Build 26100.8728: Windows Insider Release Preview Channel, June 2026. Point-in-time recovery and quieter Widgets

• Widgets no longer open when you hover over them. Notifications and taskbar badges are minimized by default, and badges use your Windows accent color.¹
• The Widgets dashboard opens by default the first time you use Widgets.²
• New users see Weather as the only default widget on the lock screen.³
• You can customize Widgets defaults in Settings from the navigation bar.⁴
• Dashboard icons show how many alerts you have, and badges clear when you leave a dashboard.⁵
• Some default settings are preserved based on how you use Widgets, while others change to reduce interruptions.⁶
• Widgets is more reliable and responsive, with improved visual quality.⁷

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• You can enter a zoom percentage directly and change magnification in increments in the Magnifier window.⁸
• You can change zoom increments from the Magnifier bar instead of opening Windows Settings.⁹

• Hovering over a file in File Explorer Home can show quick actions, including Open file location and Ask Copilot, for work and school accounts.¹⁰
  This feature uses Entra ID accounts and is not available in the European Economic Area.
• The address bar accepts paths that contain double backslashes or quotation marks.¹¹
  Examples include C:\Users\user and "C:\Users\user".
• The address bar suggestion list is more reliable and closes consistently after you select an item.¹²
• Navigating to File Explorer Home is more reliable during OneDrive sync.³⁹

• AirPods appear faster when they are in pairing mode.¹³
• The microphone is more reliable on Beats Studio Pro headphones.¹⁴
• Bluetooth audio is more stable with certain PC manufacturer drivers.¹⁵
  The notes associate the issue with error code 0x9F.
• Voice calls have better Bluetooth audio quality and reliability with classic audio devices.¹⁶
  Applies to devices using the Hands-Free Profile (HFP).
• LE Audio streaming is more reliable after a connection is lost and restored.¹⁷
• LE Audio accessories start playing sooner when you use the microphone.¹⁸
• Removing a paired Bluetooth device is more reliable when the Bluetooth radio is off or has changed, reducing “Remove failed” messages.¹⁹
• Classic Bluetooth audio devices reconnect sooner after Windows resumes from hibernation.²¹
• LE Audio accessories are more reliable when they disconnect, such as when another device connects.²²

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• The Bluetooth & devices settings page is more stable.²⁰

For: People making calls through a paired phone

• For an outgoing call dialed from a paired phone, audio stays on the phone while it rings and moves to the PC only when you answer from the PC.²³

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• The built-in HD Audio driver is more reliable.²⁴
  The notes call this the inbox HD Audio driver.

For: People with left-aligned taskbar icons

• The Start menu opens more reliably when you click the taskbar's left edge with taskbar icons aligned to the left.²⁵

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• GIF browsing and sharing in the emoji panel uses GIPHY following the deprecation of Tenor.²⁶
  Open the emoji panel with Windows key + period (.).

• Confidential Virtual Machines use hardware acceleration by default for improved network throughput.²⁷
  CVMs now use SR-IOV hardware acceleration by default.
• Wi-Fi power-related blue screens are reduced.²⁸
  This improves the reliability of the Windows networking stack.
• Cellular connectivity improves, including support for IPv6 VPNs.²⁹
  The notes refer to cellular (WWAN) connectivity.
• Compatibility improves with third-party VPN software and SR-IOV configurations on server hardware.³⁰
• Network adapter settings and bindings are preserved during operating system upgrades.³¹
• Connections to shared network resources work more reliably, including connections without authentication.⁴²
  The change includes app and system connections such as the NetUseAdd function and unauthenticated (null session) connections.

• Using WSL with VPNs is improved in mirrored networking mode.³²

• Some apps that span multiple monitors render content more reliably while you scroll.³³
• Applying color profiles is more reliable, and profiles persist more reliably.³⁴

For: Windows 11 PCs with location services turned off

• Location options that do not take effect when location services are off are now greyed out, clarifying when they apply.³⁵
  This applies to Default location and Allow location override in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location.

For: Administrators configuring Search policies

• Setting Search-related group policies is more reliable.³⁶

• Japanese handwriting input recognizes English characters more reliably.³⁷

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• Windows Explorer is more reliable overall, including when switching between multiple desktops.³⁸
  The notes describe underlying changes to explorer.exe reliability.

For: Windows 11 PCs with shell extensions installed

• Apps launch more reliably when shell extensions are installed.⁴⁰

For: Eligible devices receiving Windows quality updates

• More eligible devices can automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates, while the rollout remains phased and depends on successful update signals.⁴¹
  Quality updates include additional high-confidence device-targeting data; certificates are delivered after sufficient successful update signals.

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• Newly installed or removed apps appear in the Start menu without requiring sign-out or a restart.⁴³
  This mainly affects apps that create a Start menu folder with multiple shortcuts.

• OneDrive files no longer appear duplicated in Favorites in File Explorer Home.⁴⁴
• Text is no longer repeatedly selected when you rename items in folder views.⁴⁵
• Names that change only in letter case appear updated immediately in folder views.⁴⁶
  Applies to items stored locally or in the cloud.

For: People using Phone Link with Do Not Disturb enabled

• When Do Not Disturb is on in Windows, incoming calls from a paired phone no longer ring on the PC.⁴⁷

For: People using nested Hyper-V virtualization

• A configuration issue in nested Hyper-V networking is corrected so virtual machines can be provisioned reliably.⁴⁸

• Login and lock screens are more reliable when third-party credential providers are used.⁴⁹

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• Taskbar icons are less likely to appear as blank gray placeholders.⁵⁰
• Notification counts and badge visuals update correctly across apps.⁵³

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• Reliability issues related to acrylic blur effects are addressed.⁵¹

• Member servers can connect successfully to domain controllers set up before 2025.⁵²
  The change improves Netlogon secure channel connections between domain controllers.

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• You can roll your PC, including apps, settings, and personal files, back to a recent automatic restore point.⁵⁴

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• A calendar lets you choose an end date for pausing updates, for up to 35 days.⁵⁵
  The calendar is in Settings > Windows Update.

For: Windows 11 PCs in the Release Preview Channel

• A full-screen color tint can help reduce eye strain and improve readability. You can choose a preset, adjust its intensity, or turn it on automatically.⁵⁶
  Find screen tint in Settings > Accessibility.

For: People using Bluetooth headphones with microphone mute controls

• Bluetooth headphones with a mute button or indicator keep their microphone mute state in sync with the audio mixer.⁵⁷
  Windows syncs the state between the audio mixer and the Hands-Free Profile (HFP).

For: People using voice access or voice typing on Copilot+ PCs

• Voice access and voice typing can be used in French, German, and Spanish. Speech is corrected in real time for grammar, punctuation, recognition errors, and clarity, including with background noise.⁵⁸
  Available on Copilot+ PCs.

For: People installing supported printers

• New printer installations use Internet Printing Protocol by default when the printer supports it.⁵⁹
  The setting is named “Default install printers using Windows Ready Print.”

For: People using a touchpad with a pressable surface

• You can choose the size of the touchpad's bottom-right zone for single-finger right-clicks: default, small, medium, or large.⁶⁰
  The setting is in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad. It requires a touchpad with a pressable surface; a Custom option appears when the device manufacturer's app provides customization.