The Windows 11 2023 Update has been released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out public preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and even help shape — upcoming features.
The Windows Insider program is divided into four channels:
- The Canary Channel is where platform changes (such as major updates to the Windows kernel and new APIs) are previewed. These changes are not tied to a particular Windows release and may never ship at all. Little documentation is provided, and builds are likely to be very unstable. This channel is best for highly technical users.
- The Dev Channel is where new features are introduced for initial testing, regardless of which Windows release they’ll eventually end up in. This channel is best for technical users and developers and builds in it may be unstable and buggy.
- In the Beta Channel, you’ll get more polished features that will be deployed in the next major Windows release. This channel is best for early adopters, and Microsoft says your feedback in this channel will have the most impact.
- The Release Preview Channel typically doesn’t see action until shortly before a new feature update is rolled out. It’s meant for final testing of an upcoming release and is best for those who want the most stable builds.
The Beta and Release Preview Channels also receive bug-fix builds for the currently shipping version of Windows 11. See “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” for more details about the four channels and how to switch to a different channel.
Not everyone can participate in the Windows 11 Insider program, because the new operating system has more stringent system requirements than Windows 10. If your PC fails to meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, you cannot join the Windows 11 Insider Program. (See “How to check if your PC can run Windows 11.”)
Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft in the past six months. (For the Release Preview Channel, we cover builds released for the current version of Windows 11, not for earlier versions.) 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 previews for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”
The latest Windows 11 Insider preview builds
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1930
Release date: October 4, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and one bug fix, for a bug in which the boot menu wasn’t displaying correctly for some Insiders with dual-boot devices.
Everyone in the Dev Channel can now configure the Copilot key. You can have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, increasing security and privacy.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1930.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300
Release date: October 4, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see “All” instead of “All apps” on the Start menu. In addition, Windows Search runs IFilters in the Less Privileged App Containers (LPACs). LPACs are like app containers, but they deny even more permissions by default. The intent is that a process running in a LPAC has access only to the resources needed by it. This helps to minimize the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised process by limiting its access to sensitive system components and data.
Two bugs are fixed for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible, including one in which items in the navigation pane became very spread out for some people.
There are two known issues in the build, including one in which live captions will crash if you try to use them.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27718
Release date: October 2, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
This build introduces a number of minor new changes and features. You can now drag apps from the Pinned section of the Start menu and pin them to the taskbar. 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.”
Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which the emoji panel closed when you tried to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji, and another in which the Widgets icon sometimes unexpectedly displayed twice in the taskbar.
There are three known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which If you are joining the Canary Channel from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC; you’ll see error 0xd0000225 and an error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available.” You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27718.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912
Release date: September 30, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who’ve turned on the toggle to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows. In addition, Windows Mobile Hotspot has been enhanced to support 6GHz connections. The new band requires chips that support the feature and updated drivers; not all chips that support 6GHz Wi-Fi in general will support the 6GHz mobile hotspot.
Those in the Dev Channel who agreed to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including one in which Task Manager’s Settings page might have a white background when it should not.
There is one known issue in this build: if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291
Release date: September 30, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned on the toggle to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get an updated Task Manager design in which the Disconnect and Logoff dialogs in Task Manager now support dark mode and text scaling. They also get several bug fixes, including one in which explorer.exe crashed sporadically when using ALT + Tab in recent builds.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including one in which Work Folders files failed to sync when Defender for Endpoint was on.
There are two known issues in the build, including one in which live captions will crash if you try to use them.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1876
Release date: September 23, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build, for those using Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a number of new features, including one in which when your device’s battery power is running low, a pop-up window will appear that asks you to plug in your device. This occurs when the battery level reaches 20% and while Energy Saver is set to “Always On.
Several bug fixes are being immediately rolled out, including one in which when a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might have occurred when you closed that window.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1876.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4247 and 22631.4247
Release date: September 23, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
In this update for users on Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, a variety of features are being rolled out slowly, including one in which the “Sign out” option is now on the account manager when you open the Start menu. To change to a different user, select the ellipses (…). A list of other users appears to make it easier to switch.
The update also fixes several bugs, including one in which Microsoft Edge sometimes stopped responding when you used IE mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4247 and 22631.4247.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225
Release date: September 20, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will get the ability to share content to an Android device from the context menu in File Explorer and on the desktop. To use this feature, the Phone Link app must be installed and configured on your PC.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get a fix for a bug in which the emoji panel didn’t work properly.
Everyone in the Beta Channel can now configure the Copilot key. You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, thus indicating the app meets security and privacy requirements.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which some Insiders experienced a bug check when closing Notepad.
There is one known issue in the build, in which if you click or tap on a letter on the Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843
Release date: September 20, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature, in which File Explorer provides you with quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account or Entra ID account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the Shared tab.
Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which when pressing Windows key + E, a screen reader might unexpectedly say a pane had focus, or focus may not be set within File Explorer at all.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including one in which could result in the Widgets icon unexpectedly displaying in the taskbar twice sometimes.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145
Release date: August 30, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see several new features, including one in which the Sign out option is immediately visible in the new account manager on the Start menu. There’s also a list of signed in users under the three-dot icon so it’s faster to switch accounts. The mouse and touchscreen controls have more options, and hotspots now appear on the desktop when users right-click the Windows Spotlight icon. The changes are being rolled out gradually.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get fixes for several bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when interacting with archive files. These fixes are being rolled out gradually
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which the [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] registry key has been removed.
There is one known issue in the build: if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695
Release date: August 30, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build, Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new ability to recover encrypted passwords from Active Directory (AD) backup media even when there are zero AD domain controllers running.
A number of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Ctrl + F would sometimes not start a search in File Explore, and another in which the colors in the Performance section of Task Manager weren’t displayed correctly in dark mode.
There are two known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose your Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available.” You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking Set up my PIN.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082
Release date: August 26, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see the media controls at the lower bottom center of the Lock screen when media is being played. There is also now an option to turn off the suggestions to disable notifications from certain apps. These features are being rolled out gradually.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get fixes for several bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar. These fixes are being rolled out gradually.
Everyone in the beta channel gets one bug fix, in which the [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] registry key has been removed.
There are two known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash when interacting with archive files.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4108 and 22631.4108
Release date: August 19, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel (Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2)
Starting with this update, a variety of features will be rolled out slowly, including one that lets you share content to your Android device from the Windows Share window. To do this, you must pair your Android device to your Windows PC. Use the Link to Windows app on your Android device and Phone Link on your PC.
A number of bugs are being fixed, including one in which when a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4108 and 22631.4108.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22610.1586
Release date: August 19, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel (Windows 11 24H2)
This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a new feature in which when you right-click a tab in File Explorer, you have the choice to duplicate it.
A wide variety of bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which memory leak occurred when you interacted with archive folders and another in which File Explorer stopped responding when you browsed within it.
Three bug fixes have been immediately released to everyone, including one in which a deadlock occurred in the domain controller (DC) when it started up in the DNS client.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1586.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076
Release date: August 19, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will find that a feature introduced in Build 22635.3930 that showed a Studio Effects icon in the system tray when using any application with a Studio Effects-enabled camera has temporarily been disabled. It will be re-enabled in a future build.
Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which Voice Access commands weren’t working for non-English supported languages.
A wide variety of bugs are fixed for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Windows Backup sometimes failed in devices with an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) system partition (ESP).
There are two known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which explorer.exe crashes when interacting with archive files.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542
Release date: August 19, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature that adds first letter navigation support to the taskbar. 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. The feature is being gradually rolled out so isn’t yet available to everyone.
Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get fixes for three bugs, including one in which the emoji panel closed when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which adding languages or optional features might fail with error 0x800f081f.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686
Release date: August 15, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes the new Windows Sandbox Client Preview that is now updated via the Microsoft Store. It introduces runtime clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. You can access these via the new “…” icon at the upper right on the app. This preview also includes a very early version of command line support. (Commands may change over time.) You can use the wsb.exe –help command for more information.
The build also includes optimizations to improve battery life and a detach virtual hard disk (VHD/VHDx) button in Settings that makes it simpler to detach your VHD/VHDx as needed.
A number of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Dev Drive VHDs weren’t automatically remounting when the underlying volume was dismounted and brought back online, and one in the Windows Security app where if you browsed the networks under Firewall & Network protection, it showed a broken glyph (a rectangle) next to the network name rather than a network icon.
There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350
Release date: August 9, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can more 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. The feature is being rolled out gradually.
Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix that addresses an issue in which graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager did not show the correct colors when using dark mode again. The fix is being rolled out gradually.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which Windows Sandbox failed to launch with error 0x80370106.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010
Release date: August 9, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, many of those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will see the simplified system tray with shortened date/time change that began rolling out with Build 22635.3930. The feature is being rolled out gradually.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get fixes for two bugs, one in which the dropdown at the top of the GPU section of Performance wasn’t showing in dark mode when dark mode was enabled, and the other in which if you pressed the Shift key when you right-clicked on an app icon on the taskbar, it opened another instance of the app rather than opening the expected menu.
There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340
Release date: August 5, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get improvements for spelling and corrections in voice access, including the ability to dictate characters at a faster speed and have more editing flexibility with selection, deletion, and text navigation commands.
Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which items under “Let desktop apps access your location” section in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location had visibly flickered although there were no changes displayed.
There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005
Release date: August 2, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general tweaks and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix for a bug that caused sporadic explorer.exe crashes for some Insiders.
There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4000
Release date: July 26, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes, as well as some improvements to spelling and corrections in voice access.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get two bug fixes, one in which Notification Center got stuck and would not open, and another that caused issues with launching the touch keyboard and emoji panel.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets two fixes that address one bug in which Narrator would not work as expected when navigating through the Recent, Favorites, and Shared tab items, and another that caused the context menu in Home or Gallery to open in the wrong position when using Arabic or Hebrew display languages.
There are four known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which files shared with you in File Explorer may not appear if there has been no interaction with that file.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4000.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1330
Release date: July 26, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can duplicate a tab by right-clicking on it in File Explorer. (Note: This is being gradually rolled out.)
Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which no text appeared on the Windows Update page in Settings for Insiders using certain languages.
There are three known issues in this build, including one in which the BitLocker Recovery screen issue documented here may also impact Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1330.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1297
Release date: July 25, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including pinning apps to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu, using your mouse to drag files between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer address bar, and directly sharing to specific Microsoft Teams channels and group chats in the Windows share window.
It also includes a variety of changes released immediately to everyone, including being able to use OneDrive as a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1297.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26257
Release date: July 24, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
This build introduces the ability to duplicate a tab by right-clicking it in File Explorer. In addition, if you use the netsh wlan show networks command, you should be able to read SSIDs that are UTF-8 encoded. This means that Wi-Fi SSIDs with Unicode characters (like emojis) should be properly displayed in netsh output. This change is just beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Canary Channel will see it right away.
Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which the address bar dropdown appeared unexpectedly while you were using File Explorer.
There are three known issues in this build, including one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26257.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3936
Release date: July 22, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will see updated designs for the “Open with” dialog where the group headers are removed, among a few other changes.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which text suggestions for the hardware keyboard did not work.
Note that the bug fixes and new features are being gradually rolled out.
There are nine known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if the taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3936.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1252
Release date: July 15, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now 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.
Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when navigating away from Home.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which some Insiders saw a bug check with error KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE, and another in which Settings > System > Power & Battery had duplicate text when showing a warning about a slow charger.
There are three known issues in this build, including one in which the Windows Update page in Settings is not displaying correctly for Insiders using certain languages (no text shows).
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1252.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930
Release date: July 12, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build for Windows 11 version 23H2, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can get quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. If you are a commercial customer who is signed in with your Microsoft Entra ID account, you will additionally be able to view files that they have shared with others. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the Shared tab item.
In addition, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can access Studio Effects in Quick Settings from the system tray of the taskbar. Note that this is being gradually rolled out and so is not yet available to everyone.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including for one in which the All apps list wasn’t being read out by screen readers.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets one bug fix, in which you can now view or interact with the taskbar after you install KB5039302.
There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3951 and 22631.3951
Release date: July 11, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
In this update, you can drag apps from the Pinned section of the menu and pin them to the taskbar, and when you right-click a tab in File Explorer, you have the choice to duplicate it. Note that these features and several others might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3951 and 22631.3951.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252
Release date: July 10, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
This build begins to roll out the “Weather and more” feature, which brings finance, traffic, and sports to your Lock screen, alongside weather information. You can also now 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.
Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused colors in the Performance section of Task Manager to not display correctly in dark mode, and another in which Settings > System > Power & Battery had duplicate text when showing a warning about a slow charger.
There one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3858
Release date: June 28, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get some minor changes to simplify the Windows share window, including removing the search box. In addition, the preview thumbnail title in the taskbar, Alt + Tab, and Task View for File Explorer windows will now indicate if that window includes multiple tabs.
Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a number of bug fixes, including some addressing accessibility issues where File Explorer, Common File Dialog (CFD), and Browse/Shortcuts Dialogs did not respond appropriately to your text size / scaling preferences.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including one in which the app icon flashing in the taskbar is now be a bit easier to see. Another fix addresses a bug in which Group Policy failed to detect when a network’s speed is slow, instead assuming that a fast link was present.
There are six known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3858.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26244
Release date: June 28, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes a small set of general enhancements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows, according to Microsoft. In addition, a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC.
One bug was fixed, in which some Insiders saw 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.
There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26244.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790
Release date: June 21, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build for Windows 11, version 23H2, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can use their mobile device directly from the Start menu. See this blog post for details.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one bug fix, which addresses contrast issues of certain elements in File Explorer (left navigation pane, view pane/folder view, status bar buttons on the bottom right) in light, dark, and high contrast themes.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets two bug fixes, for a bug in which Settings was crashing when trying you were trying to look at Wi-Fi properties, and another in which Settings might crash when attempting to install an optional feature via Settings > System > Option features.
There are six known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned, and another in which some Insiders to see errors when attempting to use Voice Typing.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.994
Release date: June 20, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) failed to verify the policies of some apps, and another that caused DWM.exe to stop responding.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.994.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26241
Release date: June 19, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
This build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows, according to Microsoft. In addition, dragging-and-dropping files between breadcrumbs is now available in the File Explorer Address Bar.
Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused File Explorer to crash when going to Home.
There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26241.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785
Release date: June 14, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can right-click on apps pinned to the Start menu to see jump lists for apps that have them, such as PowerPoint. They can also more easily share content to an Android device from the Windows share window. Note that these and other new features are being gradually rolled out so are not yet available for everyone.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which clicking your profile icon on the Start menu and choosing Change account settings did not open account settings.
Everyone in the Beta Channel get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which your system might have not been able to resume from hibernate after you turned on BitLocker.
There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961
Release date: June 14, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3807 and 22631.3807
Release date: June 13, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
In this update, Copilot will be pinned to the taskbar and will behave like an app so you can do things like resize, move, and snap the window. The build also lets you create 7-Zip and Tape Archive (TAR) files using the File Explorer context menu and adds support for Emoji 15.1. Note that those and other features are gradually rolling out and are not yet available for everyone. The Copilot features have not yet begun to roll out.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3807 and 22631.3807.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236
Release date: June 12, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
This build starts the rollout 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. In addition, it includes a small set of general updates and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows.
Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused the preferred audio volume (under Settings > System > Sound > Volume Mixer) for Microsoft Edge to not persist across after restarting the app.
There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3720
Release date: June 7, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now use voice access to dictate text hands-free using Narrator. In addition, they get a new feature, auto restart for voice access in Windows 11, which automatically restarts voice access if it encounters any issues.
Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a number of bugs fixed, including one in which pressing Ctrl + F would sometimes not start a search in File Explorer.
There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3720.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.770
Release date: June 7, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows. They also get an update of the Snipping Tool that introduces automatic save for screen recordings. Your recordings will automatically be saved to the Screen Recordings folder (inside your Videos folder). You can choose to turn this off in Snipping Tool settings.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.770.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26231
Release date: June 6, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build, Narrator users can now use voice access to dictate text hands-free. In addition, a new feature called auto restart for voice access in Windows 11 automatically restarts voice access if it encounters any issues so that individuals with limited mobility can get back to using voice access as quickly as possible.
The build also includes a variety of bug fixes and improvements, including several that increase Task Manager reliability.
There is one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26231.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.751
Release date: May 31, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get the latest version of Copilot, which is pinned to the taskbar and runs like a traditional app, allowing you to resize, move, and snap the window. In addition, a new Linked devices page under Settings > Accounts allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed into with your Microsoft account.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which the Win + W keyboard shortcut did not work correctly to open the Widgets board, and another in which installation of Windows update failed to complete when you had to restart your device more than once.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.751.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26227
Release date: May 30, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build, Copilot for Windows runs as a traditional app pinned to the taskbar, allowing you to resize, move, and snap the window. The build also adds support for Emoji 15.1 and introduces 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.
Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which some apps didn’t run on startup even though they were enabled as startup apps in Settings, and another in which the Win + W keyboard shortcut did not work correctly and open the Widgets board.
There is one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26227.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3646
Release date: May 23, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of using Windows.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which File Explorer stopped responding when you swiped from a screen edge after you turned off edge swiping, and another in which TWAIN drivers stopped responding when used in a virtual environment.
There are six known issues in this build, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3646.)
Windows 11, version 24H2 (Build 26100.712)
Release date: May 22, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build is a preview of the annual Windows 11 feature update to be released later this year. It includes a variety of new features, including HDR background support, energy saver, Sudo for Windows, Rust in the Windows kernel, support for Wi-Fi 7, and voice clarity, among others. In it, Copilot will also become a traditional app that can be pinned to the taskbar. Microsoft will be sharing details about all its features in the coming months.
Note that new AI features such as Recall announced by Microsoft earlier this week will not be available on your PC after installing this update, as they require a Copilot+ PC. For more information on those new AI features and Copilot+ PCs, see Microsoft’s blog post.
(Get more info about Windows 11, version 24H2.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.670
Release date: May 17, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of unspecified “improvements and fixes that improve the overall Windows experience.”
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes including for a bug in which the Network Locations header was missing in the This PC section of File Explorer, and another in which NTLM authentication traffic might have increased in domain controllers (DC).
There is one known issue in this build, in which the Windows key + W keyboard shortcut may not work correctly to open the Widgets board.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.670.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3640
Release date: May 17, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get support for Emoji 15.1, which introduces a small number of new emoji, and support for creating 7-zip and TAR archives in addition to ZIP via the context menu in File Explorer. The build also fixes several bugs for those who have the toggle turned on, including a few accessibility issues in File Explorer’s Common File Dialog.
Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for the underlying cause of the Start menu crashing on launch or the All apps list not displaying.
There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3640.)
Windows 11 Insider Builds 22621.3668 and 22631.3668
Release date: May 17, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build for Windows version 22H2 (Build 22621) and version 23H2 (Build 22631) adds several new features, including one that lets you directly share to specific Microsoft Teams channels and group chats in the Windows share window, if you sign in using a Microsoft Entra ID.
It also starts the rollout of the new account manager on the Start menu, which shows you your account benefits a glance and makes it easier to manage your account settings when you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows.
These features might not be available to all users yet, because they will roll out gradually.
The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer stopped responding when you swiped from a screen edge after turning off edge swiping.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Builds 22621.3668 and 22631.3668.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26217
Release date: May 15, 2024
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.”
It also fixes two bugs, including one in which after using the Disable button for a camera under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras, the Enable button wouldn’t work; and the other in which the text showing the color filters keyboard shortcut was missing from Settings > Accessibility > Color filters.
Microsoft is investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. If that happened to you and you want to get the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel, download the latest ISO, do a clean install, and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26217.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3575
Release date: May 10, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can copy files from the Windows share window by clicking the new copy button. The build also fixes several bugs for those who have the toggle turned on, including one in which the address bar dropdown appeared unexpectedly on its own, because focus moved to the address bar.
There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3575)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.470
Release date: May 10, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage. The card will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC.
Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which 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.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.470.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212
Release date: May 8, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build, you can now generate QR codes for URLs and cloud file links through the Windows share window in order to share web pages across your devices. To do it in Microsoft Edge, click the share button in the Edge toolbar and choose “Windows share options.”
The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer sporadically crashed when using path suggestions in the address bar.
Microsoft is investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. If that happened to you and you want to get the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel, download the latest ISO, do a clean install, and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3570
Release date: May 3, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can duplicate a tab by right-clicking on a tab in File Explorer and also receive a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which the address bar dropdown might appear unexpectedly while using File Explorer.
The build fixes several bugs for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Copilot auto-launched unexpectedly after PCs restarted.
There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3570)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461
Release date: May 3, 2024
Released to: Dev Channel
In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of Windows. Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a bug fixed in which one in which Copilot auto-launched unexpectedly after PCs restarted.
There is one known issue with this build: some Insiders experience an install error 0x8007371B when trying to install Build 26120.461
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3566
Release date: April 26, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now drag-and-drop files with a mouse between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer Address Bar. For everyone in the Beta Channel, widgets are no longer pixelated or fuzzy. In addition, widgets on the lock screen are more reliable.
The build fixes an assortment of bugs for everyone in the Beta Channel, including a memory allocation issue in the Host Networking Service (HNS) that caused high memory consumption. The bug also affected service and pod deployment and scaling.
There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3566.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3500
Release date: April 19, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
This build begins the rollout of a new account manager on the Start menu for those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, the new design gives you a quick glanceable view of your account benefits and makes it easier to manage account settings.
In the build, everyone in the Beta Channel gets new navigation bar on the left allowing one to switch between a dedicated widgets dashboard and other integrated dashboards like Discover.
There are several known issues in this build for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3500.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200
Release date: April 19, 2024
Released to: Canary Channel
In this build there are several improvements to the Widgets button on the taskbar so that the icons on the taskbar are clearer. There are also a larger set of animated icons.
Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused RemoteApp windows to get cut off when using 200% scaling.
There are four known issues with this build, including one in which using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows feature that allows Copilot to act like a normal application window.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495
Release date: April 12, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will get recommendations for apps from the Microsoft Store under Recommended on the Start menu. This will appear only for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel in the US and will not apply to commercial devices (devices managed by organizations). This can be turned off by going to Settings > Personalization > Start and turning off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”
In the build, everyone in the Beta Channel can switch between two ways of using Copilot for Windows: The existing “docked” behavior that attaches Copilot to the side of your desktop, and a new mode where it acts like a normal application window that you can resize and move around your screen.
There are several known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520
Release date: April 11, 2024
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This update adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy called “AllowScreenRecorder” for the Snipping Tool. With it, IT admins can turn off screen recording in the app. The build also adds support for Arm64 .msi files using a Group Policy Object (GPO).
There are a wide variety of bug fixes in this build, including for a bug in which Settings stopped responding when you dismissed a flyout menu, and another in which the Windows Local Administrator Password Solution’s (LAPS) Post Authentication Actions (PAA) did not happen at the end of the grace period. Instead, they occurred at restart.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3430
Release date: April 5, 2024
Released to: Beta Channel
In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a Copilot feature in which when you copy text or image files, the Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help. When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as creating a similar image or analyzing an image. If you select an action on the menu, it will launch the action with Copilot.
There are several known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3430.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100
Release date: April 3, 2024
Released to: Canary and Dev Channels
This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that prevented bringing focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (for example, by using tab to cycle through buttons).
There are four known issues with this build, including one in which Copilot in Windows does not always fill the width of the panel when docked and resized to a large width. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.
Note: The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the period in which they are on the same builds, Insiders in the Canary Channel can switch to switch to the Dev Channel. Soon, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed for switching.
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.)