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Windows 11 Windows 11 Insider 26H1 Insider Preview, Experimental Channel
Windows Insider

Build 28020.1673

Build 28020.1673: Windows Insider Experimental Channel, February 2026. Taskbar network speed test and Arm64 administration tools

In short

Build 28020.1673 for Canary Insiders adds a taskbar network speed test and Arm64 administration tools, alongside File Explorer changes and fixes.

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

Build
28020.1673
Review notes Additional details from the official release notes (1) Read note
  • Known issues Canary builds can be unstable and may be released with limited documentation.

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

New features 7 changes

Emoji

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • New emojis appear in the emoji panel.1
    The Emoji 16.0 release adds emojis from each major category.

Backup & Restore

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • First-sign-in restore can restore your settings and Microsoft Store apps on more kinds of devices.2
    The experience is part of Windows Backup for Organizations and applies to Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, Cloud PCs, and multi-user environments.

Taskbar & System Tray

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • You can open a built-in network speed test from the taskbar’s network controls.3
    Open it from Wi-Fi or Cellular Quick Settings, or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. It opens in the default browser and tests Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections.

Accounts

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • The Start menu account menu has an option for viewing and managing Microsoft account benefits.4

Camera Settings

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • You can adjust pan and tilt for supported cameras in Settings.5
    The controls are under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, in Basic settings for the selected camera.

Search on Taskbar

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • You can preview a search result by hovering over it and selecting Preview.6

Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with Arm64 devices

  • Windows 11 Arm64 devices can install and use server administration tools.7
    Optional features include Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services Tools, Active Directory Certificate Services Tools, Server Manager, Group Policy Management Tools, DNS Server Tools, and DHCP Server Tools.

Improvements 5 changes

Quick Machine Recovery

Gradual rollout

For: Windows Professional devices in the Canary Channel

  • Quick Machine Recovery turns on automatically on more Windows Professional devices.8
    It turns on for enterprise-managed Windows Professional devices and Windows Professional devices that are not domain-joined. It stays off on domain-joined devices unless the organization enables it.

Widgets

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • Widget Settings open as a full page instead of a dialog.9

Search on Taskbar

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • Search group headers show how many results they contain. Selecting a header shows that group’s results and hides results from other groups.10

File Explorer

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • The Folder Options dialog now has a consistent dark mode.11

Nearby Sharing

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • Sending larger files with Nearby Sharing is more reliable.12

Fixes 2 changes

File Explorer

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • Open File Explorer windows and tabs no longer unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home.13

Settings

Gradual rollout

For: Canary Insiders with the toggle on

  • Options under Bluetooth & devices > Wheel are more reliable to configure.14

Technical details

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

Data sheet

Released
2026-02-27
Type
Windows Insider build
VersionBuildChannel
— 28020.1673 Experimental Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Sources

Updated
Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (14)
  1. 1. The Emoji 16.0 release introduces a small thoughtfully curated set of new emojis, one from each major category. blogs.windows.com
  2. 2. The first sign-in restore experience is now part of Windows Backup for Organizations, bringing this restore capability to more device types. blogs.windows.com
  3. 3. A built‑in network speed test is now available from the taskbar. blogs.windows.com
  4. 4. The account menu on the Start menu now includes a new option that directs you to the benefits page, making it easier to explore and manage your Microsoft account benefits. blogs.windows.com
  5. 5. You can control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app. blogs.windows.com
  6. 6. You can preview search results by hovering over a result and selecting Preview to see the content without opening it. blogs.windows.com
  7. 7. This update adds support for Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) on Windows 11 Arm64 devices. blogs.windows.com
  8. 8. Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) now turns on automatically for enterprise managed Windows Professional devices, as well as Windows Professional devices that are not domain-joined. blogs.windows.com
  9. 9. Widget Settings now open as a full‑page experience in the Widgets app instead of opening in a dialog. blogs.windows.com
  10. 10. Group headers now show the number of results, so you can quickly see when more results are available. blogs.windows.com
  11. 11. We’re continuing to make improvements to the dark mode experience in File Explorer. You will now see a consistent dark mode experience in the Folder Options dialog. blogs.windows.com
  12. 12. Improved the reliability of sending larger files using nearby sharing. blogs.windows.com
  13. 13. Addressed an issue where all File Explorer open windows and tabs might unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home. blogs.windows.com
  14. 14. Improved reliability of configuring options in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Wheel. blogs.windows.com
Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 14 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 3/5. 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