixes several bugs, including one that caused device reset to fail when using the “Keep my files” or “Remove everything” options. It also improves protection against phishing attacks that use Remote Desktop (.rdp) files. For more information, see Understanding security warnings when opening Remote Desktop (RDP) files.
It also enables dynamic status reporting for Secure Boot states in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security, with a green, yellow, or red badge indicating your current Secure Boot status. See Secure Boot certificate update status in the Windows Security app for more information.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
Update, April 15: Microsoft has confirmed an issue with this release: “Devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key.” See Microsoft’s KB5083769 information page for details and workarounds.
(Get more info about KB5083769.)
Release date: March 31, 2026
This update fixes a bug in which some devices running Windows 11 version 25H2 or 24H2 encountered the following error while installing the Windows preview update KB5079391 (listed below): “Some update files are missing or have problems. We’ll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712).”
(Get more info about Windows 11 KB5086672 Out-of-band.)
Release date: March 26, 2026
This update includes a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one that allows you to turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without needing a clean install. To make changes, go to Settings > Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings. When turned on, SAC helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps. To learn more, see App & Browser Control in the Windows Security App.
The build also includes several improvements and bug fixes, including one that improves Application ID tagging in Application Control for Business policies. With this update, the system identifies which apps should receive tags more accurately and behaves more reliably, Microsoft says.
(Get more info about Windows 11 KB5079391 Preview.)
Release date: March 21, 2026
This update fixes a bug some users experienced when signing in to apps with a Microsoft account. Even when the device had a working internet connection, a “no Internet” error appeared during sign-in and prevented access to Microsoft services and apps such as Microsoft Teams Free and OneDrive.
(Get more info about KB5085516 Out-of-band.)
Release date: March 10, 2026
This build improves how Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) handles COM objects allowlisting policies. COM objects were blocked when the endpoint security policy was set higher than the allowlisting policy. With this update, COM objects are allowed as expected. The build also introduces additional high confidence device targeting data to Windows quality updates, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5079473.)
Release date: February 24, 2026
This update includes a variety of new features being rolled out gradually, including one in which Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) turns on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain‑joined and not enrolled in enterprise endpoint management. For domain‑joined or enterprise managed devices, QMR stays off unless it is enabled by the organization.
It also includes several features available immediately, including one in which Windows quality updates include additional high-confidence device-targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout.
(Get more info about KB5077241 Preview.)
Release date: February 10, 2025
This Patch Tuesday build fixes several bugs, including one that prevented some devices from connecting to certain WPA3‑Personal Wi‑Fi networks. It also includes a broad set of targeting data that identifies devices and their ability to receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after they show sufficient successful update signals, which helps ensure a safe and phased rollout.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2026 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5077181.)
Release date: January 29, 2025
In this build, several new features are immediately available, including one for Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) domain backup key management. Administrators can now set how often keys rotate automatically. This strengthens cryptographic security and reduces reliance on older encryption algorithms.
One new feature is being gradually rolled out: The Settings Agent now supports more languages, with expanded support for German, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Italian, and Chinese (Simplified).
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one that caused some systems to stop responding during startup when Windows Boot Manager debugging was enabled.
Get more info about KB5074105 Preview.)
Release date: January 24, 2026
This update fixes a bug in which some applications were unresponsive or encountered unexpected errors when opening files from or saving files to cloud-based storage, such as OneDrive or Dropbox. In certain Outlook configurations that store PST files on OneDrive, Outlook sometimes hung and failed to reopen unless the process was terminated or the system was restarted. Users may have also experienced missing sent items or previously downloaded emails.
(Get more info about KB5078127 Out-of-band.)
Release date: January 17, 2026
This update fixes a bug in which some users experienced sign-in failures during Remote Desktop connections. This issue affected authentication steps for different Remote Desktop applications on Windows such as the Windows App.
There is one known issue in this build, in which the password icon might be missing or invisible in the lock screen sign-in options.
Get more info about KB5077744 Out-of-band.)
Release date: January 13, 2026
This build fixes several bugs, including one in which you might experience RemoteApp connection failures in Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments. This might occur after installing KB5070311. It also updates the Windows core component, WinSqlite3.dll. Previously, some security software might have detected this component as vulnerable.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2026 Security Updates.
It has one known issue, in which you might notice that the password icon is not visible in the sign-in options on the lock screen. If you hover over the space where the icon should appear, you’ll see that the password button is still available. Select this placeholder to open the password text box and enter your password. After entering your password, you can sign in normally. People using Windows Home or Pro editions on personal devices are very unlikely to experience this issue. This issue primarily affects enterprise or managed IT environments.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5074109.)
Release date: December 9, 2025
This build fixes several bugs, including one in which File Explorer briefly flashed white when you navigated between pages.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2025 Security Updates.
It has one known issue, in which the password icon might not be visible in the sign-in options on the lock screen. If you hover over the space where the icon should appear, you’ll see that the password button is still available. Select this placeholder to open the password text box and enter your password. After entering your password, you can sign in normally. People using Windows Home or Pro editions on personal devices are very unlikely to experience this issue — it primarily affects enterprise or managed IT environments.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5072033.)
Release date: December 1, 2025
A variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including several for Copilot+ PCs. The Click to Do context menu in Copilot+ PCs now has a streamlined design that makes it easier to access frequently used actions such as Copy, Save, Share, and Open. In Copilot+ PCs you can now also use Windows Studio Effects, which provide AI-powered camera enhancements, on an additional camera such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
New features being rolled out gradually to all Windows 11 PCs include a simplified File Explorer context menu for easier navigation. Common actions like Share, Copy, and Move now appear in a single organized menu.
A variety of bugs have been fixed for all PCs, including one in which the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) could become unstable due to an access violation.
There are two known issues in this build, one in which when opening File Explorer in dark mode, the window might briefly display a blank white screen before loading files and folders. In addition, the password icon is missing or invisible in the lockscreen sign-in options on some PCs. (Here’s a workaround for the latter bug.)
Get more info about KB5070311 Preview.)
Release date: November 11, 2025
This Patch Tuesday build fixes several bugs, including one in which closing Task Manager with the Close button didn’t fully end the process, leaving background instances that could slow performance over time.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5068861.)
Release date: October 28, 2025
A variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including several for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs — notably a streamlined interaction between Click to Do and Copilot. You can now type a custom prompt directly into the text box, which sends your prompt and selected on-screen content to Copilot. Suggested prompts appear below the text box and are available for text selections in English, Spanish, and French.
New features are being gradually rolled out for all Windows 11 PCs as well, including a redesigned Start menu, which includes scrollable “All” section and category and grid views. The menu now adapts to your screen size.
A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which text sometimes didn’t render correctly when editing content within a multiline text box in certain apps.
Get more info about KB5067036 Preview.)
Release date: October 20, 2025
This build fixes one bug, in which USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, did not function in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This issue prevented navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE.
This build has one known issue: some digital TV and Blu-ray/DVD apps might not play protected content as expected after installing the August 29, 2025, Windows non-security preview update (KB5064081) or later updates. Apps that use Enhanced Video Renderer with HDCP enforcement or Digital Rights Management (DRM) for digital audio might show copyright protection errors, frequent playback interruptions, unexpected stops, or black screens. Streaming services are not affected.
(Get more info about KB5070773 Out-of-band.)
Release date: October 14, 2025
This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused the print preview screen to stop responding in Chromium-based browsers.
It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5066791.)
Release date: September 29, 2025
This build gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including one in which you can use AI actions in File Explorer to edit images or summarize documents. To do it, right-click (or press Shift + F10 on the keyboard) on the file and select AI actions.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which you might not have been able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT).
(Get more info about KB5065789 Preview.)
At the end of September, Microsoft upgraded Windows 11 from version 24H2 to 25H2, in a slow rollout that could take months to complete. Typically in the past, Microsoft would introduce new features in a once-a-year update like this. That’s not the case with 25H2, though.
Microsoft has been introducing new features in smaller updates all year round, so 25H2 doesn’t include any major new features. Rather, it includes all the new features that have accumulated in all those smaller updates.
As the company explains, “While this update doesn’t introduce major new features, it activates enhancements that have been gradually rolled out over the past year ensuring your device is up to date with the latest refinements.”
Here are some of the most important features in 25H2 that have been introduced for end users and IT pros since 24H2 was released last fall:
New features for users:
New features for IT:
Release date: September 22, 2025
This update fixes a bug that affected Microsoft Office applications running in Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) environments. The failure occurred due to a double handle closure in the AppVEntSubsystems32 or AppVEntSubsystems64 system component.
There is one issue in this build: you might fail to connect to shared files and folders using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT). This issue can occur if either the SMB client or the SMB server has the September 2025 security update installed.
(Get more info about KB5068221 (OS Build 26100.6588) Out-of-band).
Release date: September 9, 2025
This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused non-admin users to receive unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts when MSI installers performed certain custom actions, such as configuration or repair operations in the foreground or background during the initial installation of an application.
The build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5065426.)
Release date: August 29, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new personalized homepage in Windows Recall that displays your recent activity and top-used apps and websites (available only in Copilot+ PCs). Among the changes rolling out to all users is a new grid view for Search from the Windows taskbar that helps you more quickly and accurately identify the desired image within your search.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some system recovery features did not work properly due to a temporary file sharing conflict. This affected certain device management tools and disrupted key functions on some devices.
(Get more info about KB5064081 Preview.)
Release date: August 12, 2025
This build fixes a bug that caused delays during sign-in on new devices. The delay was due to certain preinstalled packages. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5063878.)
Release date: July 22, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new agent in Copilot+ PCs that is designed to help you find and change settings on your PC. You can describe what you need help with, such as “how to control my PC by voice” or “my mouse pointer is too small,” and the agent will suggest steps to resolve the issue. The agent uses AI on your PC to understand your request and, with your permission, can automate and complete tasks for you. It is rolling out to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs now, with support for AMD and Intel PCs coming soon.
Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which If you have an app pinned to your desktop and it updates, the app icon might not display correctly and instead show a white page.
(Get more info about KB5062660 Preview.)
Release date: July 13, 2025
This update fixes a bug that prevented some virtual machines (VMs) from starting when Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) was enabled. It affected VMs using version 8.0 (a non-default version) where VBS was offered by the host. In Azure, this applies to standard (non–Trusted Launch) General Enterprise (GE) VMs running on older VM SKUs. The problem was caused by a secure kernel initialization issue.
(Get more info about KB5064489 Out-of-band.)
Release date: July 8, 2025
The build fixes several bugs, including one in which notification sounds didn’t play. Affected sounds included those for on-screen alerts, volume adjustments, and sign-in. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5062553.)
Release date: June 26, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new Settings home page that includes enterprise-specific device info cards for commercial customers on PCs managed by an IT administrator. The taskbar also now resizes icons to fit more apps when space runs low.
Users in the European Economic Area will see several small changes related to default browsers, such as mapping additional file and link types to the default browser and pinning it to the taskbar and Start menu.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one that prevented the automatic renewal of expiring certificates in Windows Hello for Business.
There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
(Get more info about KB5060829 Preview.)
Release date: June 11, 2025
This out-of-band update replaces the KB5060842 Patch Tuesday release, fixing a bug in which Windows sometimes restarted unexpectedly when users opened games that use the Easy Anti-Cheat service. Easy Anti-Cheat automatically installs with certain games to enhance security and prevent cheating in multiplayer online PC games.
Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.
(Get more info about KB5063060 Out-of-band.)
Release date: June 10, 2025
After installing this update, Windows will retain system restore points for 60 days only. Restore points older than 60 days are not available. This 60-day limit will also apply to future versions of Windows 11, version 24H2.
The build fixes a bug that prevented users from signing in with self-signed certificates when using Windows Hello for Business with the Key Trust model. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2025 Security Updates.
Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5060842.)
Release date: May 27, 2025
A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including one in which Click to Do gets the new Ask Copilot action. When you highlight text or an image, Click to Do offers the Ask Copilot option. Selecting it opens Microsoft Copilot with your content in the prompt box. You can send the selected text or image directly to the Copilot app to complete your prompt.
A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which devices with BitLocker on removable drives could encounter a blue screen error after resuming from sleep or hybrid-booting.
(Get more info about KB5058499 Preview.)
Release date: May 27, 2025
This out-of-band update fixes a bug in the direct send path for a guest physical address (GPA). This issue caused confidential virtual machines running on Hyper-V with Windows Server 2022 to intermittently stop responding or restart unexpectedly. As a result, service availability was affected, and manual intervention was required. This problem primarily impacted Azure confidential VMs.
(Get more info about KB5061977.)
Release date: May 13, 2025
This update fixes two bugs, one in which your microphone might have muted unexpectedly, and the other in which the eye controller app didn’t launch. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
(Get more info about KB5058411.)
Release date: April 25, 2025
This build gradually rolls out several new features for Copilot+ PCs, including a preview of Windows Recall. When you opt in, Recall takes snapshots of your activity so you can quickly find and go back to what you have seen before on your PC. With it, you can use a timeline to find the content you remember seeing.
Copilot+ PCs also get a new natural-language Windows search in which you can search for anything on your PC without having to remember specific file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Just describe what you’re looking for. On Copilot+ PCs, you can also more easily find photos stored and saved in the cloud by typing your own words (like “summer picnics”) in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer.
All PCs get a number of new features, including speech recap, in which you can keep track of what Narrator has spoken and access it for quick reference. With speech recap, you can quickly access spoken content, follow along with live transcription, and copy what Narrator last said using keyboard shortcuts.
A variety of bugs are being fixed, including one in which some devices experienced intermittent internet connections when resuming from sleep mode. Several AI components have also been updated.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox from the Microsoft Store on Windows.
(Get more info about KB5055627 Preview.)
Release date: April 8, 2025
This update includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2025 Security Updates.
What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows.
(Get more info about KB5055523.)
