Experimental Channel builds

What's being tested 2 new · 2 fixes

• New Built-in Sysmon: Windows includes Sysmon to capture system events that can help with threat detection. Custom configuration files can filter the events,...
• New Voice Access: Voice Access supports the Netherlands locale.
• Fix File Explorer: Keyboard navigation and access keys work better. Folder renaming with custom names works, and icons and tooltips for “Add to favorites”...

What's being tested 1 improved · 6 fixes

• Improved Desktop Background: Recent Canary builds added the ability to use .webp images as your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Background.
• Fix Start menu: The warning shown when you shut down while other users are still signed in is no longer cut off at the edge of the Start menu.
• Fix Input: Using a pen to draw in Snipping Tool no longer causes a black flash.

What's being tested 7 fixes

• Fix File Explorer: The “Extract All” option appears in the command bar when browsing non-ZIP archive folders.
• Fix Start menu: For some Insiders, clicking “hide this pane” in the mobile device side panel leads to the setting for hiding it.
• Fix Search: The Search process shows a magnifying glass instead of an X icon.

What's being tested 1 new · 2 improved · 14 fixes

• New Desktop Background: You can use .webp images as your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Background.
• Improved Account Settings: The dialogs under Accounts > Other Users have a refreshed design and support dark mode.
• Improved Click to Do: Copilot prompt suggestions in Click to Do load instantly. This change is not yet rolling out to Insiders in the EEA or China.

What's being tested 5 fixes

• Fix Start menu: Selecting a pinned item inside a Start menu folder no longer makes the whole folder disappear.
• Fix File Explorer: File Explorer no longer shows a white flash while some Insiders move between pages.
• Fix Input: The keyboard character repeat delay setting now behaves as configured.

What's being tested 2 new · 3 improved · 7 fixes

• New Narrator: On Windows 11 devices, Narrator can open Copilot with a focused image or the full screen ready for a description. You choose whether to...
• New Microsoft Copilot app: Admins can set a policy to remove the Microsoft Copilot app once for eligible users. Users can reinstall it if they choose.
• Improved Channel switching: Dev Channel Insiders have a temporary opportunity to switch to the Beta Channel. The opportunity closes when Dev moves to a higher buil...

What's being tested 7 new · 6 improved · 16 fixes

• New Ask Copilot on the taskbar with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Commercial users can open Microsoft 365 Copilot from the taskbar, invoke agents, and search for apps, files, and settings.
• New Agents on the taskbar: You can track Researcher’s progress from the taskbar, see updates when hovering over its icon, and get a notification when its report i...
• New Agent Launchers on Windows: Apps can make their AI agents discoverable across Windows and supporting apps, where you can open an agent’s chat.

What's being tested 9 new · 16 improved · 27 fixes

• New Gaming: The Xbox full-screen experience is available on more Windows 11 handhelds, with a console-style interface and fewer background tasks.
• New Windows Studio Effects: On supported Copilot+ PCs, Studio Effects can be used with an additional camera, such as a USB webcam or a laptop's rear camera.
• New Drag Tray: You can now turn Drag Tray on or off in Settings.

What's being tested 1 new · 1 improved · 1 fix

• New Features and improvements from the October non-security preview update: Some features and improvements from the October 2025 non-security preview update are beginning to become available in this build.
• Improved Administrator Protection: Admin protection is temporarily unavailable to Insiders in the Canary Channel.
• Fix Storage: The build fixes an issue that could make some Storage Spaces inaccessible or cause Storage Spaces Direct to fail while creating a stora...

What's being tested 7 new · 2 improved · 8 fixes

• New Model Context Protocol (MCP) on Windows: AI agents can discover and connect to apps, tools and services through a secure Windows registry on the device.
• New File Explorer Connector: With your consent, agents can manage, organize and find local files. On Copilot+ PCs, they can also search for files using natural lang...
• New Windows Settings Connector: On Copilot+ PCs, you can ask an agent to check or change settings, or open pages such as display, mouse, keyboard and sound.

What's being tested 3 new · 6 improved · 8 fixes

• New Xbox full screen experience for PC: Xbox full-screen experience brings a controller-first gaming interface to more Windows 11 PCs. This gradual preview is for Dev and Beta...
• New Point-in-time restore for Windows: Point-in-time restore can return a device to a previous state, including its apps, settings, and user files, to help recover from disru...
• New Fluid Dictation in Voice Typing: On NPU devices, voice typing can automatically correct grammar and punctuation and remove filler words as you speak.

What's being tested

• Note The build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes to the overall experience; the release notes do not describe them indi...

What's being tested 4 new · 9 improved · 5 fixes

• New Narrator and Magnifier: Downloadable HD voices in English (United States) give Narrator and Magnifier clearer, more natural speech. You can change voices and a...
• New Narrator: Narrator can read equations in Microsoft 365 apps such as Word in a structured way.
• New AI Components Setting: A new setting lets agents use experimental Windows agentic features.

What's being tested 1 improved · 2 fixes

• Improved Versioning: Settings > System > About and winver show Windows 11, version 26H1. This is not a feature update for version 25H2.
• Fix Live captions: Live captions no longer crash for some Insiders because of an issue in the previous build.
• Fix Outlook sign-in: The credentials window is accessible when you try to sign in to Outlook.

What's being tested 2 new · 6 improved · 5 fixes

• New Dev and Beta Channels: Dev Insiders can switch to the Beta Channel while both channels receive the same 25H2-based updates. The opportunity closes when Dev mo...
• New Widgets: Numbered badges on dashboard icons show how many alerts each dashboard has. The badges clear when you leave a dashboard.
• Improved Widgets: When the Widget Board shows live weather, opening it takes you to the first dashboard in the navigation bar instead of the dashboard yo...

What's being tested 1 new · 2 improved · 4 fixes

• New Sharing: When you drag a local file from File Explorer or the desktop, a tray appears at the top of the screen. Drop the file into a displayed a...
• Improved Lock screen: You can add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets, including Weather, Watchlist, and Sports. Suggested widgets can help you discov...
• Improved Widgets: Multiple dashboards give you more space for widgets, and a new left-side navigation bar lets you switch between dashboards and views su...

What's being tested 3 new · 3 improved · 12 fixes

• New Ask Copilot in taskbar: Ask Copilot adds a taskbar experience for finding apps, files and settings, and for using Copilot Vision and Voice. It is optional and...
• New Full screen experience: The Xbox PC app's full-screen gaming experience is expanding to more Windows 11 handhelds. The preview is rolling out to MSI Claw model...
• New Shared audio: Shared audio lets two people listen together through two supported, paired and connected accessories.

What's being tested 3 new · 9 improved · 8 fixes

• New Windows Search Box: After you copy text in Windows, a prompt appears in the taskbar search box. Click it to search for the copied text.
• New Voice Typing: You can set how long Voice Typing waits before carrying out a voice command, to suit your speaking pace.
• New Proactive Memory Diagnostics: After an unexpected restart, you may see a sign-in notification offering a memory scan. If you choose it, the scan runs at the next reb...

What's being tested 3 fixes

• Fix Input: The touch keyboard launches more reliably.
• Fix Windows Hello: On affected devices, the Windows Hello PIN works after upgrading without needing to set it up again.
• Fix Settings: Settings no longer crashes when you open drive information in Storage. The same issue also affected drive properties in File Explorer.

What's being tested 3 new · 3 improved · 8 fixes

• New Mobile Device Settings: Settings has a page for viewing and adding mobile devices, and managing connected-camera and File Explorer access features.
• New Accounts: The Start menu account control gains an option to open the benefits page for your Microsoft account.
• New Drag Tray: You can turn Drag Tray on or off in Settings.

What's being tested 1 new · 5 fixes

• New Notification Center: You can open Notification Center on any monitor and see the calendar there, with an option to show a bigger clock with seconds above it...
• Fix File Explorer: File Explorer no longer crashes when you transfer files to a network drive.
• Fix Lock and login screens: Media controls display on the lock screen.

What's being tested 3 new · 4 improved · 7 fixes

• New Agent in Settings — Recommended Settings: Recently changed settings can show an inline action so you can change them more quickly.
• New Agent in Settings — Search: Settings search shows more results you can act on. If a setting cannot be changed further, a dialog explains why and offers an option t...
• New Drag Tray: You can share multiple files, see more relevant app suggestions, and move files to a chosen folder.

What's being tested 3 new · 3 improved · 11 fixes

• New Hardware indicators: You can move the brightness, volume, airplane mode, and virtual desktop indicators to the bottom, top-left, or top-center of the screen...
• New Input: Press Win + Minus to type an En dash, or Win + Shift + Minus to type an Em dash. If Magnifier is running, Win + Minus still zooms out i...
• New Windows Share: You can pin favorite apps in the Windows share window.

What's being tested 2 new · 3 improved · 8 fixes

• New Click to Do (Preview): Hover over a number and unit to see a conversion, or select it for more conversion options. Supported categories include length, area,...
• New Windows Hello: Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security can now work with supported external fingerprint readers, including on desktop PCs.
• Improved Click to Do (Preview): Image Object select is temporarily turned off because of quality issues.

What's being tested 4 new · 2 improved · 10 fixes

• New Taskbar & System Tray: You can run a network speed test from Wi-Fi or Cellular Quick Settings, or by right-clicking the system tray network icon. It opens in...
• New Get Started/Microsoft 365 Copilot: Get Started adds a Microsoft 365 Copilot page with information, guidance, and a link to the app.
• New File Explorer: Cloud providers can connect their suggestions to File Explorer Home.