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Windows 11 Windows 11 Insider 26H2 Insider Preview, Experimental Channel
Windows Insider

Build 26300.8497

Build 26300.8497: Windows Insider Experimental Channel, May 2026. HID braille support and screen tint for accessibility

In short

Adds HID braille support, screen tint and Voice Isolation, and includes fixes for input, Explorer and other issues.

Does it affect you? Applies to: Devices enrolled in the Windows Insider Program in the Experimental Channel.

Build
26300.8497
Review notes Additional details from the official release notes (1) Read note
  • What changes The notes place these changes under “Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out,” so they may reach Insiders gradually.

The official sources are linked at the end of the page.

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

Fixes 5 changes

Input

  • The candidate window appears again for some Insiders typing in Japanese or Chinese.1
    Fixes an issue with the IME candidate window.

explorer.exe

  • A recurring Explorer crash that could make the screen or taskbar blink and refresh should be resolved.2
    The issue occurred after the previous flight.

Energy Saver

  • The Energy Saver quick setting no longer appears twice for some Insiders.3

Start and taskbar

  • Win + X and right-clicking Start on the taskbar work again for some Insiders.4

Audio

For: Users of certain devices

  • Audio no longer becomes unexpectedly muted on certain devices.5

New features 4 changes

Narrator

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders who use braille displays

  • Narrator works with compatible braille displays over USB or Bluetooth. USB braille displays also work during initial Windows setup.6
    Supports refreshable braille displays using the HID standard, including over USB during OOBE.

Accessibility

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders who want to reduce screen intensity

  • Screen tint overlays the display with a color you choose, with six presets or a custom color and an adjustable strength. It cannot be on at the same time as color filters.7
    Available under Settings > Accessibility > Vision. Screen tint and color filters disable one another; screen tint can be used alongside Night light.

Windows Ready Print

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders installing printers

  • A new setting lets you choose whether Windows uses its default IPP installation method for supported printers.8
    The toggle is at Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Default install printers using Windows Ready Print. When off, Windows may use other available installation methods.

Voice Access

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders using Voice Access

  • Voice Isolation helps Voice Access understand you by filtering other voices and background noise. A short voice setup is required, and voice data stays on your device.9
    Under Voice Access settings > Improve speech recognition, choose Voice Isolation, Remove background noise only, or No filtering. Voice Isolation requires a one-time voice setup.

Improvements 3 changes

Magnifier

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders using Magnifier on touchscreen devices

  • Touch panning bars are hidden by default for a less distracting magnified view. You can turn them back on in Settings.10
    The setting is under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.

Simple Service Discovery Protocol

For: Insiders

  • SSDP notifications are more reliable, helping prevent the service from becoming unresponsive.11
    Improves the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications.

DISM

For: Insiders running the DISM command

  • The image repair command runs more reliably.12
    Improves reliability of dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth.

Technical details

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

Data sheet

Released
2026-05-22
Type
Windows Insider build
VersionBuildChannel
26H2 26300.8497 Experimental Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Sources

Updated
Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (12)
  1. 1. Fixed an issue in the previous flight causing the IME candidate window not to display for some Insiders when typing in Japanese or Chinese. learn.microsoft.com
  2. 2. If you were experiencing a cyclical explorer.exe crash after the previous flight (which may have looked like the screen or taskbar blinking and repeatedly refreshing), that should be resolved after updating to this build. learn.microsoft.com
  3. 3. Fixed issue causing the Energy Saver quick setting to show twice for some Insiders in recent flights. learn.microsoft.com
  4. 4. Fixed issue causing Win + X / right-click on Start in Taskbar to not work for some Insiders in the previous flight. learn.microsoft.com
  5. 5. Fixed an issue resulting in the audio volume being unexpectedly muted on certain devices in recent flights. learn.microsoft.com
  6. 6. Narrator now supports displays that use the HID standard — an open industry standard for braille displays. learn.microsoft.com
  7. 7. We're introducing screen tint, a new accessibility setting that applies a color overlay across your entire display, softening its intensity so it's easier on your eyes throughout the day. learn.microsoft.com
  8. 8. This month, we're adding a new toggle in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Default install printers using Windows Ready Print to give you control over this behavior. learn.microsoft.com
  9. 9. We're introducing Voice Isolation, a new option in Voice Access that helps it focus on your voice, even when others are speaking nearby. learn.microsoft.com
  10. 10. Touch bars for panning in Magnifier are now off by default. learn.microsoft.com
  11. 11. This update improves the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications to help prevent the service from becoming unresponsive. learn.microsoft.com
  12. 12. Improved reliability of running dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth command. learn.microsoft.com
Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 12 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 4/5, clarity 4/5, completeness 4/5. 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