Windows 11 Insider DEV Channel

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080 (Canary and Dev Channels)

UPDATE 3/18: We are starting to roll out two servicing updates to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Both these updates do not include anything new and are designed to test our servicing pipeline for Windows 11, version 24H2. Most Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive Cumulative Update Build 26080.1300 (KB5037139). However, Insiders that have Virtualization Based Security (VBS) turned on will receive Build 26080.1400 (KB5037140) and may not experience a restart upon installing the update. Arm64 devices, even with VBS turned on, will only receive Build 26080.1300 (KB5037139).
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26085 (Canary and Dev Channels)

The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds (e.g. Build 26085), the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. At some point in the future, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed.

NOTE: Some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel even if the two channels have the same build.

Changes and Improvements

[Input]
  • The new pointer indicator accessibility setting for low vision Windows users introduced with Build 26052 has been temporarily disabled with Build 26085. We plan to re-enable this feature in a future flight after fixing some bugs. Thanks to Insiders for all the feedback on this!

[Settings]
  • Windows Insiders who have Bluetooth LE Audio capable assistive hearing devices can now set up and manage their devices via Settings > Accessibility > Hearing aids. This new accessibility settings page allows users to check their PC’s compatibility for Bluetooth LE Audio and pair/manage a set of hearing devices for a more streamlined configuration. Please note that this page is a work-in-progress, and the contents of this page may change over time. (Note this change was first introduced in Build 26080.)
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26090 (Canary and Dev Channels)

The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds (e.g. Build 26085), the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. At some point in the future, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed.

NOTE: Some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel even if the two channels have the same build.

What’s new in Build 26090

Widgets board improvements
We are restarting the rollout of the Widgets board improvements that originally began rolling out with Build 26058 to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel. Those improvements include introducing a new navigation bar on the left allowing you to switch between a dedicated widgets dashboard and other integrated dashboards like Discover. Give it a try and let us know what you think using the feedback button at the top of the board.

We’ve added a new Navigation Pane on the left that allows you to switch to My Widgets dashboard.
A full widgets only experience from your favorite apps and services.

[We are beginning to roll this out to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel today, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet.]

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

More Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes
Starting with Build 26085 and higher, we are introducing the following Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes for QUIC, signing, and encryption.

SMB over QUIC client disable: Administrators can now disable the SMB over QUIC client with Group Policy and PowerShell. To disable SMB over QUIC using PowerShell, run the following command in an elevated console:

  • Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableSMBQUIC $true
To disable SMB over QUIC using Group Policy, use GPMC.MSC or GPEDIT.MSC to configure the following setting:

  • Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Workstation \ Enable SMB over QUIC
SMB over QUIC client connection auditing: Successful SMB over QUIC client connection events are now written to the event log to include the QUIC transport. You can view these events using EVENTVWR.MSC under the following path:

  • Applications and Services Logs \ Microsoft \ Windows\ SMBClient \ Connectivity (Event ID: 30832)
SMB signing and encryption auditing: Administrators can now enable auditing of the SMB server and client for support of SMB signing and encryption. This shows if a third-party client or server doesn’t support SMB encryption or signing. You can configure these settings with PowerShell and Group Policy. To configure SMB client or server signing or encryption auditing using Group Policy, use GPMC.MSC or GPEDIT.MSC to configure the following settings:

  • Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Workstation \ Audit server does not support encryption
  • Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Workstation \ Audit server does not support signing
  • Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Server \ Audit client does not support encryption
  • Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Server \ Audit client does not support signing
To disable SMB over QUIC using PowerShell, run the following command in an elevated console:

  • Set-SmbClientConfiguration -AuditServerDoesNotSupportEncryption $true
  • Set-SmbClientConfiguration -AuditServerDoesNotSupportSigning $true
  • Set-SmbServerConfiguration -AuditClientDoesNotSupportEncryption $true
  • Set-SmbServerConfiguration -AuditClientDoesNotSupportSigning $true
You can view these events using EVENTVWR.MSC under the following paths:

  • Applications and Services Logs \ Microsoft \ Windows\ SMBClient \ Audit (Event ID: 31998 and Event ID: 31999)
  • Applications and Services Logs \ Microsoft \ Windows\ SMBServer \ Audit (Event ID: 3021 and Event ID: 3022)
For more information on SMB over QUIC in Windows and Windows Server Insider Preview builds, review https://aka.ms/SMBoverQUICServer and https://aka.ms/SmbOverQuicCAC.

For more information on SMB signing and encryption in Windows and Windows Server Insider Preview builds, review https://aka.ms/SmbSigningRequired and https://aka.ms/SmbClientEncrypt.

Changes and Improvements

[General]
  • The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is not present in this build and will return in future Insider Preview builds. This is part of our normal process for preparing Windows 11, version 24H2 for release to customers later this year – but does not mean we’re done. Windows 11, version 24H2, will be this year’s annual feature update.As mentioned here, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year.
[Copilot in Windows
  • You can ask Copilot in Windows (in preview) for help ten times when you sign in to Windows using a local account. After that, you must sign in using a Microsoft account (MSA) or a Microsoft Entra IDaccount (formerly Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)). To sign in, use the link in the dialog that appears in Copilot in Windows. If you do not sign in, some Copilot features might not work. To learn more, see Welcome to Copilot in Windows and Manage Copilot in Windows.
[Settings]
  • The redesigned version of the Delivery Optimization settings page under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization that was first introduced in Build 25987 has been reverted to the previous design starting with Build 26085. We plan to bring back this redesigned settings page in a future flight after fixing some bugs. Thanks to Insiders for all the feedback on this!
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100 (Canary and Dev Channels)

The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds (e.g. Build 26100), the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. In the near future, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed so make your choice on which channel to be in soon!

NOTE: Some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel even if the two channels have the same build.

What's new in Build 26100

Changes and Improvements

[General]
  • [REMINDER] The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is not present in this build and will return in future Insider Preview builds. This is part of our normal process preparing Windows 11, version 24H2 for releasing to customers later this year – but does not mean we're done. Windows 11, version 24H2, will be this year's annual feature update. As mentioned here, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year.

Fixes for known issues

[General]
  • Made another fix to address the issue causing shutdown and hibernate to not work in the latest builds.
  • Fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders seeing error 0x80240067 when trying to download app updates from Microsoft Store or Windows updates in Settings in the latest builds.
[Copilot in Windows*]
[Windowing]
  • Fixed a DWM crash impacting some Insiders in the latest flights (this could result in you seeing your screen flash black).
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461 (Dev Channel)

Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel will now receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx). For Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.

Going forward, we will document changes in Dev Channel builds in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes available to everyone in the Dev Channel.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on
[General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Dev Channel
[Copilot in Windows**]
  • Over the last few months, we’ve been trying out different experiences for Copilot in Windows (Preview) with Windows Insiders across the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels. Some of these experiences include the ability for Copilot in Windows to act like a normal application window and the taskbar icon animating to indicate that Copilot can help when you copy text or images. We have decided to pause the rollouts of these experiences to further refine them based on user feedback. Copilot in Windows will continue to work as expected while we continue to evolve new ideas with Windows Insiders.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel
[Copilot in Windows**]
  • We are rolling out a fix for the issue causing Copilot to auto-launch unexpectedly for Windows Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels after restarting their PCs. This issue was unrelated to the auto-launching experience we tried out with Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels in early February which we stopped rolling out in March.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel
  • Updates released to the Dev Channel are based off Windows 11, version 24H2.
  • Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
  • Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
  • Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
  • Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
  • Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
  • Copilot in Windows** in preview is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders in select global markets. The initial markets for the Copilot in Windows preview include North America, United Kingdom and parts of Asia and South America. It is our intention to add additional markets over time.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.470 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*

[General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.
[Settings]
  • We are introducing a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage. The Game Pass recommendation card on Settings Homepage will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC. As a reminder – the Settings homepage will be shown only on the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 and if you’re signed into Windows with your Microsoft account.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel

[General]
  • We believe we fixed the issue causing some Insiders to experience an install error 0x8007371B trying to install Build 26120.461 in the Dev Channel. If you continue to hit issues – please file feedback in Feedback Hub.
[Other]
  • This update affects Windows Hello for Business. IT admins can now use mobile device management (MDM) to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine. To do this, they can turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.
  • This update improves the Remote Desktop Session Host. You can now set up its “clipboard redirection” policy to work in a single direction from the local computer to the remote computer. You can also reverse that order.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects a network resource. You cannot access it from a Remote Desktop session. This occurs when you turn on the Remote Credential Guard feature and the client is Windows 11, version 22H2 or higher.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). It prevents a stop error that occurs when you apply more than 32 policies.
  • This update addresses a deadlock issue in CloudAP. It occurs when different users sign in and sign out at the same time on virtual machines.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the Group Policy service. It fails after you use LGPO.exe to apply an audit policy to the system.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the Settings app. It stops responding when you use it to remove Bluetooth devices.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Notepad. It fails to print to certain Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) printers when you use a print support app.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects dsamain.exe. When the Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) runs evaluations, it stops responding.
  • This update addresses an issue that stops some apps and features from being available. This occurs after you upgrade to Windows 11.
  • This update affects MSIX applications. It helps their UI to localize correctly for all languages when you upgrade your OS.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) PowerShell module. It does not load.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the existing AppLocker rule collection enforcement mode. It is not overwritten when rules merge with a collection that has no rules. This occurs when the enforcement mode is set to “Not Configured.”
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Transport Layer Security (TLS), version 1.3. It causes Azure App Services to fail. This occurs when the web server attempts to connect to a third-party Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server.
  • This update affects the touch keyboard. It makes the Japanese 106 keyboard layout appear as expected when you sign in.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard and the candidate window for the Japanese and Chinese Input Method Editors (IME). They do not show after you come out of Modern Standby. To learn more, see Microsoft Japanese IME and What is Modern Standby.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects certain Neural Processing Units (NPU). They do not show in Task Manager.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects some wireless earbuds. Bluetooth connections are not stable. This occurs on devices that have firmware from April 2023 and later.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects USB audio. It fails on some processors. This occurs after you pause, play, or resume from sleep.
  • This update supports DST changes in To learn more, see Interim guidance for Kazakhstan time zone changes 2024.
  • This update supports DST changes in To learn more, see Interim guidance for Samoa DST changes 2021.
  • This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Greenland. To learn more, see Greenland 2023 time zone update now available.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Secure Launch. It does not run on some processors.
  • This update addresses a reliability issue. It affects a Virtual Remote App product when you use a custom shell to open it.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects Containers that you create or deploy. Their status does not progress past “ContainerCreating.”
  • This update brings Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for some mobile operators.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the COM+ component. Some applications that depend on it stop responding.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the time service. You can configure it using mobile device management (MDM) or a Group Policy Object (GPO). But the Windows Settings app does not match what you have configured.
  • This update addresses an issue that occurs when you use LoadImage() to load a top-down bitmap. If the bitmap has a negative height, the image does not load, and the function returns NULL.
  • This update implements phase three of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) hardening. See KB5004442. After you install this update, you cannot turn off the changes using the registry key.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects certain Neural Processing Units (NPU). They do not show in Task Manager.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.670 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel

[Other]
  • Fixed an issue where the Network Locations header was missing in the This PC section of File Explorer.
  • This update affects next secure record 3 (NSEC3) validation in a recursive resolver. Its limit is now 1,000 computations. One computation is equal to the validation of one label with one iteration. DNS Server Administrators can change the default number of computations. To do this, use the registry setting below.
    • Name: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DNS\Parameters\
      MaxComputationForNsec3Validation
    • Type: DWORD
    • Default: 1000
    • Max: 9600
    • Min: 1
  • This update addresses an issue that might affect domain controllers (DC). NTLM authentication traffic might increase.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the installation of a Windows update. It fails to complete. This occurs when you have to restart your device more than once.
  • This update addresses an issue that might affect Virtual Secure Mode (VSM) scenarios. They might fail. These scenarios include VPN, Windows Hello, Credential Guard, and Key Guard.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.751 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Dev Channel

[Copilot in Windows**]
  • As part of this update, we're also evolving the Copilot** experience on Windows as an app that will be pinned to the taskbar. This enables users to get the benefits of a traditional app experience, including the ability to resize, move, and snap the window – feedback we've heard from users throughout the preview of Copilot in Windows. This model also allows Microsoft to more agilely develop and optimize the experience based on user feedback.
  • As part of the Copilot experience's evolution on Windows to become an app that is pinned to the taskbar, we are retiring the WIN + C keyboard shortcut. For new devices that ship with a Copilot key, this key will open Copilot. For existing devices without that key, using the WIN + (number position for Copilot pinned to your taskbar) is a great way to open Copilot.
[Settings]
  • We are beginning to roll out a new Linked devices page under Settings > Accounts that allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed in to with your Microsoft account. This settings page will only show on the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 and if you're signed into Windows with your Microsoft account.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel

[Widgets]
  • Fixed the issue causing the WIN + W keyboard shortcut to not work correctly and open the Widgets board.
[Other]
  • This update brings Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects the installation of a Windows update. It fails to complete. This occurs when you have to restart your device more than once.
  • This update addresses an issue that affects a device that uses an enablement KB (EKB). It might stop you from installing a new Windows update.

Introducing Suggested Replies in Phone Link for Android

We're excited to announce the addition of a new feature to the Phone Link app for Android users: Suggested Replies. Powered by our cloud-based intelligent suggestion model, this feature is designed to make your messaging experience seamless and more efficient.

With Suggested Replies, you'll see 3 contextually relevant reply bubbles to choose from when you receive a message. The feature is turned on by default, so you can start using it right away. Simply select a suggested reply and it'll be sent immediately.

Suggested Replies are beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders across all channels with Phone Link version 1.24051.98 and higher.

FEEDBACK: Send us feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Phone Link.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel
  • Updates released to the Dev Channel are based off Windows 11, version 24H2.
  • Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
  • Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
  • Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
  • Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
  • Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
  • Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
  • Copilot in Windows** is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders across our global markets. Customers in the European Economic Area will be able to download the Copilot in Windows experience as an app from the Microsoft Store (coming soon).
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.770 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*

[General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.
Snipping Tool Update
We are rolling out an update for Snipping Tool (version 11.2405.24.0 and newer) to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels that introduces automatic save for screen recordings. This feature works the same as automatic save for screenshots. Your recordings will automatically be saved to Screen Recordings folder (inside your Videos folder). You can choose to turn this off in Snipping Tool settings.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.
Snipping Tool Update
We are rolling out an update for Snipping Tool (version 11.2405.24.0 and newer) to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels that introduces automatic save for screen recordings. This feature works the same as automatic save for screenshots. Your recordings will automatically be saved to Screen Recordings folder (inside your Videos folder). You can choose to turn this off in Snipping Tool settings.

See the reminders above for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel regarding Windows 11, version 24H2.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*

[General]
  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.
Microsoft Store Update
Windows Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels running version 22405.xxxx.x of the Microsoft Store and higher will see the following improvement rolling out:

Fast, safe checkout with Microsoft Wallet: Make quick and easy purchases in Store using Microsoft Wallet. Not only can you earn Microsoft Rewards points in the Store, but you can also easily redeem your points for a gift card during checkout to apply towards your purchase. Wallet is fast, safe, and easy to use!

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel
  • Updates released to the Dev Channel are based off Windows 11, version 24H2.
  • Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
  • Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
  • Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
  • Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
  • Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
  • Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
  • Copilot in Windows** is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders across our global markets. Customers in the European Economic Area will be able to download the Copilot in Windows experience as an app from the Microsoft Store (coming soon).
 
Beginning to enable a set of new features for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel on Build 26120.961

The following new features, changes and improvements, and fixes to the Dev Channel for Insiders on Build 26120.961 who have turned ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update are beginning to be enabled. The enablement of these is starting at a small percentage at first so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel with this toggle turned on will see all these features right away. And some features may show up while others might not just yet. It is hoped to further expand the enablement of these new features, changes and improvements, and fixes with the next new Dev Channel build. Insiders will need to reboot to see if they have received the enablement of these features.

New features gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

Narrator users can now use voice access to dictate text hands-free
Narrator users can start using voice access in Windows 11 to dictate text with voice and hear what is dictated. In addition, you can also use voice access to give Narrator commands. For example, "Turn on Narrator," "speak faster," "read selection," "read next line," etc.

To know the entire list of Narrator commands supported with voice access, click help icon (?) on the voice access bar, select "View all commands" and choose "Narrator commands."

What will work:

  • Start and set up voice access which includes downloading a speech model.
  • Read a list of voice access commands and Narrator commands from voice access help menu.
  • Changing voice access microphone state.
  • Dictating text with voice and hearing back what was dictated.
Tips:
  • If you don't use headphones for listening to the screen reader, the audio output from the screen reader may get picked up by voice access microphone, leading to unwanted behavior.

FEEDBACK: Send us feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.

Auto Restart for Voice Access & New Voice Access Command for Windows Search
We are introducing auto restart for voice access in Windows 11. This feature ensures that voice access will automatically restart if it encounters any issues so that individuals with limited mobility can get back to using voice access as quickly as possible. Customers will no longer need to rely on alternative assistive technologies or assistance from others to reactivate voice access. Should voice access automatically restart due to a crash, we are making it easier to report those crashes once voice access restarts so the team can investigate and work on fixes.

We are introducing a new command for searching directly with Windows search. Users can now say the command Search "Entity"; Search Windows for "Entity"; or Search for "Entity" to search for their desired application or file in Windows ("Entity" is replaced with whatever application or file you want to search.)

FEEDBACK: Send us feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Voice access.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[Start menu]
  • This update starts the roll out of the new account manager on Start menu. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, the new design gives you a quick glanceable view of your account benefits and makes it easy to manage account settings.
[Windows Share]
  • We are beginning to roll out the ability to copy files from the Windows share window. Just click the new copy button.
  • Users will be able to now generate QR codes for URLs and cloud file links through the Windows share window to seamlessly share webpages and files across their devices. To try this out in Microsoft Edge, just click the share button in the Edge toolbar and choose "Windows share options".
  • To prevent accidentally closing the Windows share window, clicking outside the Windows share window will no longer close it. To close the Windows share window, just press the close button at the top right corner.
  • If your Microsoft account uses a Gmail address, you can now send email to yourself from Windows share window and receive it in your Gmail account.
[Emoji]
  • We're adding support for Emoji 15.1 which introduces a small number of brand-new emoji such as head shaking horizontally and vertically, phoenix, lime, brown mushroom and broken chain. Other changes for Emoji 15.1 include Unicode's decision to revert family combinations to symbol-like shapes. Windows has chosen to stay with our existing style that uses people in family combinations. We are also supporting the new directionality updates for person/man/woman walking, kneeling, with cane, running, manual wheelchair and motorized wheelchair. You can now select right facing or the original left facing orientation for these emoji.
[Windows Backup]
  • If you have both Personalization and Other Windows settings toggled on under Settings > Accounts > Windows backup, many of your sound settings (including chosen sound scheme) will be backed up which can be restored via the Windows Backup app.
[Settings]
  • To ensure you don't lose access to your Microsoft account, we're beginning to roll out a new banner with a "Add now" button under Settings > Account for adding a recovery email address if you haven't added one for your Microsoft account yet. This will only show if you are signed in with a Microsoft account.
  • We are beginning to roll out updated visuals for the "Rename your PC" and "Change date and time" dialogs to match the Windows 11 visuals.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*

[Task Manager]
  • Updated the units (from MHz to MT/s) for DDR speed.
  • Fixed an issue where the Safely Remove Hardware option for ejecting USB devices wouldn't work if Task Manager was open.
  • Did some work to ensure Task Manager releases process handles quickly when terminating processes.
  • Made some more improvements to help with Task Manager reliability.
  • We have improved the performance when changing the sort order.
  • Made multiple improvements to overall accessibility of Task Manager, including improving keyboard focus, tab navigation, text scaling, names of items read out by screen readers, and more.
  • We made it a little easier to resize Task Manager when trying to resize by grabbing the top of the window.
[Graphics]
  • Fixed an issue where some monitors would get stuck at a 60Hz refresh rate and couldn't be set higher even though the monitor supported it, because dynamic refresh rate was stuck.
[Multiple desktops]
  • Fixed an issue where the option to set a different wallpaper on each desktop wasn't working.
[Other]
  • Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to some apps not starting on startup even though they were enabled as startup apps in Setting.
  • Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to the pop up asking for permission to use location not appearing, which could lead to app issues without location access.
  • Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with error DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in recent flights.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel
  • Updates released to the Dev Channel are based off Windows 11, version 24H2.
  • Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
  • Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
  • Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
  • Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
  • Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
  • Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
  • Copilot in Windows** is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders across our global markets. Customers in the European Economic Area will be able to download the Copilot in Windows experience as an app from the Microsoft Store.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1252 (Dev Channel)

This update is delivered in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see Introducing Windows 11 checkpoint cumulative updates.

REMINDER: Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel will now receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx). For Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle (shown in the image below) to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[General]
[Start menu]
  • You can now also pin apps from the Start menu to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu.
[File Explorer]
  • Drag-and-drop files with your mouse functionality between breadcrumbs is now available in the File Explorer Address Bar – thanks again Insiders that shared feedback about this!
[Lock screen]
  • We're beginning to roll out Weather and more to your lock screen starting with this build in the Dev Channel. Stay informed and efficient with dynamic updates that bring finance, traffic, and sports to your Lock screen, alongside weather. The card design has been improved with acrylic blur, card size, spacing, and font optimizations. To turn on this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. To learn more, see Personalize your lock screen.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[File Explorer]
  • Fixed an issue which could make explorer.exe crash when navigating away from Home.
[Input]
  • Fixed an issue where if you went through Windows Setup (OOBE), pinyin would be unexpectedly displayed twice in the list of available input methods.
[Other]
  • Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of Insiders seeing error 0x80370106 when trying to launch Windows Sandbox after the latest flights.
  • Fixed an issue which was causing the preferred audio volume (under Settings > System > Sound > Volume Mixer) for Microsoft Edge to not persist across restarting the app.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel

[General]
  • Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with error KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE in recent flights.
  • Fixed an issue believed to be the underlying cause of some Insiders noticing stutters in some animations recently (dropping frames), particularly with Task View.
[Input]
  • Fixed an issue causing a cyclical input crash in the previous flight for a small number of Insiders, which impacted various input experiences.
  • Fixed an issue where the Input Method Editor (IME) candidate list may fail to show or showed in the wrong position.
  • Fixed an issue causing Insiders to see errors when attempting to use Voice Typing with certain languages such as Chinese.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
  • Updated the app icon flashing in the taskbar to be a bit easier to see.
[Settings]
  • Fixed an issue where Settings > System > Power & Battery unexpectedly had duplicate text when showing a warning about a slow charger.
  • Fixed an issue causing Insiders to see errors when attempting to use Voice Typing with certain languages such as Chinese.
[Other]
  • This update brings Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
  • Fixed the underlying issue causing some Insiders to see a Pcasvc.dll error dialog pop-up with the message "Missing entry: PcaWallpaperAppDetect" after upgrading from Windows 11, version 22H2/23H2 to a 26xxx build.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1330 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[File Explorer]
  • We’re rolling out the ability to duplicate a tab by right-clicking on a tab in File Explorer.
[Narrator]
  • We have made several changes to improve the performance of Narrator scan mode. This is expected to make scan mode responses much quicker, especially while using Microsoft Edge, and reading through large documents. To try out scan mode, turn on Narrator first (Win key + Ctrl + Enter), and then turn scan mode ON by pressing Caps Lock + Spacebar during a Narrator session.
[Settings]
  • We’re beginning to roll out improvements to Settings > System > Power & battery including the ability to set your Power Mode for both when your PC is plugged in when it’s on battery along with a few other UI improvements to the page.

[For Developers]
  • Updated the logic for the “End Task” option in the taskbar so that it no longer shows a Not Responding dialog to give confirmation before ending the task.
[Other]
  • Updated System Info (msinfo32) to now follow your text size preference under Settings > Accessibility > Text Size.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel

[Settings]
  • Fixed an issue where the Windows Update page in Settings was not displaying correctly for Insiders using certain languages (no text showed). If you are impacted by this on Build 26120.1252, updating to this flight should still happen on its own, however you may need to wait a little bit.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[Input]
  • We are updating Settings > Bluetooth & Device > Mouse to now include the option to turn off enhanced mouse pointer precision for those that would prefer to not use it and have added a new option for changing mouse scrolling direction.
[Voice Access]
  • We are making improvements for the spelling and corrections experience in voice access. You can now use the experience for the entire voice access session. The spelling experience will now enable you to dictate the characters at a faster speed and offer more editing flexibility inside the experience with dictation commands, namely selection, deletion and text navigation commands.
[Energy Saver]
  • For laptops on battery, a notification will pop up asking you to plug in your laptop if the battery level reaches 20% while Energy Saver is set to “Always On”.
[Settings]
  • We are beginning to roll out a new energy recommendation for turning off HDR to conserve energy on PCs with HDR displays under Settings > Power & battery > Energy recommendations.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[Settings]
  • Fixed an issue where the items under “Let desktop apps access your location” section in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location might visibly flicker although there were no changes displayed.
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350 (Dev Channel)

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[General]
  • When installing an MSIX package either locally or via the web (ms-appinstaller://?source=), we are beginning to roll out a change where Microsoft SmartScreen is used to verify the source of the MSIX package and if it’s safe to install.
[Windows Share]
  • We are rolling out the ability to easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[Task Manager]
  • Fixed the issue causing graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager to not show the correct colors when using dark mode again.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel

[Windows Sandbox]
  • We fixed the issue causing Windows Sandbox to fail to launch with error 0x80370106.
[Voice Access]
 
Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542 (Dev Channel)

New features gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

New position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars
We’re beginning to roll out a new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars. The taskbar entry-point will move to the left of the systems tray and will be wider so you can see richer content from Widgets on your taskbar. When you launch the Widgets board, it will fly out from the right side instead of the left side.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[Taskbar & System Tray]
  • Updated the taskbar to now support first letter navigation, so when keyboard focus is set to the taskbar (WIN + T), you can press a letter, and it will jump to the open or pinned app whose name starts with that letter. Pressing the letter multiple times will jump to the subsequent app which starts with that letter, if there are multiple apps for that letter. For those using uncombined taskbar, rather than app name, the first letter navigation will use window name. Along with this, pressing Home and End will now move keyboard focus to the first and last (respectively) items in the taskbar.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[Input]
  • Fixed an issue causing text suggestions for the hardware keyboard to not work properly (selecting one unexpectedly concatenated).
  • Fixed an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.
[Other]
  • Fixed an issue in Registry Editor where when editing a DWORD or QWORD if you pasted in a HEX value into the text box and saved it, the value saved might not be the one you had entered (for example, pasting 0x1 would become 0x411).

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel

[General]
  • Fixed an issue where adding additional languages or optional features might fail with error 0x800f081f in the last few flights.
[Other]
  • [Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b)] This update adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
  • [Group Policy Preferences Item Level Targeting (ILT) and Local Users and Groups] You cannot choose a group from the target domain for ILT. Also, you cannot choose an account from Local Users and Groups. The forest does not appear. This issue occurs when you deploy multiple forests, and the target domain has a one-way trust with the domain of the admin. This issue affects Enhanced Security Admin Environment (ESAE), Hardened Forests (HF), or Privileged Access Management (PAM) deployments.
  • [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] This update removes this registry key. For more information refer to KB5020276—Netjoin: Domain join hardening changes.
  • [Share button] On USB controllers, the button might not work with Game Bar.
  • [GPU-Paravirtualized VM or Container] After you restart it, graphic allocation creation might fail. Because of this, the VM and Container are not as reliable as you expect.
  • [Domain Name System (DNS)] This update hardens DNS server security to address CVE-2024-37968. If the configurations of your domains are not up to date, you might get the SERVFAIL error or time out.
  • [PowerShell and VBScript] The issue stops you from using Windows Update Agent (WUA) APIs in your scripts.
  • [BitLocker] A firmware update might fail if you turn on BitLocker.
 
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