Build 28020.2818: Windows Insider Beta Channel, August 2026. Saved Wi-Fi in recovery and fixes for desktop backgrounds

Adds saved Wi-Fi use in recovery, Emoji 17.0, and File Explorer section-state memory; it also fixes black desktop backgrounds after reboot.

Does it affect you? Applies to: Devices running this Windows Insider Preview build in the Beta Channel (26H1).

This is a test build for people in the Windows Insider Program. Features in it can change, be removed, or never reach regular Windows releases.

What changes

Improvements 12 changes

Personalization

Gradual rollout 6 items

The Background page in Settings is more reliable.¹
Improves reliability of Personalization > Background.
Desktop slideshow transitions are more reliable on newly created accounts.²
Background previews show a higher resolution when you choose a desktop background.³
The desktop background preview in Settings displays better on portrait-mode monitors.⁴
Desktop wallpaper changes are handled more reliably when they happen in quick succession.⁵
Slideshow wallpapers can be used across multiple desktops without automatically switching back to Picture.⁶

Print Management

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Beta Channel

The modernized Print Management experience is temporarily removed from Insider builds while it is refined. Existing Print Management tools remain available.⁷

File Explorer

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Beta Channel

File Explorer Home remembers which sections you expanded or collapsed.⁸

Magnifier

Gradual rollout 2 items

Magnifier’s toolbar has updated icons that match the Windows 11 visual design.⁹
Magnifier’s toolbar has adjusted spacing and padding for a more consistent layout.¹⁰

Emoji

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Beta Channel

The designs of the saluting face, face with peeking eye, goose, lotus, and kissing cat emoji are adjusted for consistency across platforms.¹¹

Taskbar

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Beta Channel

The system tray area of the taskbar loads more reliably.¹²

New features 3 changes

Personalization

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Beta Channel

You can use DIB image files as desktop backgrounds.¹³

Windows Recovery

Gradual rollout

For: People using recovery workflows and IT admins

During recovery workflows, Windows can use eligible Wi-Fi profiles already saved on the PC to get online automatically.¹⁴
The capability applies in WinRE, including to supported certificate-based Wi-Fi networks. It is enabled by default; IT admins can disable it.

Emoji

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Beta Channel

Emoji 17.0 adds new emoji, including a distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature.¹⁵

Fix 1 change

Personalization

Gradual rollout

For some Insiders, the desktop wallpaper no longer turns black after every reboot.¹⁶

Technical details

Data sheet · Security · Downloads · Components Click to collapse or expand

Data sheet

Released: 2026-08-31
Type: Windows Insider build

Version	Build	Channel
—	28020.2818	Beta Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Sources

Windows Insider release notes

Updated Oct 26, 2026

Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (16)

1. Improved reliability of the Personalization > Background page in Settings. learn.microsoft.com
2. Improved reliability of desktop slideshow transitions on newly created accounts. learn.microsoft.com
3. Improved the resolution of previews when selecting a desktop background in Personalization > Background. learn.microsoft.com
4. Improved the desktop background preview display in Settings for users with portrait mode monitors. learn.microsoft.com
5. Improved reliability of processing desktop wallpaper changes when they happen in quick succession. learn.microsoft.com
6. Added support for using slideshow wallpapers with multiple desktops so that it won't automatically switch you back to Picture. learn.microsoft.com
7. We're temporarily removing the modernized Print Management experience from Windows Insider Preview builds while we continue refining the experience based on feedback. The existing Print Management tools remain available and are unaffected. learn.microsoft.com
8. File Explorer Home now preserves the state of sections (expanded or collapsed), so you can pick up where you left off. learn.microsoft.com
9. We've updated Magnifier's toolbar icons to align with Windows 11 visual design, giving the tool a cleaner, more modernized feel. learn.microsoft.com
10. We've adjusted the padding and spacing across the toolbar for a more polished, consistent layout. learn.microsoft.com
11. As part of this effort, we've also made some slight adjustments to the design of some of our current emoji to improve consistency across platforms. learn.microsoft.com
12. Improved reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar. learn.microsoft.com
13. Added support for using DIB image files as desktop backgrounds. learn.microsoft.com
14. We're adding a new WinRE networking capability that allows the Windows Recovery Environment to automatically reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles already saved in the main Windows OS, including supported certificate-based Wi-Fi networks. learn.microsoft.com
15. We're adding support for Emoji 17.0. This includes new emoji such as distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature. learn.microsoft.com
16. Fixed an issue that caused some Insiders to see their wallpaper go black after every reboot in the previous flight. learn.microsoft.com

Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 16 quoted passages

Quotes found in the official pages: passed
Numbers found in the sources: passed
Vulnerabilities from the dossier only: passed
Links to allowed domains only: passed
Every official change covered: passed
Readable plain text: passed
Changes confirmed by the file list: passed
Sources agree: passed

A second AI read the text against the sources: correctness 5/5, clarity 4/5, completeness 5/5. How we work

Published by The Update Bureau. Written with AI from Microsoft's own documents, checked by rules and a second AI. How we work · Report a mistake