Long before Taco Tuesday became part of the pop-culture vernacular, Tuesdays were synonymous with security — and for anyone in the tech world, they still are.  Patch Tuesday, as you most likely know, refers to the day each month when Microsoft releases security updates and patches for its software products — everything from Windows to Office to SQL Server, developer tools to browsers.

The practice, which happens on the second Tuesday of the month, was initiated to streamline the patch distribution process and make it easier for users and IT system administrators to manage updates.  Like tacos, Patch Tuesday is here to stay.

In a blog post celebrating the 20th anniversary of Patch Tuesday, the Microsoft Security Response Center wrote: “The concept of Patch Tuesday was conceived and implemented in 2003. Before this unified approach, our security updates were sporadic, posing significant challenges for IT professionals and organizations in deploying critical patches in a timely manner.”

Patch Tuesday will continue to be an “important part of our strategy to keep users secure,” Microsoft said, adding that it’s now an important part of the cybersecurity industry.  As a case in point, Adobe, among others, follows a similar patch cadence.

Patch Tuesday coverage has also long been a staple of Computerworld’s commitment to provide critical information to the IT industry. That’s why we’ve gathered together this collection of recent patches, a rolling list we’ll keep updated each month.

In case you missed a recent Patch Tuesday announcement, here are the latest six months of updates.

August: Patch Tuesday means patch now

Microsoft pushed out 90 updates in its August Patch Tuesday release, including fixes for five Windows zero-days (CVE-2024-38178, CVE-2024-38193, CVE-2024-38213, CVE-2024-38106, CVE-2024-38107) and one zero-day affecting Office (CVE-2024-38189). This means a “Patch Now” recommendation for both Windows and Microsoft Office. Microsoft offered several (pretty useful) mitigations and recommendations to reduce the impact of these security issues. More info on Microsoft Security updates for August 2024.

July: 4 zero-day flaws

This July’s Patch Tuesday from Microsoft addressed a significant number of vulnerabilities, including four zero-day threats.  Here’s a quick rundown: Microsoft released updates for SQL Server, with patches for Windows, Office, .NET, and Visual Studio. It also released four critical updates for Windows, including patches for Hyper-V and MSHTML. There’s one critical update for Office’s SharePoint platform.
More info on Microsoft Security updates for July 2024.

June: Relatively quiet on major updates

This month’s Patch Tuesday brought mostly low-risk updates with no reported zero-day vulnerabilities. Key areas addressed include changes to Secure Boot (requiring third-party driver testing), code integrity policies (needing verification for Windows Defender features), and core Windows systems (necessitating broad application testing). While there were no critical updates for Office or Exchange Server, some updates to Visual Studio require attention for developers.
More info on Microsoft Security updates for June 2024.

May:  3 zero-day vulnerabilities signal ‘patch now’ alert

This month’s Patch Tuesday highlights three critical zero-day vulnerabilities affecting Windows PCs and requiring immediate patching  — that is,  identified as “patch now.” Some updates like those to Office and Edge browsers follow standard release schedules, but be aware of a critical update for SharePoint Server.  Developers need to aware o a late addition to the update cycle affecting the Azure Agent, requiring attention for Azure-based virtual macHines. Testing is crucial this month, especially for core Windows features like the Common Error Log, DNS, cryptography and routing services.
More info on Microsoft Security updates for May.

April: Microsoft showers users with 149 patches

April’s Patch Tuesday was a complex one, especially for SQL-dependent applications. This hefty Patch Tuesday from Microsoft included 149 updates. While there were no zero-day vulnerabilities, key areas addressed include crypto APIs, networking and remote desktop connections. A major update to the Kerberos security system removes Windows 11 from the affected list, highlighting the importance of staying updated. For developers, 11 updates target the development platform, with 10 focused on SQL ODBC issues and 1 on .NET. While the .NET update can be added to the standard schedule, the ODBC updates require careful examination.
More info on Microsoft Security updates for April.

March: It’s a complicated Patch Tuesday

This month’s Patch Tuesday from Microsoft was complex. There were no reported zero-day vulnerabilities, but a number of updates, particularly those affecting SQL, OLE and ODBC components, underscore the importance of a thorough evaluation. Key areas of focus include file management, cryptography, networking, remote desktop connections, and SQL-related functionalities. Given the interconnectedness of these systems, organizations should prioritize testing across their application portfolios to identify potential impacts. The update to the Kerberos security system is noteworthy, as it removes support for certain Windows 11 versions.
More info on Microsoft Security updates for March.

February : Outlook and Exchange Server hit with updates

February’s Patch Tuesday from Microsoft was significant with a critical combination of vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Outlook and Exchange Server, both actively exploited. These updates required immediate patch now. While most updates are rated important and can be added to standard release schedules, pay close attention to the recently exploited Windows SmartScreen vulnerability and update Windows immediately. For developers, core .NET and Visual Studio updates require standard release schedule inclusion. A new SignalR library was introduced for real-time web functionality in ASP.NET.
More info on Microsoft Security updates for February.

Microsoft pushed out 90 updates this week in its August Patch Tuesday release, including fixes for five Windows zero-days (CVE-2024-38178, CVE-2024-38193, CVE-2024-38213, CVE-2024-38106, CVE-2024-38107) and one zero-day affecting Office (CVE-2024-38189). 

Unfortunately, this means a “Patch Now” recommendation for both Windows and Microsoft Office this month. Microsoft offered several (pretty useful) mitigations and recommendations to reduce the impact of these security issues; our testing guidance reflects this, with a focus on the networking related features of Windows. 

Minor updates for the Microsoft development platforms can be added to your standard patch release schedule, while Microsoft did not release any patches for Microsoft SQL Server or Exchange Server. And Adobe Reader updates are back, though we assume this will be included in your Windows desktop Patch Now release cycle. 

The team at Readiness has provided a helpful infographic that outlines the risks associated with each of these updates. (See our running list of recent Patch Tuesday updates here.)

Known issues 

Each month, Microsoft publishes a list of known issues affecting the operating system and platforms included in the latest update cycle, including these two reported minor issues:

• After installing the Windows update released on or after July 9, 2024, Windows Servers might (intermittently) affect Remote Desktop Connectivity across an organization. This issue might occur if legacy protocol (Remote Procedure Call over HTTP) is used in Remote Desktop Gateway. Microsoft is working on a resolution. 
• There’s an issue where “players” on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. This might be a good time to “block out” (sorry, not sorry) some time to look at potential compatibility issues on ARM platforms. Don’t forget to try to change your account profile photo — oh, wait!

Major revisions 

This Patch Tuesday saw the following major revisions to past Microsoft security and feature updates, including:

• CVE-2024-29187: WiX Burn-based bundles are vulnerable to binary hijack when run as SYSTEM. Microsoft released updates on Tuesday for Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 version 15.9, Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 version 16.11, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 to address this GitHub-related issue. 
• CVE-2024-35058: BitLocker Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Microsoft has added a FAQ to explain that because of firmware incompatibility issues, BitLocker would go into recovery mode on some devices; the fix for CVE-2024-38058 has been disabled with the release of this month’s updates. Customers who want to be protected can apply the mitigations described in KB5025885.

Mitigations and workarounds

Microsoft published the following vulnerability-related mitigations for this month’s release cycle:

• CVE-2024-38199: Windows Line Printer Daemon (LPD) Service Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. Microsoft recommended as part of their mitigation strategy that all corporate users no longer install the LPD utility. Given that this reported vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, the Readiness team highly recommends a scan of your environment to ensure that this service is not running (and preferably not installed).
• CVE-2024-38159 and CVE-2024-38160: Windows Network Virtualization Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. To reduce exposure to this vulnerability, Microsoft recommends that Hyper-V be disabled on the target machine. 
• CVE-2024-38140: Windows Reliable Multicast Transport Driver (RMCAST) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. Microsoft offers solid advice here. This vulnerability is only exploitable if there is a program listening on a Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM) port. If PGM is installed or enabled, but no programs are actively listening, this vulnerability is not exploitable. 

Each month, the team at Readiness analyses the latest updates and provides detailed, actionable testing guidance based on a large application portfolio and a detailed analysis of the patches and their potential impact on Windows and app  installations. We have grouped the critical updates and required testing efforts into separate product and functional areas, including:

Microsoft Office

Due to the changes to Microsoft Outlook and .NET components, we recommend a full test of sending/receiving mails with HTML content.

Microsoft .NET and developer tools

Microsoft updated both Microsoft .NET (Version 8) and Visual Studio 2022 with the following testing recommendations

• Due to the update to System.Net.Mail.SmtpClient a test of sending mail over TLS with a HTTP body will be required.

Windows

With the release of the Windows updates, Microsoft put a real focus on securing Windows networking features with updates to core system files such as AFD.SYS; these will require the following testing:

• Network packets: try using a web browser to download and upload large files from both internal and external websites. Multicast senders will require validation on packet returns.
• Network sockets: check that bind, connect and listen functions work as expected. Close socket functions will require testing this month, as well.
• Smartcards: full logon/logoff testing will be required.
• Network Bridges: This update will require testing across two or more network adapters. Try creating a bridge using IPv6 packets.
• Bluetooth: Sending files across two Bluetooth adapters will require testing.
• DNS: Recursive DNS queries will require a basic test. Have a look for any SERVFAIL returns or time-outs. We also suggest trying NETSH to configure proxy settings. 
• Remote Desktop: Test remote configurations on RRAS platforms while using copy/paste functions over a VPN.

In addition to these networking-focused changes, Microsoft updated core features in the Windows desktop and server platforms, including:

• Windows Error logs: a complete CRUD test (create, read, update and delete) will be required for Windows log files.
• Kerberos: Logon and certificate workflows will require validation.
• Codec and camera updates will require a basic test of camera (both still and video) features.
• Hyper-V: With only minor changes to the Microsoft Hyper-V platform, a basic VM startup and shut-down test is recommended.

Microsoft made a number of significant changes to the Windows file system (NTFS) with changes to both the NtQueryEaFile and NtSetEaFile APIs. Unfortunately, a significant testing cycle is required that should include large file CRUD file tests — and remember to include a query component. The Readiness team suggests that a PowerShell test be included to assist with “pacing” rapid changes to the Windows file system.

Given recent challenges with CrowdStrike and BitLocker, Microsoft published changes that will require testing of the Microsoft BitLocker recovery environment.

Windows lifecycle update (now including enforcements)

This section contains important changes to servicing, significant feature deprecations and security-related enforcements across the Windows desktop and server platforms.

• Enforcements: Now that we are past the July 2024 deadline for the enforcement phase, the Windows certificate “Windows Production PCA 2011” will be automatically revoked.
• Lifecycle: Both Windows 11 Enterprise, Versions 21H2 and 22H2, have an end of servicing date of Oct. 8.

Each month, we break down the update cycle into product families (as defined by Microsoft) with the following basic groupings: 

• Browsers (Microsoft IE and Edge).
• Microsoft Windows (both desktop and server).
• Microsoft Office.
• Microsoft Exchange Server.
• Microsoft Development platforms (ASP.NET Core, .NET Core and Chakra Core)
• Adobe (if you get this far).

Browsers

Microsoft released 11 updates to the Edge browser platform. These low-profile changes have been rated as either important or moderate, reflecting their lower security and deployment risks. We recommend following the stable channel release of Microsoft Edge, as there will be mid-cycle releases at the end of this month. Add these browser updates to your standard release schedule.

Windows

Microsoft has released six critical and 60 updates rated as important by Microsoft with five zero-day patches (as already noted, they are: CVE-2024-38178, CVE-2024-38193, CVE-2024-38213, CVE-2024-38106, and CVE-2024-38107.

In addition to these updates, Microsoft released patches that affect the following Windows feature groups:

• Windows DNS, broadband, routing, translation and multicast networking features.
• Kernel mode and system drivers.
• Line printer services (daemon).
• Windows OLE.
• Windows Kerberos.

Given the larger (and somewhat concerning) number of exploited and publicly disclosed vulnerabilities this month, we again recommend a “Patch Now” schedule for this update.

Microsoft Office 

Microsoft returns to form with one critical rated update to Copilot (CVE-2024-38206) and nine other updates to the Microsoft Office suite, all rated important. Unfortunately, one of the vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-38189) that affects the entire Office platform has been reported as exploited. Add Microsoft Office to the Patch Now release schedule.

Microsoft SQL (nee Exchange) Server 

Good news: no updates or patches for either SQL Server or Exchange Server. 

Microsoft development platforms 

Microsoft released four low-profile updates to the Microsoft .NET and Visual Studio 2022 platforms. We do not expect serious testing requirements for these lesser reported vulnerabilities. Add these updates to your standard developer release schedule.

Adobe Reader (and other third-party updates) 

Adobe Reader is back in the game with an important update, APSB24-57, which has addressed 12 memory and “use after free” (my favorite) security vulnerabilities; it can be added to your Windows update cycle. 

Every business using tech (which means every business) should now hope that the days of insecure platform design are numbered, as one of the most powerful cybersecurity agencies on the planet steps into the ring to demand tougher security.

Following the financial disaster of the Microsoft/CrowdStrike debacle, the BSI — Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security — is demanding that tech firms take swift steps to secure their products and prevent a repeat meltdown. 

No more designer insecurity

The BSI is summoning Big Tech companies to a conference later this year and will be pushing for kernel access to be restricted or abandoned. That’s almost certainly going to mean Microsoft will need to cease allowing kernel access in Windows, just as Apple already did years ago. What Apple understood is that the risks of providing such access are too high and the consequences too great.

While many in the industry seem to think it’s normal for a computer outage to generate billions of dollars of damage to global systems and businesses, those outside that bubble disagree. That’s why Apple doesn’t do that.

There is another way

Apple’s approach to platform security isn’t foolproof. Security is ephemeral; delivering it is an eternal dance — and sometimes errors take place.  But, at least in Apple’s case, it is an ongoing investment characterized by a high degree of proactive protection. Apple’s security teams identified the risks of kernel access and got rid of it — not without opposition. 

(Microsoft has claimed it can’t get follow suit because of a 2009 agreement with the European Commission, but perhaps it could have argued already for the need to do so. I don’t know if it did.)

Chalk and cheese, and it goes way back

The difference between these approaches is not new. Think back to the early days of Mac OS X, when Apple introduced a virus-safe browser called Safari even when other browsers remained full of security flaws. I won’t say who made the dominant browser then, but you might be able to guess where that insecurity by design came from. Watch this 2006 ad for some insight into this continued commitment to platform insecurity. 

It’s a commitment that seems to extend to the present day, given the TCO costs in terms of security and tech support when you compare Apples to Windows. (The University of Kentucky recently claimed its move to Apple devices cut IT costs by 50%.)

Perhaps it is unfair to expect Microsoft, still the world’s most widely used computing platform, to match Apple on security.

The argument is growing

Apple’s success in creating platforms developers can use while eradicating kernel access shows that it’s possible to create a secure platform without leaving the very heart of that platform exposed. The powerful cybersecurity regulator thinks so, too. 

Not only does BSI want Microsoft to take urgent steps to secure its platforms (which it should have done years ago), but it also wants security firms such as CrowdStrike to redesign their tools to make such access unnecessary.

CrowdStrike, however, has argued that products like firmware analysis or device control “would not be possible” without it. The regulator doesn’t agree, telling the WSJ that it is, “positive that robust technical solutions which also respect EU regulation can be found for the problem at hand.”

Financial liability

The nature of regulation is that events take time to unfold. But it seems clear one approach that would help focus the mind of tech firms would be to make them financially responsible for outages of this kind. 

We know business lost billions as a result of the CrowdStrike/Microsoft debacle; we also know the terms and conditions of the user agreements forced on those customers mean they’ll get little or none of that lost money back. 

How does that lack of liability foster a security-first culture? Why bother being proactive about security if you face no consequences for your own failure?

Ensuring every tech firm delivers solutions at least as secure and reliable as Apple’s has to be the goal of any regulation. It seems to me that making tech firms financially responsible for such errors should help make that happen. 

Of course, that means waiting for action. What if you can’t wait that long? 

There is an alternative

For many in business making purchasing decisions today, there is another approach: deploy Apple products, just like the German government has. After all, as well as plenty of solutions to help integrate those products into existing Microsoft infrastructure, the platform has a now-decades long track record for better security, regular updates, hardware-based encryption and data protection that is second to none in the business. 

More from Jonny Evans

• For IT, Jamf’s Microsoft Azure partnership means a lot
• Convenience has a cost, privacy has iPhone
• Apple, this is the time to seize the moment

Please follow me on Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.

“Sal awakens; she smells coffee. A few minutes ago her alarm clock, alerted by her restless rolling before waking, had quietly asked ‘coffee?’ and she mumbled ‘yes.’ ‘Yes’ and ‘no’ are the only words it knows.” Then, the alarm clock tells the coffee maker to get busy — and Sal’s morning has begun.

This scenario was described by Mark Weiser, a computer scientist and the CTO  at Xerox PARC in 1991 when he wrote a piece for Scientific American about “ambient computing” and coined that phrase. (The concept and related ideas are also referred to as “ubiquitous computing” and “invisible computing.”)

Ambient computing is not a technology. Instead, it’s a broad usage pattern, akin to “desktop computing” and “mobile computing.”

The idea has been in the ether for decades, especially a few years ago with the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT). While IoT describes networks of low-power connected and sensor-based home and office appliances — along with  dedicated IoT devices — the “ambient computing” notion results in seamless and natural human interaction with those devices; the “user” doesn’t really “use” anything, but digital devices anticipate preferred action by people in the environment and respond accordingly.

And while most of us don’t have alarm clocks that tell the coffee maker to make coffee — and, of course, we could and should have that — we do have some ambient computing devices in our lives. For example, think about smart thermostats that adjust temperature based on time, history, and whether anyone is at home, or thermostats that communicate with lighting, blinds systems and home security systems. 

Nascent ambient computing systems have also emerged in workplaces: smart conference rooms with automated meeting setups, adaptive lighting systems that self-adjust based on occupancy and ambient light, voice-activated assistants providing proactive notifications, automated maintenance and monitoring in manufacturing, automated guided vehicles optimizing production routes and others. 

A surge, and retreat, in interest

During the three decades of the ambient computing concept, interest has surged or retreated based on new ideas in technology that support it — or the lack thereof. 

When low-cost components shed from the smartphone revolution supercharged IoT by making connected sensor-based devices faster, better, smaller and cheaper — components like microprocessors, memory chips, tiny cameras, touchscreen displays, batteries, sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, proximity sensors), miniaturized antennas and wireless communication modules (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC), microphones and speakers, power management ICs, LEDs and OLEDs, GPS modules, and others — everybody talked about ambient computing.

When Amazon released the Amazon Echo in 2014, and Apple, Google and other companies unveiled their smart speakers over the next few years, the act of talking to an assistant without specifically even looking at it or even knowing where it is become normalized. Chatter about ambient computing rose again. 

Some companies have exploited the ambient computing halo effect to promote bad ideas.

The Humane pin, for example, launched by former Apple engineers in April, was basically smartglasses without the glasses. The company markets the gadget as “ambient computing for the real world.” In addition to functional problems, Humane decided to pack the electronics into a form factor nobody uses or wants (a pin or magnet hanging on clothing) instead of glasses, already worn by 4 billion people. The product will be gone and forgotten in a year. 

Four years ago at Google I/O, Google beat the ambient computing drum mercilessly, mostly around Google Nest integration, Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP), Google Assistant enhancements, Ambient Mode for Android devices, Google Home app updates, AI and machine learning integration, Android Auto and Google Assistant Driving Mode.

Google also showcased research into hidden displays, which can put a digital display through wood or other material. 

That’s all interesting, but you don’t much hear about ambient computing from Google anymore.

Meanwhile, the automobile is gradually becoming a fully realized ambient computing space. New cars are increasingly integrating built-in voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for hands-free control, intelligent ambient lighting that adjusts for visual cues and aesthetics, and smart sensors that enable features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance. These technologies work together to create a cohesive and responsive driving experience, operating largely in the background.

For years, ambient computing has been slowly emerging and developing. And now, it seems a new set of technologies will drive a new surge of interest.

How AR and AI make computing more ambient

Historically, ambient computing aimed to make technology interactions natural and unobtrusive. With IoT and smart devices, we took steps in that direction. Now, with the fusion of AI and AR, the concept is fully realizable. 

Weiser called the effect of ambient computing and what we would later call IoT “embodiedvirtuality.” While virtual reality builds a world inside computers, embodied virtuality does the opposite: it builds a computer out of the world — it’s real life, peppered with the attributes of a digital, connected environment. 

That’s what AR does as well — it digitizes, connects and provides a digital layer upon real-world physical space. The best glimpse of the future of AR we’ve seen so far is, of course, Apple Vision Pro. The combination of looking at something and making a subtle gesture — for example, pinching the fingers together or pinching and dragging — to effect change in the presentation of holographic digital information seemingly hovering in space in the real world, is almost certainly how ordinary-looking glasses will operate some day.

AR glasses will tell sensors and devices in our living and working spaces who we are, where we are and what we’re looking at. And AI will tell them what we want to happen. In other words, AR glasses with AI complete the ambient computing picture by enabling humans to participate as connected electronic “devices,” rather than as just biological people. 

AI will both anticipate our needs based on past preferences and respond to our spoken requests. AI-based AR glasses will remember things for us. Multimodal AI, which combines inputs such as image recognition, text, and sound will prove crucial for ambient computing, where the goal is to anticipate and respond to human needs without explicit commands.

I also suspect the ambient computing idea changes our perception from Mark Zuckerberg’s “metaverse” misdirection, where AR and VR were seen as two sides of the same coin, rather than opposites (a fake world made in a computer rather than the real world made into a computer). 

Gene Munster recently suggested that Meta’s move from “closed Metaverse Quest” and toward Ray-Ban Meta glasses was a step toward ambient computing; I think he’s exactly right.  

Beyond that, while we can expect AR and AI to complete the ambient computing picture, it will also re-define it. This is already happening. 

Gartner Global Chief of Research Chris Howard defines ambient computing as computing that takes place in “ambient spaces,” where physical space and digital space interact “in interesting ways.” To Howard, the key enabling technologies will be edge computing, including SLMs (small language models) running close to the edge (instead of large language models running in the cloud). Edge computing will drive performance, innovation and efficiency in this new ambient computing world. 

Ambient computing offers us a whole new way of understanding the era of AI+AR, and what it means for our everyday lives. 

In the meantime, alarm clock: Tell that coffee pot to make us some coffee. We need to wake up to a new world.

Agentic RAG is getting a lot of attention these days as a practical way to reduce — or, depending on the audacity of the vendor, eliminate — hallucinations from generative AI (genAI) tools. Sadly, it might not decrease hallucinations — but it could open the door to other problems. 

To be clear, there’s nothing bad about Agentic RAG (which stands for retrieval augmented generation); it works fine for some users, but for others, it’s underwhelming, expensive, labor-intensive and doesn’t always deliver on its key promises.

Agentic RAG is designed to allow the integration of additional databases and data sources so a genAI algorithm has a broader range of information for its initial findings. But using AI to manage AI — in  short, adding even more AI into the equation — doesn’t always produce better results.

I spoke to two genAI experts who should know: Alan Nichol, CTO at Rasa, and agentic specialist Sandi Besen.

“Agentic RAG is an unnecessary buzzword,” said Nichol. “It simply means adding a loop around your [large language models] and retrieval calls. The market is in a strange place where adding an additional ‘while’ loop or ‘if’ statement to code is touted as a new, game-changing method. State-of-the-art web agents only achieve a 25% success rate, a figure unacceptable in any software context. 

“Companies and developers would be better off explicitly building some business logic in regular code,” he said. “They can use LLMs to convert user input into structured formats and paraphrase search results’ output, making it sound more natural.”

Nichol argued that Agentic RAG is often the wrong approach for enterprise data analytics needs.  “Agentic RAG is the wrong way to think of the problem,” he said. “Any good performing RAG is just a simple search engine on top of which you sprinkle some LLM magic.” 

While that tactic can work, IT should stop thinking that “the way to solve this (hallucination) issue is to slap on one more LLM call,” Nichol said. “People are hoping that this kind of approach is going to magically solve the root problem.”

And just what is the root problem? Data quality.

Nichol said he often sees enterprises that have “built a bad retrieval system, because they haven’t cleaned up their data. It is boring and unsexy to clean up out-of-date information, such as versioning and dealing with data conflicts. Instead, they add seven more LLM calls to paper over all of the data issues they have. It’s just going to put a lot of work on the LLM and it is not going to do very well. 

“It’s not going to solve your problem, but it is going to feel like it is.”

Besen, an applied AI researcher at IBM, argues that agentic can indeed reduce hallucinations, but agrees with Nichol that it might not always be the best enterprise approach.

Besen cautions that adding complexity to a genAI package — something that’s already complex — can deliver unexpected issues. 

“When you increase the (number) of agents, you inherently increase the variability of a solution,” she said. “However, with the proper architecture in place — meaning that the team of agents [is] constructed in an effective way — and adequate prompting, there should be a decreased chance of hallucinations because you can build in evaluation and reasoning. For instance, you can have one agent that retrieves the content and another that evaluates if the information retrieved is relevant to answer the original question. With traditional RAG, there was no natural language reasoning check on whether the information retrieved was relevant.”

Like anything else in programming, this might or might not deliver the desired results. “There is a way to make it very successful and a way to mess it up. The trick is to scope our expectations to the abilities of the technology,” Besen said. “An agent’s ability is only as good as the language model behind it. The reasoning ability is dependent on the language model.”

That said, Besen stressed that — despite what some AI vendors are claim — even the best deployment of agentic RAG will never make hallucinations disappear. “It is impossible to completely eliminate hallucinations at this time. But there could be a reduction in hallucinations.”

It’s up to IT executives to decide whether that uncertainty, and the risk of wrong answers from time to time, is something they can live with. “If you want the same outcome every time, don’t use genAI,” Besen said. As for accepting occasional hallucinations, Besen suggested IT consider how they would react to an employee or contractor doing it. 

“Are you OK with having an employee who is not right 10% of the time?”

Pixel phones are filled with efficiency-enhancing Google intelligence, and one area that’s all too easy to overlook is the way the devices can improve the act of actually talking on your cellular telephone. That’s true for any Pixel model, no matter how old it may be, and it’s especially true for the new Pixel 9 series of phones that launched this past week.

Talking on your phone, you say? What is this, 1987?! Believe me, I get it, Vanilli. We’re all perpetually busy beings these days, and the timeless art of speaking to another human on your mobile device can seem both archaic and annoying.

But hear me out: Here in the real world, placing or accepting (or maybe even just avoiding) a good old-fashioned phone call is occasionally inescapable. That’s especially true in the world of business, but it’s also apparent in other areas of life — from dialing up a restaurant to confirm your carnitas are ready to dodging your Uncle Ned’s quarterly regards-sending check-ins. (No offense, Ned. I never dodge your calls. Really. Send my regards to Aunt Agnes.)

Whatever the case may be, your trusty Pixel can make the process of dealing with a call easier, more efficient, and infinitely less irksome, and you don’t need the shiny new Pixel 9 to appreciate any of these advantages. (The only exception is the new incoming Call Notes feature launching exclusively on the Pixel 9, but since it isn’t available to anyone just yet, we won’t get into it here.)

As a special supplement to my Pixel Academy e-course — a totally free seven-day email adventure that helps you uncover tons of next-level Pixel treasures — I’d like to share some of my favorite hidden Pixel calling possibilities with you, my fellow Pixel-appreciating platypus. Check ’em out, try ’em out, and then come sign up for Pixel Academy for even more super-practical Pixel awesomeness.

Pixel calling trick #1: The call sound sharpener

We’ll start with something critical to the act of communicating via voice from your favorite Pixel device — ’cause if you’re dialing digits and preparing to (gasp!) speak to another sentient creature, the last thing you want to do is struggle to hear the person clearly.

Since 2022’s Pixel 7 series, all Pixels have offered a helpful option called Clear Calling that you’d be crazy not to enable. In short, it’s like noise cancellation for the human voice: It actively reduces the background noise when the person you’re talking to is in a loud environment (as people on cell phones always seem to be). And it genuinely does make a meaningful, noticeable difference.

Best of all? All you’ve gotta do is dig around a bit once to make sure the system is enabled:

• First, open up your Pixel’s system settings.
• Tap “Sound & vibration,” then scroll down and look for the line that says “Clear Calling.” Again, it should be present on any Pixel model from the Pixel 7 onward.
• Tap that, then confirm that the toggle on the screen that comes up next is in the on and active position.

And that’s it! All your compatible calls will now have Clear Calling enhancements in place, and you’ll be able to hear what any comrades, colleagues, and/or caribous you communicate are saying more easily than ever.

Not bad, right? And we’re just getting started.

Pixel calling trick #2: The hassle-free holder

The worst part of phone calls, without a doubt, is having to hold. It’s the time-tested way for some of the world’s most sadistic companies to waste precious moments in your day, test what little patience you have left, and summon the pink-speckled rage-demon that lives deep within your brain.

Enter one of the Pixel’s best-kept secrets: With your Google-made gadget in hand (or fin — no offense intended to any aquatic readers out there), you’ll never have to hold again.

Open up the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu icon in its upper-right corner, and select “Settings” from the menu that pops up. Look for the section labeled “Hold for Me.” It’s present on the Pixel 3 and higher, and it’s presently available in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan (sorry, other international pals!) — mostly for English-speaking Pixel owners, though also for Japanese in Japan.

If you meet those conditions, tap that line, then make sure the feature is actually active by flipping the toggle into the on position on the screen that comes up. It’s typically off by default on most new Pixels, so you will need to make sure you take this step anytime you reset your phone or move into a new device.

Then just call any crappy company you like (or don’t like, to be more accurate) and look for the handy new Hold for Me option on your screen once the call is underway and your brightly colored rage beast starts polka-dancing around your cranium. As long as the call involves a toll-free number, your fancy new sanity-saving button should show up and be ready for vigorous pressing.

The second the company places you on an eternal hold, just smash that button, utter a few choice curse words, for good measure, and then just go about your business without having to listen to the sounds of smooth jazz and endless reassurances that your call is, like, totally important to them (and will be answered — let’s all say it together now — in the order it was received).

As soon as an actual (alleged) human comes on the line, your Pixel will alert you. At that point, unfortunately, the displeasure of dealing with said company is back on your shoulders. But being able to skip the 42-minute build-up to that point is a pretty powerful perk and one you won’t find on any other type of device.

Pixel calling trick #3: The irritation estimation station

Having your Pixel hold for you is fantastic and all, but what if you could avoid putting yourself in a position where you even have to hold in the first place?

Well, hold the phone, my friend — ’cause your Pixel can help with that, too.

In what may be the most hidden of all hidden Pixel calling perks, the Pixel Phone app has the incredibly cool ability to tell you how busy any given business number is likely to be before you even place the call.

This one happens automatically, whenever relevant info is available, so you mostly just need to know it exists and then keep an eye out for it when the right situation arises.

The way it works is this: When you open up your Pixel’s Phone app and start typing out a number in the dialer, your Pixel will automatically match those digits with its knowledge of typical activity for that business at different times of day and the subsequent likely time you’re bound to wait depending on when you’re calling. As soon as you finish typing in the number, that info will appear on your screen if it’s available — like so:

Now, that’s some intel I will happily accept!

What’s especially useful about this setup is that in addition to seeing the expected wait time for your call in the current moment, you can tap any other day or time to compare and see if things might be at least a little less bad at some point in the future.

Yes, please — and thank you.

Pixel calling trick #4: The menu maze skipper

Holding aside, one of the most irritating parts of calling a company is navigating your way through those blasted phone tree menus. You know the drill, right?

• For store hours and information, press 1.
• For directions to the nearest location, press 2.
• For a test of your sanity, continue to listen to these choices.
• For the sound of sea cucumbers, press 4.
• For the option you actually want to select, prepare to wait through at least 14 more annoying options.

Yeaaaaaaaaah. Not a great use of anyone’s time (though, to be fair, a great way to test your ability to get angry).

Well, my Pixel-palmin’ pal, your Googley gadget’s got your back. But it’s on you to enable the associated feature and make sure it’s ready to save you from your next visit to the haunted phone tree forest.

Here’s how:

• Open up that fancy Phone app of yours.
• Once again, tap the three-dot menu icon and select “Settings.”
• Look for the “Direct My Call” option and smack it with your favorite fingie.
• Flip all the toggles on the screen that comes up into the on position. (Again, they’re usually off by default with any new or freshly reset Pixel phone.)
• Flip a pancake in a griddle and then eat it with gusto.*

* Gusto-filled pancake consumption is optional but highly recommended.

This one’s available on the Pixel 3a and higher and only in the US and UK and in English, by the way. Insert the requisite grumbling on behalf of all other Pixel owners here.

So long as you can get the option enabled, though, just look for the Direct My Call button at the top of the screen after you’ve made a call to a company that clearly hates you. Tap it, and as soon as your Pixel detects number-based menu options being provided, it’ll kick the feature in and start showing you any available options — set apart in buttons alongside a transcription of everything else the obnoxious phone system is saying to you:

Still mildly annoying? Of course. But a noticeable step up from actually having to tune in and listen to all that gobbledegook in real-time? Holy customer service nightmare, Batman — is it ever.

Pixel calling trick #5: The complete call transcriber

Our next buried Pixel calling treasure is technically an Android accessibility feature. But while it provides some pretty obvious (and pretty incredible) benefits for folks who actually have hearing issues, it can also be useful for just about anyone in the right sort of situation.

It’s part of the Pixel’s Live Caption system, and it has a couple of interesting ways it could make your life a little easier. The system itself is available in English on the Pixel 2 and later and English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish on the Pixel 6 series and later (tan elegante!).

To use it, just press either of your phone’s physical volume buttons while you’re in the midst of a call — then look for the little rectangle-with-a-line-through-it icon at the bottom of the volume control panel that pops up on your screen.

Tap that icon, confirm that you want to turn on the Live Caption for calls system, and then just wait for the magic to begin.

How ’bout them apples, eh? Everything the other person says will be transcribed into text and put on your screen in real-time all throughout the call.

If you’ve got the Pixel 6 or higher, you can even have your phone translate the jibber-jabber into a different language on the fly. Those more recent Pixel models can also allow you to type out responses back and then have the affable genie within your gadget read your words aloud to the other person on your behalf — a fine way to have an actual spoken conversation without making a single peep, for times when both silence and voice-based communication are required.

To activate that option and also configure the other Live Caption possibilities, head into the Sound & Vibration section of your system settings and tap the “Live Caption” line. There, you can enable the ability to “Type responses during calls” and also tell your Pixel to caption your calls always or never — or to prompt you every time to check.

Just be sure to hit your volume button again once the call is done and turn the Live Caption system back off via that same volume-panel icon. Otherwise, the system will stay on and continue to caption stuff indefinitely (and also consume needless battery power while it’s doing it).

Pixel calling trick #6: The automated screener

Perhaps my favorite tucked-away Pixel phone feature is one that brings us into the realm of incoming calls. It’s an extraordinarily sanity-saving system for screening calls as they come in to keep you from having to fritter away moments of your day talking to telemarketers, totally theoretical relatives named Ned, and anyone else you’d rather avoid.

This one’s available on all Pixel models but also only for English and in the US, as of now. The feature sort of works in a bunch of other countries, too, though without the automated element.

To set it up, head back into your Pixel’s Phone app and once again tap that three-dot menu icon followed by “Settings.” This time, find and select the line labeled “Call Screen.”

It may take the system a few minutes for your phone to activate the feature the first time you open it, but once it does, you can set up exactly how the system works and when it should kick in. The latest version of Google’s Pixel Call Screen gives you three simple paths to choose from, depending on how aggressively you want your Pixel to screen and filter calls for you:

• Maximum protection automatically kicks all unknown numbers (i.e. anyone who isn’t in your Google Contacts on Android) into the screening processes and auto-declines any calls determined to be spam on your behalf
• Medium protection takes things down a notch and screens only suspicious-seeming calls, while continuing to auto-decline spam
• And Basic protection declines only known spam calls, without all the extra screening

Pick whichever path you prefer, and the next time a person and/or evil spirit on the other line gets sent into screening, your phone will ring while showing a transcription of their response on the screen. That way, you can see what the call’s about before deciding if you want to pick up.

And here’s the especially cool part: Once the system is set up and activated, you can also always activate it manually, too — even when a call is coming in from a known number. Just look for the “Screen call” command on the incoming call screen. Whoever’s calling will be asked what they want, and you’ll see their responses transcribed in real-time. You can then opt to accept or reject the call or even select one-tap follow-up questions to get more info (and/or annoy your co-workers, friends, and family — an equally valid use for the function, if you ask me).

You can always find a full transcription and audio recording of those interactions in the Recents tab of your Phone app, too, in case you ever want to go back and review (and perhaps publish) ’em later (hi, honey!).

Ah…efficiency.

Pixel calling trick #7: The out-loud call announcer

Provided you work in a place where occasional noises aren’t a problem, another interesting way to stay on top of incoming calls is to tell your Pixel phone to read caller ID info out loud to you anytime a call comes in. That way, you can know who’s calling as soon as you hear the ringtone, without even having to find your phone or glance up from your midafternoon Wordle break Very Important Work Business™.

This one’s super-simple to set up: Just gallop your way over into the Phone app, tap that three-dot menu icon and select “Settings,” then look for the “Caller ID announcement” line way down at the bottom of the screen.

Tap it, and you’ll be able to choose to have incoming call announcements made always, never, or with the lovely middle-ground option of only when you’ve got a headset connected.

And here’s an extra little bonus to go along with that: If you’ve got a Pixel 6 or higher and use English, Japanese, or German as your system language, you can even accept or reject a call solely by speaking a command out loud.

You only have to configure it once: Provided you have one of those devices, head into your Pixel’s system settings and type quick phrases into the search box at the top of the screen.

Tap “Quick phrases” in the list of results, then turn the toggle next to “Incoming calls” into the on position — and the next time a call starts a-ring-a-ring-ringin’, simply say “Answer” or “Decline” to have your Pixel do your bidding without ever lifting a single sticky finger.

Pixel calling trick #8: The polite rejecter

All right, so what if you get a call you know you want to avoid — but in an extra-polite way that prevents you from having to respond to a voicemail later? Well, fear not, for your Pixel has a fantastic feature for that very noble purpose.

The next time such a call comes in, look for the “Message” button on the incoming call screen, right next to that “Screen call” command we were just going over a minute ago. (And if your Pixel’s screen was on when the call started and you’re seeing the small incoming call panel instead of the full-screen interface, press your phone’s power button once. That’ll bump you back out to the standard full-screen setup, where you’ll see the button you need.)

Tap that command, and how ’bout that? With one more tap, you’ll be able to decline the call while simultaneously sending the person a charming message explaining the reason for your rejection.

You can pick from a handful of prewritten texts or even opt to write your own message on the spot, if you’re feeling loquacious. You can also customize the default responses to make ’em more personalized and appropriate for your own friendly rejection needs. Just go back into the “Settings” area of your Pixel Phone app and look in the “Quick responses” section there to get started.

Cordial, no? And speaking of simple dismissals, we’ve got one more important Pixel calling trick to consider…

Pixel calling trick #9: The simple silencer

Let’s be honest: No matter what type of pleasant-seeming ringtone you pick out on your phone — the gentle tolling of chimes, the majestic fwap! of an octopus violently flapping its limbs, or maybe even the soothing bellows of that weird guy who for some reason shouted in every single song by the B-52’s — something about the sound of a phone ringing always manages to raise one’s hackles.

Well, three things: First, on the Pixel 2 or higher, you can configure your phone to vibrate only when calls first come in — and then to slowly bring in the ring sound and increase its volume as the seconds move on. That way, the actual ringing remains as minimally annoying as possible and only begins (and also only gets loud) when it’s actually needed. To activate that option, look in the Sound & Vibration section of your system settings, tap either “Vibrate for calls” or “Vibration & haptics,” then make sure the toggle next to “Vibrate first then ring gradually” is in the on and active position.

Second, more recent Pixel models have a nifty “Adaptive alert vibration” feature that’ll intelligently turn down your device’s vibration strength anytime your phone is sitting face-up on a surface. That’s a nice way to make that buzzing a bit less bothersome when a call comes in in any such scenarios.

And finally, a super-simple possibility to remember: The next time your Pixel rings and you want to make it stop — whether you’re planning to answer the call or not — just press either of the phone’s physical volume buttons. It’s easy to do even with the phone in your pocket, and the second you do it, all sounds and vibrations will end. You’ll still be able to answer the call, ignore it, send a rejection message, scream obscenities at the caller with the knowledge that they’ll never hear you, or whatever feels right in that moment. But the hackle-raising sound will be silenced, and your sanity will be saved. Whew.

Remember: There’s lots more where this came from. Come join my completely free Pixel Academy e-course for seven full days of delightful Pixel knowledge — starting with some camera-centric smarts and moving from there to advanced image magic, next-level nuisance reducers, and oodles of other opportunities for advanced Pixel intelligence.

I’ll be waiting.

The Windows 11 2023 Update has been released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out public preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and even help shape — upcoming features.

Skip to the builds

The Windows Insider program is divided into four channels:

• The Canary Channel is where platform changes (such as major updates to the Windows kernel and new APIs) are previewed. These changes are not tied to a particular Windows release and may never ship at all. Little documentation is provided, and builds are likely to be very unstable. This channel is best for highly technical users.
• The Dev Channel is where new features are introduced for initial testing, regardless of which Windows release they’ll eventually end up in. This channel is best for technical users and developers and builds in it may be unstable and buggy.
• In the Beta Channel, you’ll get more polished features that will be deployed in the next major Windows release. This channel is best for early adopters, and Microsoft says your feedback in this channel will have the most impact.
• The Release Preview Channel typically doesn’t see action until shortly before a new feature update is rolled out. It’s meant for final testing of an upcoming release and is best for those who want the most stable builds.

The Beta and Release Preview Channels also receive bug-fix builds for the currently shipping version of Windows 11. See “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” for more details about the four channels and how to switch to a different channel.

Not everyone can participate in the Windows 11 Insider program, because the new operating system has more stringent system requirements than Windows 10. If your PC fails to meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, you cannot join the Windows 11 Insider Program. (See “How to check if your PC can run Windows 11.”)

Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft. (For the Release Preview Channel, we cover builds released for the most recent version of Windows 11 — currently 23H2 — not for earlier versions.) For each build, we’ve included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what’s in the build, and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it.

Note: If you’re looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not previews for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”

The latest Windows 11 Insider preview builds

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686

Release date: August 15, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes the new Windows Sandbox Client Preview that is now updated via the Microsoft Store. It introduces runtime clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. You can access these via the new “…” icon at the upper right on the app. This preview also includes a very early version of command line support. (Commands may change over time.) You can use the wsb.exe –help command for more information.

The build also includes optimizations to improve battery life and a detach virtual hard disk (VHD/VHDx) button in Settings that makes it simpler to detach your VHD/VHDx as needed.

A number of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Dev Drive VHDs weren’t automatically remounting when the underlying volume was dismounted and brought back online, and one in the Windows Security app where if you browsed the networks under Firewall & Network protection, it showed a broken glyph (a rectangle) next to the network name rather than a network icon.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350

Release date: August 9, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can more easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC. The feature is being rolled out gradually.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix that addresses an issue in which graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager did not show the correct colors when using dark mode again. The fix is being rolled out gradually.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which Windows Sandbox failed to launch with error 0x80370106.

There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010

Release date: August 9, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, many of those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will see the simplified system tray with shortened date/time change that began rolling out with Build 22635.3930. The feature is being rolled out gradually.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get fixes for two bugs, one in which the dropdown at the top of the GPU section of Performance wasn’t showing in dark mode when dark mode was enabled, and the other in which if you pressed the Shift key when you right-clicked on an app icon on the taskbar, it opened another instance of the app rather than opening the expected menu.

There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340

Release date: August 5, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get improvements for spelling and corrections in voice access, including the ability to dictate characters at a faster speed and have more editing flexibility with selection, deletion, and text navigation commands.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which items under “Let desktop apps access your location” section in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location had visibly flickered although there were no changes displayed.

There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005

Release date: August 2, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general tweaks and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix for a bug that caused sporadic explorer.exe crashes for some Insiders.

There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4000

Release date: July 26, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes, as well as some improvements to spelling and corrections in voice access.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get two bug fixes, one in which Notification Center got stuck and would not open, and another that caused issues with launching the touch keyboard and emoji panel.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets two fixes that address one bug in which Narrator would not work as expected when navigating through the Recent, Favorites, and Shared tab items, and another that caused the context menu in Home or Gallery to open in the wrong position when using Arabic or Hebrew display languages.

There are four known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which files shared with you in File Explorer may not appear if there has been no interaction with that file.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1330

Release date: July 26, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can duplicate a tab by right-clicking on it in File Explorer. (Note: This is being gradually rolled out.)

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which no text appeared on the Windows Update page in Settings for Insiders using certain languages.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which the BitLocker Recovery screen issue documented here may also impact Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1330.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1297

Release date: July 25, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including pinning apps to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu, using your mouse to drag files between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer address bar, and directly sharing to specific Microsoft Teams channels and group chats in the Windows share window.

It also includes a variety of changes released immediately to everyone, including being able to use OneDrive as a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1297.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26257

Release date: July 24, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces the ability to duplicate a tab by right-clicking it in File Explorer. In addition, if you use the netsh wlan show networks command, you should be able to read SSIDs that are UTF-8 encoded. This means that Wi-Fi SSIDs with Unicode characters (like emojis) should be properly displayed in netsh output. This change is just beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Canary Channel will see it right away.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which the address bar dropdown appeared unexpectedly while you were using File Explorer.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26257.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3936

Release date: July 22, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will see updated designs for the “Open with” dialog where the group headers are removed, among a few other changes.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which text suggestions for the hardware keyboard did not work.

Note that the bug fixes and new features are being gradually rolled out.

There are nine known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if the taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3936.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1252

Release date: July 15, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now pin apps from the Start menu to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when navigating away from Home.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which some Insiders saw a bug check with error KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE, and another in which Settings > System > Power & Battery had duplicate text when showing a warning about a slow charger.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which the Windows Update page in Settings is not displaying correctly for Insiders using certain languages (no text shows).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1252.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930

Release date: July 12, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build for Windows 11 version 23H2, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can get quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. If you are a commercial customer who is signed in with your Microsoft Entra ID account, you will additionally be able to view files that they have shared with others. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the Shared tab item.

In addition, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can access Studio Effects in Quick Settings from the system tray of the taskbar. Note that this is being gradually rolled out and so is not yet available to everyone.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including for one in which the All apps list wasn’t being read out by screen readers.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets one bug fix, in which you can now view or interact with the taskbar after you install KB5039302.

There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3951 and 22631.3951

Release date: July 11, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this update, you can drag apps from the Pinned section of the menu and pin them to the taskbar, and when you right-click a tab in File Explorer, you have the choice to duplicate it. Note that these features and several others might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3951 and 22631.3951.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252

Release date: July 10, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build begins to roll out the “Weather and more” feature, which brings finance, traffic, and sports to your Lock screen, alongside weather information. You can also now pin apps from the Start menu to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused colors in the Performance section of Task Manager to not display correctly in dark mode, and another in which Settings > System > Power & Battery had duplicate text when showing a warning about a slow charger.

There one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3858

Release date: June 28, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get some minor changes to simplify the Windows share window, including removing the search box. In addition, the preview thumbnail title in the taskbar, Alt + Tab, and Task View for File Explorer windows will now indicate if that window includes multiple tabs.

Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a number of bug fixes, including some addressing accessibility issues where File Explorer, Common File Dialog (CFD), and Browse/Shortcuts Dialogs did not respond appropriately to your text size / scaling preferences.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including one in which the app icon flashing in the taskbar is now be a bit easier to see. Another fix addresses a bug in which Group Policy failed to detect when a network’s speed is slow, instead assuming that a fast link was present.

There are six known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3858.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26244

Release date: June 28, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes a small set of general enhancements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows, according to Microsoft. In addition, a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC.

One bug was fixed, in which some Insiders saw a Pcasvc.dll error dialog pop-up with the message “Missing entry: PcaWallpaperAppDetect” after upgrading from Windows 11, version 22H2/23H2 to a 26xxx build.

There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26244.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790

Release date: June 21, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build for Windows 11, version 23H2, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can use their mobile device directly from the Start menu. See this blog post for details.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one bug fix, which addresses contrast issues of certain elements in File Explorer (left navigation pane, view pane/folder view, status bar buttons on the bottom right) in light, dark, and high contrast themes.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets two bug fixes, for a bug in which Settings was crashing when trying you were trying to look at Wi-Fi properties, and another in which Settings might crash when attempting to install an optional feature via Settings > System > Option features.

There are six known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned, and another in which some Insiders to see errors when attempting to use Voice Typing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.994

Release date: June 20, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) failed to verify the policies of some apps, and another that caused DWM.exe to stop responding.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.994.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26241

Release date: June 19, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows, according to Microsoft. In addition, dragging-and-dropping files between breadcrumbs is now available in the File Explorer Address Bar.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused File Explorer to crash when going to Home.

There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26241.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785

Release date: June 14, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can right-click on apps pinned to the Start menu to see jump lists for apps that have them, such as PowerPoint. They can also more easily share content to an Android device from the Windows share window. Note that these and other new features are being gradually rolled out so are not yet available for everyone.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which clicking your profile icon on the Start menu and choosing Change account settings did not open account settings.

Everyone in the Beta Channel get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which your system might have not been able to resume from hibernate after you turned on BitLocker.

There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961

Release date: June 14, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3807 and 22631.3807

Release date: June 13, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this update, Copilot will be pinned to the taskbar and will behave like an app so you can do things like resize, move, and snap the window. The build also lets you create 7-Zip and Tape Archive (TAR) files using the File Explorer context menu and adds support for Emoji 15.1. Note that those and other features are gradually rolling out and are not yet available for everyone. The Copilot features have not yet begun to roll out.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3807 and 22631.3807.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236

Release date: June 12, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build starts the rollout of the new account manager on Start menu. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, the new design gives you a quick glanceable view of your account benefits and makes it easy to manage account settings. In addition, it includes a small set of general updates and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused the preferred audio volume (under Settings > System > Sound > Volume Mixer) for Microsoft Edge to not persist across after restarting the app.

There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3720

Release date: June 7, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now use voice access to dictate text hands-free using Narrator. In addition, they get a new feature, auto restart for voice access in Windows 11, which automatically restarts voice access if it encounters any issues.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a number of bugs fixed, including one in which pressing Ctrl + F would sometimes not start a search in File Explorer.

There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3720.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.770

Release date: June 7, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows. They also get an update of the Snipping Tool that introduces automatic save for screen recordings. Your recordings will automatically be saved to the Screen Recordings folder (inside your Videos folder). You can choose to turn this off in Snipping Tool settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.770.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26231

Release date: June 6, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, Narrator users can now use voice access to dictate text hands-free. In addition, a new feature called auto restart for voice access in Windows 11 automatically restarts voice access if it encounters any issues so that individuals with limited mobility can get back to using voice access as quickly as possible.

The build also includes a variety of bug fixes and improvements, including several that increase Task Manager reliability.

There is one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26231.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.751

Release date: May 31, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get the latest version of Copilot, which is pinned to the taskbar and runs like a traditional app, allowing you to resize, move, and snap the window. In addition, a new Linked devices page under Settings > Accounts allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed into with your Microsoft account.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which the Win + W keyboard shortcut did not work correctly to open the Widgets board, and another in which installation of Windows update failed to complete when you had to restart your device more than once.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.751.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26227

Release date: May 30, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, Copilot for Windows runs as a traditional app pinned to the taskbar, allowing you to resize, move, and snap the window. The build also adds support for Emoji 15.1 and introduces a new Linked devices page under Settings > Accounts that allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed in to with your Microsoft account.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which some apps didn’t run on startup even though they were enabled as startup apps in Settings, and another in which the Win + W keyboard shortcut did not work correctly and open the Widgets board.

There is one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26227.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3646

Release date: May 23, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of using Windows.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which File Explorer stopped responding when you swiped from a screen edge after you turned off edge swiping, and another in which TWAIN drivers stopped responding when used in a virtual environment.

There are six known issues in this build, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3646.)

Windows 11, version 24H2 (Build 26100.712)

Release date: May 22, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build is a preview of the annual Windows 11 feature update to be released later this year. It includes a variety of new features, including HDR background support, energy saver, Sudo for Windows, Rust in the Windows kernel, support for Wi-Fi 7, and voice clarity, among others. In it, Copilot will also become a traditional app that can be pinned to the taskbar. Microsoft will be sharing details about all its features in the coming months.

Note that new AI features such as Recall announced by Microsoft earlier this week will not be available on your PC after installing this update, as they require a Copilot+ PC. For more information on those new AI features and Copilot+ PCs, see Microsoft’s blog post.

(Get more info about Windows 11, version 24H2.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.670

Release date: May 17, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of unspecified “improvements and fixes that improve the overall Windows experience.”

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes including for a bug in which the Network Locations header was missing in the This PC section of File Explorer, and another in which NTLM authentication traffic might have increased in domain controllers (DC).

There is one known issue in this build, in which the Windows key + W keyboard shortcut may not work correctly to open the Widgets board.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.670.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3640

Release date: May 17, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get support for Emoji 15.1, which introduces a small number of new emoji, and support for creating 7-zip and TAR archives in addition to ZIP via the context menu in File Explorer. The build also fixes several bugs for those who have the toggle turned on, including a few accessibility issues in File Explorer’s Common File Dialog.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for the underlying cause of the Start menu crashing on launch or the All apps list not displaying.

There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3640.)

Windows 11 Insider Builds 22621.3668 and 22631.3668

Release date: May 17, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build for Windows version 22H2 (Build 22621) and version 23H2 (Build 22631) adds several new features, including one that lets you directly share to specific Microsoft Teams channels and group chats in the Windows share window, if you sign in using a Microsoft Entra ID.

It also starts the rollout of the new account manager on the Start menu, which shows you your account benefits a glance and makes it easier to manage your account settings when you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows.

These features might not be available to all users yet, because they will roll out gradually.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer stopped responding when you swiped from a screen edge after turning off edge swiping.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Builds 22621.3668 and 22631.3668.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26217

Release date: May 15, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders.”

It also fixes two bugs, including one in which after using the Disable button for a camera under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras, the Enable button wouldn’t work; and the other in which the text showing the color filters keyboard shortcut was missing from Settings > Accessibility > Color filters.

Microsoft is investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. If that happened to you and you want to get the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel, download the latest ISO, do a clean install, and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26217.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3575

Release date: May 10, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can copy files from the Windows share window by clicking the new copy button. The build also fixes several bugs for those who have the toggle turned on, including one in which the address bar dropdown appeared unexpectedly on its own, because focus moved to the address bar.

There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3575)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.470

Release date: May 10, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage. The card will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which IT admins can now use mobile device management (MDM) to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine. To do this, they can turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.470.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212

Release date: May 8, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, you can now generate QR codes for URLs and cloud file links through the Windows share window in order to share web pages across your devices. To do it in Microsoft Edge, click the share button in the Edge toolbar and choose “Windows share options.”

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer sporadically crashed when using path suggestions in the address bar.

Microsoft is investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. If that happened to you and you want to get the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel, download the latest ISO, do a clean install, and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3570

Release date: May 3, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can duplicate a tab by right-clicking on a tab in File Explorer and also receive a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which the address bar dropdown might appear unexpectedly while using File Explorer.

The build fixes several bugs for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Copilot auto-launched unexpectedly after PCs restarted.

There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3570)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461

Release date: May 3, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of Windows. Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a bug fixed in which one in which Copilot auto-launched unexpectedly after PCs restarted.

There is one known issue with this build: some Insiders experience an install error 0x8007371B when trying to install Build 26120.461

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3566

Release date: April 26, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now drag-and-drop files with a mouse between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer Address Bar. For everyone in the Beta Channel, widgets are no longer pixelated or fuzzy. In addition, widgets on the lock screen are more reliable.

The build fixes an assortment of bugs for everyone in the Beta Channel, including a memory allocation issue in the Host Networking Service (HNS) that caused high memory consumption. The bug also affected service and pod deployment and scaling.

There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3566.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3500

Release date: April 19, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

This build begins the rollout of a new account manager on the Start menu for those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, the new design gives you a quick glanceable view of your account benefits and makes it easier to manage account settings.

In the build, everyone in the Beta Channel gets new navigation bar on the left allowing one to switch between a dedicated widgets dashboard and other integrated dashboards like Discover.  

There are several known issues in this build for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3500.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200

Release date: April 19, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build there are several improvements to the Widgets button on the taskbar so that the icons on the taskbar are clearer. There are also a larger set of animated icons.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused RemoteApp windows to get cut off when using 200% scaling.

There are four known issues with this build, including one in which using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows feature that allows Copilot to act like a normal application window.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495

Release date: April 12, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will get recommendations for apps from the Microsoft Store under Recommended on the Start menu. This will appear only for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel in the US and will not apply to commercial devices (devices managed by organizations). This can be turned off by going to Settings > Personalization > Start and turning off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”

In the build, everyone in the Beta Channel can switch between two ways of using Copilot for Windows: The existing “docked” behavior that attaches Copilot to the side of your desktop, and a new mode where it acts like a normal application window that you can resize and move around your screen.

There are several known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520

Release date: April 11, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy called “AllowScreenRecorder” for the Snipping Tool. With it, IT admins can turn off screen recording in the app. The build also adds support for Arm64 .msi files using a Group Policy Object (GPO).

There are a wide variety of bug fixes in this build, including for a bug in which Settings stopped responding when you dismissed a flyout menu, and another in which the Windows Local Administrator Password Solution’s (LAPS) Post Authentication Actions (PAA) did not happen at the end of the grace period. Instead, they occurred at restart.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3430

Release date: April 5, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a Copilot feature in which when you copy text or image files, the Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help. When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as creating a similar image or analyzing an image. If you select an action on the menu, it will launch the action with Copilot.

There are several known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3430.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100

Release date: April 3, 2024

Released to: Canary and Dev Channels

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that prevented bringing focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (for example, by using tab to cycle through buttons).

There are four known issues with this build, including one in which Copilot in Windows does not always fill the width of the panel when docked and resized to a large width. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.

Note: The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the period in which they are on the same builds, Insiders in the Canary Channel can switch to switch to the Dev Channel. Soon, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed for switching.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3420

Release date: March 29, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will get a new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars. The taskbar entry-point will move to the left of the systems tray and will be wider so you can see richer content from Widgets on your taskbar. When you launch the Widgets board, it will fly out from the right side instead of the left side.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will also get a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which no app results showed in search, and another in which Task Manager was holding onto process handles sometimes, leading to processes not stopping when you closed apps if you’d had Task Manager open.

Everyone in the Beta Channel can ask Copilot in Windows for help 10 times when they sign in to Windows using a local account. After that, they must sign in using a Microsoft account (MSA) or a Microsoft Entra ID account. To sign in, use the link in the dialog that appears in Copilot in Windows. If you do not sign in, some Copilot features might not work.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one in which IT admins can now use mobile device management (MDM) to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine. To do this, they can turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3420.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26090

Release date: March 28, 2024

Released to: Canary and Dev Channels

In this build, the Widget board gets a new navigation bar on the left allowing you to switch between a dedicated widgets dashboard and other integrated dashboards like Discover. In addition, the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol gets many changes, including one in which Administrators can now disable the SMB over QUIC client with Group Policy and PowerShell.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Task Manager was sometimes holding onto process handles, leading to processes not stopping when you closed apps if you’d had Task Manager open.

There are six known issues with this build, including one in which when Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.

Note: The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the period in which they are on the same builds, Insiders in the Canary Channel can switch to the Dev Channel. Soon, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed for switching.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26090.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3371 and 22631.3371

Release date: March 21, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this build, IT admins can now use mobile device management to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine when using Windows Hello for Business. To do this, they can turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.

The build also improves the Remote Desktop Session Host. You can now set up its “clipboard redirection” policy to work in a single direction from the local computer to the remote computer. You can also reverse that order.

There are a wide variety of bug fixes in this build, including for a bug in which the existing AppLocker rule collection enforcement mode was not overwritten when rules merged with a collection that had no rules. This occurred when the enforcement mode was set to “Not Configured.” It also fixed a bug in which the Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) PowerShell module did not load.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3371 and 22631.3371.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26085

Release date: March 20, 2024

Released to: Canary and Dev Channels

In this build, users with Bluetooth LE Audio capable assistive hearing devices can now set up and manage their devices via Settings > Accessibility > Hearing aids. Also, a pointer indicator accessibility setting for low-vision users that was introduced in Build 26052 has been disabled. Microsoft plans to reinstate it after fixing some bugs.

The release also fixes several bugs, including one that was causing Settings to freeze and another that caused Insiders in the Dev Channel to see error 0x80070002 when trying to install cumulative updates.

Note: The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the period in which they are on the same builds, Insiders in the Canary Channel can switch to the Dev Channel. Soon, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed for switching.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26085.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3350

Release date: March 13, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which taskbar icons were cutting off the title instead of adjusting with the title length.

Everyone in the Beta Channel will now see their most frequently used app listed in the Recommended section in the Start menu. This applies for most frequently used apps that are not already pinned to the Start menu or taskbar. In addition, everyone in the Beta Channel gets a bug fixed in File Explorer in which hovering over the first picture in Gallery would make a tooltip appear that would never dismiss.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3350.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080

Release date: March 13, 2024

Released to: Canary and Dev Channels

In this build, Microsoft Teams is available as a single application for every type of Teams account (work, school, and personal), offering users seamless switching among accounts. To add or access additional accounts, select your profile picture at the upper right corner of Teams when you sign into Teams.

In addition, there is a new runtime for Copilot in Windows that allows you to manage more settings via Copilot, including accessibility-focused settings, and use Power Automate Desktop through Copilot. Copilot in Windows also gets the ability to switch between the existing “docked” behavior that attaches Copilot to the side of your desktop, and a new mode where it acts like a normal application window that you can resize and move around your screen.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which when you turned the Copilot icon off and back on in Settings, it never reappeared on your taskbar, another in which your GPU showed as -1 in Task Manager, and a third in which a Display Connection section was showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics and when clicked, it crashed Settings.

There are nine known issues with this build, including one in which context menu icons in File Explorer may appear out of place and with overlapping text. In another, when Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3286

Release date: March 8, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, for those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates, when you copy text, the Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help. When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as summarizing or explaining the copied text. If you select an action on the menu, it will launch Copilot with the action ready to go.

You can now also open Copilot by dragging an image file onto the Copilot icon in the taskbar. Then drop the image into the text box in Copilot and type an action that you would like to take on the image.

A single bug has been fixed for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates: Settings will no longer crash for some Insiders when going to System > Nearby Sharing. And everyone in the Beta channel gets a fix for a bug that increased of explorer.exe crashes in the last two flights.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3286.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3276

Release date: March 4, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get three bug fixes, including for a bug in which devices with long names weren’t shown in nearby sharing, and another that made Task Manager less reliable.

A new feature is being slowly rolled out in the next few weeks to all Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel: When they move their mouse cursors over the Copilot icon on the taskbar, it opens the Copilot pane. The Copilot pane will close unless interacted with after it opens.

In addition, a bug was fixed for all Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel — search highlights icon in the taskbar could get out of sync with the search highlights for the day.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) for Microsoft Edge users may hit a no network connection issue when browsing inside MDAG. The workaround is to disable the MDAG enterprise policy or uninstall MDAG via “Turn Windows Features on and off” and reboot. Note that MDAG for Edge is a deprecated feature.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3276.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3212

Release date: February 26, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get two bugs fixed, one in which the taskbar was sometimes very slow to appear after booting up and logging in for the first time, and another in which taskbar search would open and immediately close if the taskbar had a great many app icons.

Everyone in the Beta Channel will now get notifications when they miss an important notification on their taskbars.

There is one known issue in this build, in which Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) for Microsoft Edge users may hit a no network connection issue when browsing inside MDAG. The workaround is to disable the MDAG enterprise policy or uninstall MDAG via “Turn Windows Features on and off” and reboot. Note that MDAG for Edge is a deprecated feature.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3212.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26063

Release date: February 22, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build supports the new Wi-Fi 7 standard, which offers higher speed, improved video streaming and videoconferencing compared to previous standards — up to four times as fast as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, and close to six times faster than Wi-Fi 5. To take advantage of it, you’ll need a Wi-Fi 7 capable consumer access point and PC.

In addition, Copilot in Windows can perform 16 new actions, including Power Automate Desktop, which lets you automate Windows tasks.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which typing too quickly in the Settings search box could result in the results not loading completely, and another in which if you were using multiple monitors, opening a minimized window sometimes resulted in the window appearing on the wrong monitor.

There are nine known issues with this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which a Display Connection section is incorrectly showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics that when clicked, will crash Settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26063.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3209

Release date: February 16, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, you can now access and edit your most recent photos and screenshots from your Android mobile device in Snipping Tool on your PC. It sends instant notifications on your PC whenever a new photo or screenshot is captured on your Android device. To turn it on, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices, choose Manage devices, and allow your PC to access your Android phone. Note that this feature is being gradually rolled out.

The build also fixes a number of bugs, including one in which devices didn’t make the automatic switch from cellular to Wi-Fi when they could use Wi-Fi, and another in which you could not connect to sovereign cloud endpoints in Remote Desktop Web Authentication.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3209.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3227 and 22631.3227

Release date: February 15, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this build, you can use the Snipping Tool on your PC to edit the most recent photos and screenshots from your Android device. You will get an instant notification on your PC when your Android device captures a new photo or screenshot. To turn this on, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices. Choose Manage devices and allow your PC to access your Android device. In addition, the Copilot in Windows icon appears on the right side of the system tray on the taskbar.

A wide variety of bugs have been fixed in this build, including one in which Notepad did not open for the standard user account when you use Command Prompt to open it based on file type association.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3227 and 22631.3227.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26058

Release date: February 14, 2023

Released to: Dev and Canary Channels

In this build, a new pointer indicator helps low-vision users to more easily locate and use their cursors. To turn it on, go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch and enable the Pointer indicator setting. The widget board also gets a new navigation pane.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which focus sessions continued to show as running in the notification center after they had ended, and another in which the last checked time showing for Windows Update in Settings was wrong.

There are nine known issues with this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which a Display Connection section is incorrectly showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics that when clicked, will crash Settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26058.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052

Release date: February 8, 2024

Released to: Canary and Dev Channels

With this build, Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel are being moved from receiving 23000 series builds to receiving 26000 series builds. The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds, the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. At some point, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed.

The build includes Sudo for Windows, a new way for users to run elevated commands directly from an unelevated console session. The build also has a new Copilot in Windows feature that springs into action when you copy text. The Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help (there are several different treatments, so you may notice a different visual effect). When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as summarizing or explaining the copied text.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the print queue did not open and another in which in some multi-monitor configurations, a display appeared as frozen.

There are five known issues with this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which some video streaming apps from the Microsoft Store may not play. As a workaround, you can try streaming from a browser.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3140

Release date: February 8, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, the Copilot icon has been moved to the right side of the system tray on the taskbar for everyone in the Beta Channel. This is just beginning to roll out, so not everyone will see this change right away. In addition, people logged into Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise editions with a Microsoft Entra ID account will be able to view and join upcoming Microsoft Teams meetings directly from the Start menu.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3140.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3139

Release date: February 1, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features get several bug fixes, including some that improve overall Windows 11 reliability, one that addresses Task Manager unreliability, and one that fixes a dwm.exe crash.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3139.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26040

Release date: January 26, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build gradually rolls out a feature that gives Windows users the ability to access and edit their most recent photos and screenshots from their Android mobile devices in Snipping Tool on their PC. They can receive instant notifications on their PCs whenever a new photo or screenshot is captured on their Android devices.

The build also supports the latest generation USB standard, USB 80Gbps. USB 80Gbps support will initially launch on select devices based on the Intel Core 14th Gen HX-series mobile processors, such as the new Razer Blade 18.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which hovering over the system tray area wasn’t bringing up the taskbar when set to autohide, and another in which spacing and fonts used in some settings pages for Widgets were incorrect.

There are five known issues with this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which the print queue shows messaging saying it can’t find the app when opened. As a workaround, you can launch the print queue from the Run dialog (Win key + R) and enter: explorer.exe shell:appsFolder\Microsoft.Windows.PrintQueueActionCenter_cw5n1h2txyewy!App.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26040.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23620

Release date: January 25, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes several bugs, including one that was causing labels like System in the Start menu’s all apps list to be cut off if text scaling was above 100%, and another that harmed Task Manager’s reliability.

The build has two known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23620.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3130

Release date: January 25, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features will see suggestions in Snap Layouts that help you instantly snap multiple app windows together. When hovering over the Minimize or Maximize button on an app (or Win key + Z) to launch the layout box, you will see app icons displayed in various layout options to help recommend the best layout option that works best.

Everyone in the Beta Channel who has turned on the toggle to unenroll their device under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Stop getting preview builds will begin receiving an in-place upgrade that removes their device from flighting. This in-place upgrade will install Windows 11, version 23H2 with the most recent servicing updates available to retail customers. Please note that unenrolling a device from flighting in the Beta Channel will result in a loss of some features that are not yet available for retail customers. However, your personal data will still be there.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including one for a bug that caused your device to shut down after 60 seconds when you used a smart card to authenticate on a remote system, and another in which search stopped working on the Start menu for some users because of a deadlock.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3130.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3066

Release date: January 19, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, four bugs have been fixed for Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features, including one in which dragging the Task Manager window didn’t work if your mouse pointer was on the search box, and another in which voice access crashed when setting up new languages.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets support for the latest generation USB standard, USB 80Gbps. USB 80Gbps support will initially launch on select devices based on the Intel Core 14th Gen HX-series mobile processors, such as the new Razer Blade 18.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3066.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23619

Release date: January 18, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

This build starts a gradual rollout of a feature that lets Windows users access and edit their most recent photos and screenshots from their Android mobile devices in Snipping Tool on their PCs. They will receive instant notifications on their PCs whenever a new photo or screenshot is captured on their Android devices. To turn on the feature, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices, choose Manage devices, and allow your PC to access your Android phone.

Two bugs have also been fixed, one in which dragging the Task Manager window wouldn’t work if your mouse was on the search box, and another that hurt the launch performance of File Explorer.

The build has four known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23619.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23615

Release date: January 11, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

This build supports the latest-generation USB standard, USB 80Gbps. In addition, for Microsoft Edge and other browsers that invoke the Windows share window, the Windows share window now supports the ability to share URLs directly to WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. In Microsoft Edge, launch the Windows share window by clicking the share icon at the top right in the toolbar and choosing the Windows share options.

Two bugs have also been fixed, one that made Task Manager unreliable for some Insiders, and another that made the Windows share window unreliable for some Insiders.

The build has four known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23615.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3061

Release date: January 11, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, for Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features, the Windows share window for Microsoft Edge and other browsers that invoke the Windows share window now supports the ability to share URLs directly to WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. In Microsoft Edge, launch the Windows share window by clicking the share icon at the top right in the toolbar and choosing the Windows share options.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets dynamic, interactive weather updates on their lock screens. Everyone also gets two bug fixes, one for the spellchecker, and the other for ActiveX scroll bar.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3061.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3078 and 22631.3078

Release date: January 11, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build adds eye control system settings. You can back up these settings from the former device while you set up a new device. Then those settings will install automatically on the new device so you can use them when you reach the desktop.

There are a wide variety of bug fixed in this build, including one in which search stopped working on the Start menu for some users because of a deadlock, and another that stopped WMI from working in certain scenarios with mobile device management providers, such as Microsoft Intune.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3078 and 22631.3078.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2921

Release date: January 4, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features get a handful of fixes to improve overall reliability. One bug was fixed for those who get new features, in which a tabtip.exe crash impacted the ability for some Windows Insiders to input text.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2921.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23612

Release date: January 3, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build offers dynamic, interactive weather updates on the lockscreen. It also lets you use all voice access features on multiple displays, including number and grid overlays, which were previously unavailable on any display other than the primary one. It also introduces voice shortcuts or custom commands to enable you to create your own commands. This is currently available if you use voice access in English.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which the text input indicator appeared to be floating when you opened Start menu, and another that caused explorer.exe to crash when opening the context menu in File Explorer if multiple files were selected.

The build has five known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23612.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26020

Release date: January 3, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build lets you use all voice access features on multiple displays, including number and grid overlays, which were previously unavailable on any display other than the primary one. It also introduces voice shortcuts or custom commands to enable you to create your own commands. This is currently available if you use voice access in English. In addition, the WordPad and People apps will no longer be installed after doing a clean install of the OS. In a future flight, WordPad will be removed on upgrade and will not be reinstallable.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Settings crashed when navigating to Power & Battery, and another in which the details pane in File Explorer unexpectedly took keyboard focus sometimes.

There are six known issues in this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which the print queue shows a messaging saying it can’t find the app when opened. As a workaround, you can launch the print queue from the Run dialog (Windows key + R) and entering:

explorer.exe shell:appsFolder\Microsoft.Windows.PrintQueueActionCenter_cw5n1h2txyewy!App.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26020.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2915

Release date: December 14, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features get extended language support for languages such as French (France or Canada), German, and Spanish (Spain or Mexico).

In addition, there is a new dedicated mode for Windows 365 boot. With it, you can boot to your Windows 365 Cloud PC from your designated company-owned device. You will be able to seamlessly login to your Windows 365 Cloud PC from Windows 11 login screen using passwordless authentication methods like Windows Hello for Business. In Windows 365 Switch, you can now disconnect from Cloud PC directly from a local PC. This can be done by going to Local PC > Task view > Right click on the Cloud PC button > Disconnect.

This build also marks a transition from  Windows Speech Recognition (WSR), which is being deprecated, to voice access, a new assistive technology that uses on-device speech recognition, enabling control of your PC and authoring text without an internet connection. When WSR is opened, a dialog will pop up directing you to try voice access.

All Insiders, even those who haven’t selected the option to receive new features, get an updated Notepad that includes displaying character count in the status bar.

Insiders who have opted to receive new features get two bug fixes, one in which when you create a dump file for a process, the dump file location is selectable now so you can copy it out, and another that eliminates the background jumping when switching between desktops.

This is the last Beta Channel release for 2023.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2915.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23606

Release date: December 13, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build marks a transition from Windows Speech Recognition (WSR), which is being deprecated, to voice access, a new assistive technology that uses on-device speech recognition, enabling control of your PC and authoring text without an internet connection. When WSR is opened, a dialog will pop up directing you to try voice access.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused the details pane in File Explorer to unexpectedly take keyboard focus sometimes.

The build has six known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

Microsoft is releasing ISOs for this build, which can be downloaded here. This is the last Dev Channel release for 2023.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23606.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26016

Release date: December 13, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces Windows Protected Print Mode, which lets your PC print using Mopria-certified printers only. These printers eliminate third-party printer drivers and instead rely on Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) with built-in encryption for safer and more streamlined printing operations.

A variety of bugs have been fixed in this build, including one that caused keyboard shortcuts to not work on the desktop, and another that caused the details pane in File Explorer to unexpectedly take keyboard focus sometimes.

There are four known issues with this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which attempting to reboot into safe mode hangs on the boot logo.

This is the last Canary Channel release for 2023.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26016.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2850

Release date: December 8, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features can use WhatsApp in Windows Share.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2850.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23601

Release date: December 7, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes many new features for Windows 365 Boot, which lets sys admins configure Windows 11 physical devices so that users can sign in directly to their Windows 365 Cloud PC on them. Among the new capabilities is a dedicated mode that lets you seamlessly log in to your Windows 365 Cloud PC from the Windows 11 login screen using passwordless authentication methods like Windows Hello for Business.

Windows 365 Switch, which lets users move between their local device and one of their Cloud PCs using multiple desktops with the Windows 11 Task view, also gets new features, including an easier way to disconnect from their Cloud PC directly from their local PC.

In addition, screen casting gets improved discoverability, and there are new widgets board settings, including more ways to customize it.

The build also includes a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in Copilot in Windows that was causing full-screen apps to minimize on secondary monitors when launching Copilot, and another on the Start menu that caused the Recommended section to appear blank for some users.

The build has seven known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23601.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26010

Release date: December 7, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces new settings to customize how the widget board works, including one that makes it easier for you to discover how to personalize your feed content.

Six bugs have been fixed, including one that caused the restart button to be missing in Settings > Windows Update or for that settings page to not load at all, and another that caused some users to experience an increase in bug checks.

There are four known issues with this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which attempting to reboot into safe mode hangs on the boot logo.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26010.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2841

Release date: December 4, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel                                  

In this build, when Insiders who have selected the option to receive new features turn on nearby sharing via quick settings or directly in Settings and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, it will turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, so nearby sharing will work as expected. If they turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, it will also turn off nearby sharing.

There are several bug fixes for those who have toggled the option on, including one in which Task Manager crashed when changing Always on Top mode, and one in which the dropdowns in settings would float up the screen if you scrolled.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets new widget board settings, including one that makes it easier for you to discover how to personalize your feed content.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including one in which Copilot in Windows can be used across multiple displays, and another that fixed an issue with Remote Desktop web authentication.

There are six known issues, including one in which the Microsoft 365, Outlook Calendar, and To Do widgets get stuck in an error state when the Microsoft Start feed is disabled.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2841.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26002

Release date: November 29, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces energy saver, which enhances Windows’s battery saver feature by reducing system performance to improve battery life. It can be toggled on and off via Quick Settings in the system tray or configured to run automatically whenever the device reaches a certain battery percentage.

Four bugs have been fixed, including one that caused the installation of some apps, including Phone Link, to fail with error 0x87AF0813, and another that caused Settings to crash when navigating to Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad.

There are three known issues with this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly, and another in which attempting to reboot into safe mode hangs on the boot logo.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26002.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23595

Release date: November 29, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build shows the Copilot icon on the right side of the system tray on the taskbar so the entry point to Copilot is closer to where the Copilot pane opens. And if you’re signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID, in addition to being able to share to your Microsoft Teams (work or school) contacts, you can also now share directly to specific Microsoft Teams Channels and groups chats directly within the Windows share window.

One bug was fixed; it caused custom wallpapers to shift when switching desktops.

The build has two known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23595.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2776

Release date: November 28, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those Insiders who have toggled on the option to receive new features as soon as they are released and are signed into Windows with a Microsoft Entra ID can now directly share Teams contacts to specific Microsoft Teams Channels and groups chats as well directly within the Windows share window.

There are several bug fixes for those who have toggled the option on, including for a bug in which when dragging and dropping windows in Task View to different desktops, the windows might unexpectedly be placed in the background of other windows.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets account-related notifications for Microsoft accounts on the Settings homepage. Notifications are displayed across the Start menu and Settings. You can manage Settings notifications in Settings > Privacy & security > General.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2776.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22631.2787

Release date: November 16, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this build, you can use Copilot in Windows across multiple displays. Press the Copilot in Windows taskbar button on the taskbar of the display where you want Copilot in Windows to appear. You can also ask Copilot in Windows for help ten times when you sign in to Windows using a local account.

There are a variety of bug fixes in this build, including for an issue in which remote direct memory access (RDMA) performance counters did not return networking data on VMs in the right way, and another in which the Systems Settings application stopped responding after you turned off Device Encryption.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22631.2787.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2771

Release date: November 16, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those Insiders who have toggled on the option to receive new features as soon as they are released will get previews for natural voices in Narrator for 10 new locales launched in September 2023. They will also get improvements in how Narrator handles images, such as improved recognition of text in images, including handwriting, and improvements to overall image descriptions.

There are also a variety of bug fixes for those who have toggled the option on, including one in which Narrator was announcing old dialog names even after users navigated to new dialogs on a few web pages, and another in which Settings Home was unexpectedly showing some users that there was NaN% storage left.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for one in which Settings Home showed a prompt to sign into your Microsoft account and failed to sign in if you tried to use it, even though Settings itself showed you were already signed in.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2771.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23590

Release date: November 15, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes previews for natural voices in Narrator for 10 new locales launched in September 2023. Narrator also gets improvements in how it handles images, such as improved recognition of text in images, including handwriting, and improvements to overall image descriptions.

A variety of bugs were fixed, including one in which opening the context menu on the desktop crashed explorer.exe and another in which the share window in Windows Share crashed.

The build has one known issue: when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23590.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25997

Release date: November 15, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, if you’re signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID, your Microsoft Teams (work or school) contacts will appear in the Windows share window to make it easier to share. In addition, a new option under Settings > Bluetooth & devices will prevent Phone Link from communicating with your mobile devices.

Five bugs have been fixed, including one that caused taskbar icons to disappear after switching desktops, and another in which Settings Home showed a prompt to sign into your Microsoft account and failed to sign you in if you tried to use it, even though Settings itself showed you were already signed in.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which attempting to navigate to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad will crash Settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25997.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25992

Release date: November 8, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes a number of Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes, including firewall changes; the ability to connect to an SMB server over TCP, QUIC, or RDMA using alternative network ports to the hardcoded defaults; and changes to SMB over QUIC client access control certificates.

Five bugs have been fixed, including one that caused taskbar icons to disappear after switching desktops, and another in which Settings Home showed a prompt to sign into your Microsoft account and failed to sign you in if you tried to use it, even though Settings itself showed you were already signed in.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which attempting to navigate to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad will crash Settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25992.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23585

Release date: November 8, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, the Camera app, Cortana app, Photos app, People app, and Remote Desktop (MSTSC) client can now be uninstalled.

Several bugs were fixed, including one in which the context menu drew off screen when invoked using touch or pen on the side of your desktop.

The build has one known issue, in when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23585.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2700

Release date: Nov. 2, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

This build fixes a bug in which the setting to turn off the use of drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop did not work. Microsoft is also looking into an issue in which Snipping Tool may crash when taking a capture on Arm devices.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2700.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23580

Release date: Nov. 1, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, users with local accounts can access Copilot in Windows for a limited number of queries before needing to sign in.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in File Explorer in which using mouse back and forward buttons didn’t react when hovering over the Recommended Files section of Home, and another in which if your taskbar was nearly full of icons — and you used the search box — clicking the search box would open search, which would immediately close.

The build has two known issues, one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23580.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25987

Release date: Nov. 1, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, PNG files now support viewing and editing metadata — you can set a star rating in Properties, edit the description, or add keywords. In addition, the settings page for Delivery Optimization under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization now matches the Windows 11 design principles.

One bug has been fixed, to stop File Explorer from crashing in Windows Sandbox when using a non-English display language.

There are three known issues, including one in which some popular games might not work correctly on Preview builds in the Canary Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25987.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23575

Release date: Oct. 27, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build tests out grouping recently added apps into a folder under the Recommended section of Start with some Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. It also fixes a number of bugs, including one in which some Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel using the Home edition of Windows 11 Insider Preview builds to find Copilot in Windows has disappeared from the taskbar.

The build has one known issue: when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23575.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2552

Release date: Oct. 26, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, system Components currently listed in Settings > Apps > Installed Apps page, have moved to their own page under Settings > System > System Components.

There are also a variety of bug fixes, including one in which the Widgets notification badge was on the wrong place ion the taskbar, and another in which touchscreens did not work properly when more than one display is used.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2552)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25982

Release date: Oct. 25, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build gradually rolls out the Copilot in Windows preview. Some Insiders will immediately see it, and others will have to wait. In addition, SMB now supports requiring encryption of all outbound SMB client connections.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that led to hangs when launching File Explorer, and another that caused the print queue to be inaccessible and show an error if you tried to open it.

There is one known issue in this build, in which some popular games might not work correctly on Preview builds in the Canary Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25982.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2486

Release date: October 19, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, under “All apps” in the Start menu, Windows 11 system components will now show a “system” label. Also, the Xbox Game Bar will now show as just Game Bar under the Start menu and under Settings > System > Apps > Installed apps. This change will come through a Game Bar update via the Microsoft Store.

The build fixes two bugs, one that caused the Start menu to crash on launch if the display language was set to Czech or Slovak, and another in which the search icon in the taskbar wasn’t appearing correctly for people using search icon and label.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2486.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23570

Release date: October 18, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, Copilot in Windows can now be used across multiple monitors. The build fixes a variety of bugs, including some that could have led to hangs when launching File Explorer, and one in Settings in which Home was unexpectedly showing some users that there was NaN% storage left.

The build has two known issues, both in Copilot in Windows. In one, while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time. In the other, Copilot in Windows has disappeared from the taskbars of some Insiders who use the Home edition of Windows 11 Insider Preview builds.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23570.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25977

Release date: October 18, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, new controls have been added to help manage which apps have access to the list of Wi-Fi networks around you, which could be used to determine your location.  You can view and modify which apps can access the list of Wi-Fi networks by navigating to Settings > Privacy & security > Location.

In addition, in the build, Windows supports the use of hearing aids equipped with the latest Bluetooth Low Energy Audio (LE Audio) technology. Customers who use these new hearing aids are now able to directly pair, stream audio, and take calls on their Windows PCs with LE Audio support.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which certain .rar files would open blank or with an unexpected message saying there was insufficient memory to open the file.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly on Preview builds in the Canary Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25977.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2483

Release date: October 13, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

This build disables the update of the color font format to COLRv1 (first introduced in Build 22631.2265) that displayed richer emoji with a 3D like appearance to fix some bugs. It will be re-enabled in a future build.

The build fixes one bug, which was causing search to crash on launch for some Insiders.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2483.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621. 2500

Release date: October 12, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this update, when you select the gleam in the search box, a Bing.com page will appear for the daily search highlight. This is available to a small audience initially and will be made available more widely in the coming months.

The update also addresses a wide variety of bugs, including fixing memory leaks in ctfmon.exe and TextInputHost.exem and fixing a bug that blocked external connections when you set up a Kubernetes load balanced service and turned on session affinity.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2500.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23565

Release date: October 11, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build Copilot in Windows shows its new icon on the taskbar. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one that could have caused File Explorer windows to hang for OneDrive users.

The build has three known issues, including one in which some apps under “All apps” on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as system components, and another in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23565.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2419

Release date: October 10, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

With this build, there will no longer be a build split number in the Beta channel — everyone in the channel will now get the same build. If you want to get the newest features from the build, go to Settings > Windows Update and turn the toggle below “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” to On. If you don’t do that, the features will be rolled out to you more gradually.

This build includes improvements to Windows Ink, which will be rolled out to everyone regardless of whether they asked to receive the latest features. It also includes a new Copilot in Windows icon on the taskbar, which will only be immediately available to those who want the newest features.

The build fixes several bugs, including one in which explorer.exe was crashing when you tried to open File Explorer by using Open File Location in an app.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2419.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25967

Release date: October 5, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces a new Settings homepage that provides an overview of your device, gives quick access to key settings, and helps manage your Microsoft account. It includes interactive cards that represent various device and account related settings, grouped by commonly accessed functions. Each card is optimized to offer the most relevant information and controls. This release has seven cards, with more coming soon.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused Insiders to see bug checks (green screens) in recent Canary Channel builds when shutting down, logging out, or restarting, and another in which File Explorer sorting changes wouldn’t persist in folders after you navigated away and back.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which some popular games may not work correctly on Preview builds in the Canary Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25967.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23560

Release date: October 4, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, Using the Alt + Tab hotkey displays the thumbnail preview for Copilot in Windows among with the other thumbnail previews of open windows, which you can switch between by pressing Tab. The build also fixes several bugs, including one that sometimes made File Explorer dropdowns and context menus unexpectedly have a transparent background and another in which the search box wasn’t showing the correct folder name when you were in Gallery.

The build has four known issues, including one in which when first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time, and another in which some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as system components.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23560.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23555

Release date: September 28, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused a Task Manager crash when changing Always on Top mode, and another that caused explorer.exe to crash when trying to open Copilot from the taskbar.

The build has five known issues, including one which the Windows Copilot Preview is not available in some regions and another in which some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as system components.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23555.)

Windows 11 version 23H2

Release date: September 26, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update is being released to Release Preview Channel for Windows Insider Program for Business participants to validate on devices in their organizations. This update is delivered as an enablement package with the same servicing branch and code base as Windows 11 version 22H2. It includes Copilot in Windows (in preview) and Windows Backup for Microsoft Accounts.

(Get more info about Windows 11 version 23H2.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2361

Release date: September 22, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update introduces a preview of Windows Copilot, which Microsoft says uses AI to make it easier to use Windows 11 and get more out of it. You can launch the Copilot preview by clicking its icon on the taskbar or pressing Window key + C.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2361.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23550

Release date: September 22, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, you can enable voice access for users to set up new Windows devices and navigate through the out of box experience. To enable it, launch the accessibility flyout on the bottom right corner of their screens and click on voice access.

The update also rolls out the September 2023 update for the Windows Subsystem for Linux and fixes a number of bugs, including one that caused sporadic explorer.exe and Start menu crashes, and another that sometimes caused thumbnails in the File Explorer Gallery to flash when scrolling.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23550.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2359

Release date: September 14, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update introduces websites to the Recommended section of the Start menu. It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Microsoft Defender stopped some USB printers from printing, and another in which the display of some elements of Remote Apps were not aligned correctly.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2359.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25951

Release date: September 13, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, the SMB client now supports blocking NTLM for remote outbound connections, and the SMB server also supports controlling which SMB 2 and 3 dialects it will negotiate. The build also adjusts the network flyout on the Lock screen to better match the UI of the network flyout from quick settings in system tray on the taskbar.

There is one known issue in this build, in which some popular games may not work correctly on Preview builds in the Canary Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25951.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23545

Release date: September 13, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build lets you quickly give your device a more friendly name for use with nearby share under Settings > System > Nearby sharing.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which icons on the desktop showed as generic white pages rather than their proper icons, and another in which rapidly opening two File Explorer windows made explorer.exe crash.

The build has four known issues, including one in which some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as system components, and another in which you can use Alt + Tab to switch out of Windows Copilot, but not back into it. Windows + C will move focus back to Windows Copilot.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23545.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2338 and 22631.2338

Release date: September 12, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2338 and 22631.2338.

Build 22631.2338 gets a variety of fixes, including for a bug that caused some Insiders to see untranslated text in some areas across the system, including in File Explorer and Settings, and another in which after changing between dark and light mode in File Explorer, the icons in the command bar and context menu became very difficult to see.

In both Build 22621.2338 and Build 22631.2338, the Camera app, Cortana, Photos app, and People app can now be uninstalled, and a bug was fixed in which Microsoft Defender stopped some USB printers from printing.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2338, you can check for updates and install 22631.2338.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2338 and 22631.2338.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23541

Release date: September 8, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which dragging app icons in the taskbar sometimes led to an explorer.exe crash, and another in search on the taskbar in which sometimes the tooltip when mousing over the search box wouldn’t match the current search highlight.

The build has nine known issues, including one in which icons on the desktop may show as generic white pages rather than their proper icons, and another in which some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as system components.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23541.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25947

Release date: September 7, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

The build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer could crash when navigating to Gallery, and another in which explorer.exe would not work in safe mode.

There is one known issue in this build, in which some popular games may not work correctly on Preview builds in the Canary Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25947.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2271 and 22631. 2271

Release date: September 6, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2271 and 22631.2271.

In Build 22631.2271, the Windows Ink improvements introduced with Build 22631.2050 that enabled inking directly onto edit fields are being temporarily disabled for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel while bugs impacting its usability are fixed.

Build 22631.2271 fixes a variety of bugs, including one that could make explorer.exe crash when navigating away from Home, and another that caused the Windows Copilot icon in the taskbar to be flipped backwards for right-to-left languages.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2271, you can check for updates and install 22631.2271.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2271 and 22631.2271.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23536

Release date: August 31, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that impacted the taskbar appearing correctly after powering on your device, and another that caused Task Manager to crash when using the end task option in the Details page.

The build has five known issues, including one which sometimes the tooltip when mousing over the search box does not match the current search highlight, and another in which some apps under “All apps” on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as system components.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23536.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25941

Release date: August 31, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, the graph at the top of the Power & Battery page in Settings has been removed. Insiders can continue to see a graph of battery usage in the battery usage section further down the page. The Power & Battery settings page is also no longer broken up by “Power” and “Battery” sections.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Settings crashed when you looked at detailed battery usage, and another in which File Explorer context menu and command bar dropdowns became transparent and did not work with touch.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25941.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2265 and 22631.2265

Release date: August 31, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2265 and 22631.2265.

In Build 22631.2265, Windows can now display richer emoji with a 3D like appearance with support coming soon to some apps and browsers.

Build 22631.2265 gets a variety of fixes, including for a bug in which apps in the taskbar appeared to be cut off without a rounded corner on the end when you had a lot of app windows open and the taskbar was set to not combine.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2265, you can check for updates and install 22631.2265.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2265 and 22631.2265.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25936

Release date: August 25, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, the Task Manager settings page has been changed to match the design principles of Windows 11. The design has a similar look and feel to the Settings in Windows 11 and provides a cleaner UI separating categories into different sections. In addition, the underlying crash which was causing .NET updates to get stuck requesting restart in Windows Update Settings in recent Canary Channel builds has been fixed.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25936.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23531

Release date: August 25, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build reintroduces the search experience for invoking the search flyout when you hover over the search box gleam. This behavior can be adjusted by right-clicking on the taskbar, choosing Taskbar settings, and adjusting your preferred search box experience.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when File Explorer was closed, and another in which Task Manager crashed sporadically, including when ending tasks.

The build has four known issues, including one which sometimes the tooltip when mousing over the search box does not match the current search highlight, and another in which some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as system components.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23531.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2262 and 22631.2262

Release date: August 24, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2262 and 22631.2262.

Build 22631.2262 adds a new Settings home page that provides an overview of your device, adds quick access to key settings, and helps manage your Microsoft account. In addition, new backup and restore features make it easier to move apps to a new PC.

Build 22631.2262 fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which in some cases, the context menu background in File Explorer appeared transparent. This also impacted the command bar dropdown menus.

Builds 22621.2262 and 22631.2262 get two bug fixes, for one in which the “Check for updates” button did not appear as expected under Settings > Windows Update, and another in which removing a monitor while connected to a Cloud PC could result in a black screen with only a mouse visible.

Build 22631.2262 has three known issues, including one in which explorer.exe crashes on the login screen when attempting to enter safe mode.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2262, you can check for updates and install 22631.2262.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2262 and 22631.2262.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23526

Release date: August 18, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, which is being released via ISOs, files that do not have rich thumbnail previews will no longer show a blank preview area in File Explorer. In addition, a variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which the System label in the Start menu’s “All apps” list was the wrong color in high-contrast themes, and another in which if you attempted to uninstall certain apps from Start, it would just open Settings and not navigate to the Installed Apps page.

The build has six known issues, including one which explorer.exe crashed on the login screen when attempting to enter safe mode, and another in which some apps under “All apps” on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as a system component.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23526.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2199 and 22631.2199

Release date: August 18, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2199 and 22631.2199.

Build 22631.2199 adds native support for reading additional archive file formats using the libarchive open-source project, such as .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar.zst,.tar.xz, and many others. In addition, files that do not have rich thumbnail previews will no longer show a blank preview area in File Explorer.

Build 22631.2199 fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the “safely remove hardware” icon did not appear when expected in the system tray, and another in which using End Task on certain apps caused other unrelated apps to close.

Build 22621.2199 has five known issues, including one in which the context menu background in File Explorer sometimes appears transparent.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2199, you can check for updates and install 22631.2199.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2199 and 22631.2199.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25931

Release date: August 16, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, DC (domain controller) location will no longer use NetBIOS\WINS\mailslot-based discovery by default. In addition, the build includes new features previously released to the Dev Channel, such as Unicode Emoji 15 support, and voice is available for use on more areas in Windows such as the Lock screen. There are also more fields in the File Explorer Details pane, including image dimensions for pictures, number of pages for .docx, space used and free information for drives, and many others.

There’s one fix for a bug in which you weren’t able to connect over SMB to a third-party storage device using guest (no username or password) credentials.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25931.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23521

Release date: August 10, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel can participate in the public preview of Windows 365 Switch, which provides the ability to easily move between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop using the familiar keyboard commands, as well as a mouse-click or a swipe gesture through Task View on the Windows 11 taskbar. Go here for details about how to participate.

In addition, Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who log in and are managed by AAD (soon to be Microsoft Entra ID) will see Windows Copilot enabled for them without the need to enable it via Group Policy Editor. Windows Search now also uses the Microsoft Bing Search app to return web content and search results.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one that prevented users from dragging a file out of an archived folder to extract it with one of the newly supported archive formats, and another that had removed the USB icon and its options from the system tray.

The build has six known issues, including one in which explorer.exe crashes on the login screen when attempting to enter safe mode, and another in which some apps under All apps on the Start menu may incorrectly be labeled as a system component.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23521.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2191 and 22631.2191

Release date: August 10, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2191 and 22631.2191.

Build 22631.2191 lets you set JXR files to be your desktop background, and if you have an HDR display, they will render in full HDR. In addition, you can now participate in the public preview of Windows 365 Switch, which provides the ability to easily move between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop using the familiar keyboard commands, as well as a mouse-click or a swipe gesture through Task View on the Windows 11 taskbar. Go here for details about how to participate.

Build 22631.2191 gets a variety of fixes, including for a bug in which File Explorer crashed when you went to its Home, and another in which the image in the File Explorer Details pane might get blurry after resizing the File Explorer window.

Build 22621.has six known issues, including one in which the context menu background in File Explorer sometimes appeared transparent.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2191, you can check for updates and install 22631.2191.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2191 and 22631.2191.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2213

Release date: August 10, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update adds a new hover behavior to the search box gleam. When you hover over it, the search flyout box appears. To can adjust this behavior, right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings to change your search box experience.

The build also adds a new policy called “Enable optional updates” in which administrators can use it to configure the monthly, optional cumulative updates for commercial devices. You can also use this policy for the gradual Controlled Feature Rollouts (CFRs).

The update also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Group Policy Service did not wait for 30 seconds, the default wait time, for the network to be available. Because of this, policies were not correctly processed.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2213.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25926

Release date: August 9, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes new features first released in the Dev Channel, including improvements for Windows Ink, improved screen casting, and local file-sharing improvements. The Snipping Tool has also been upgraded, with new buttons to edit in Paint for screenshots and edit in Clipchamp for screen recordings.

In addition, Notifications now show as a bell in the system tray, and when new notifications come through, the bell will colorize based on your system accent color. When there are no notifications and the clock is visible, the bell will be empty. Notification counts are no longer shown.

There’s one bug fix in which using devices with mobile broadband connectivity could not connect to a wireless network due to an issue with the APN configuration.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25926.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25921

Release date: August 4, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build lets you set JXR files to be your desktop background. If you have an HDR display, they will render in full HDR. In addition, for people logged into a Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise editions with an AAD account (soon to be Microsoft Entra ID), there is a richer thumbnail preview (tooltips) when hovering over cloud files such as Word documents under Recommended on the Start menu. For this initial release, richer thumbnail previews will not be available for all files. An update will enable the experience for more files and for Microsoft account users.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25921.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23516

Release date: August 2, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build offers improvements to Windows screen casting, which lets you wirelessly extend your display to a nearby PC, TV, or other external display. The way in which you connect has been simplified and streamlined, and it’s easier to find nearby devices and displays to which you can cast.

The build also increases the ways in which you can use voice access, including to log into your PC and access other areas of the lock screen. You can turn on voice access from the accessibility flyout on the Lock screen or have it on automatically by checking the setting Start voice access before you sign in to your PC via Settings > Accessibility > Speech.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which the icons displayed in the tabs in File Explorer could have become out of sync with the current folder after navigating, and another in which multiple explorer.exe crashes harmed taskbar reliability.

The build has nine issues, including one in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process, and another in which search boxes in Microsoft 365 applications (such as Microsoft Word) might not work correctly.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23516.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2129 and 22631.2129

Release date: July 26, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2129 and 22631.2129.

Build 22631.2129 includes a preview of Windows Copilot for Windows 11. The preview focuses solely on the user interface. Later builds will have new features. Click the New button on the taskbar (or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + C) to launch Windows Copilot. Windows Copilot will use the same Microsoft account or Azure Active Directory (AAD) account used to sign in to Windows.

In addition, voice access can now use “correction” commands to correct words that have been misrecognized. The build also increases the ways in which you can use voice access, including to log into your PC and access other areas of the lock screen. You can turn on voice access from the accessibility flyout on the Lock screen or have it on automatically by checking the setting Start voice access before you sign in to your PC via Settings > Accessibility > Speech.

This build also offers improvements to Windows screen casting, which lets you wirelessly extend your display to a nearby PC, TV, or other external display. The way in which you connect has been simplified and streamlined, and it’s easier to find nearby devices and displays to which you can cast.

In the build, enterprise customers can now set the EnablePasswordlessExperience policy that promotes a user experience on AAD-joined machines for core authentication scenarios without requiring a password. This hides passwords from certain Windows authentication scenarios and leverages passwordless recovery mechanisms, such as WHFB PIN reset, if necessary.

Build 22631.2129 gets a variety of fixes, including one in which the dropdown in the address bar appeared totally blank, and another in which some of the app icons in the Startup Apps section of Task Manager were very tiny.

Both Build 22621.2129 and 22631.2129 have seven known issues, including one in which File Explorer crashes when you go to its Home, and another in which the context menu background in File Explorer sometimes appears transparent.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2129, you can check for updates and install 22631.2129.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2129 and 22631.2129.)

Insider Preview Builds 22621.2115 and 22631.2115

Release date: July 26, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2115 and 22631.2115.

In Build 22631.2115, Narrator users who interact with Traditional Chinese characters are now able to do this with confidence while using Narrator and the IME candidate window in Windows.

Both Build 22621.2115 and 22631.2115 get a variety of fixes, including one that makes brightness settings more accurate. It also fixes a bug in which you could not sign into hybrid joined devices if they were not connected to the internet. This occurred when you used a Windows Hello for Business PIN or biometric credentials.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.2115, you can check for updates and install 22631.2115.

Both Build 22621.2115 and 22631.2115 have eight known issues, one in which File Explorer crashed when you went to its Home, and another in which the context menu background in File Explorer sometimes appeared transparent.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 22621.2115 and 22631.2115.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2050 and 22631.2050

Release date: July 21, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2050 and 22631.2050.

Build 22631.2050 gets a modernized File Explorer Home, Address Bar, and Details Pane. Windows Ink has also been improved, allowing you to ink directly onto edit fields. Quick Settings gets a redesigned volume mixer. Improvements have been made in using passkeys rather than passwords when signing into websites. In addition, Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen helps protect Microsoft school or work passwords against phishing and unsafe usage on sites and apps.

Build 22631.2050 gets bug fixes, including for a bug that was causing the context menu in File Explorer or on the desktop to draw in the wrong position (off screen or on the other monitor).

Build 22621.2050 received no changes. Note that if you receive Build 22621.2050, you can check for updates and install 22631.2050.

Build 22631.2050 has two known issues, one in which the “safely remove hardware” icon isn’t appearing when expected in the system tray, and another in Narrator in which you may see some of the strings are not localized to the selected language.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2050 and 22631.2050.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23506

Release date: July 19, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build offers, in the words of Microsoft, “a strong, phish-resistant credential” that will help organizations that use Windows Hello for Business (WHFB) move to a secure, passwordless future. Enterprise customers can now set the EnablePasswordlessExperience policy that lets users on AAD joined machines authenticate without requiring a password. It hides passwords from certain Windows authentication scenarios and leverages passwordless recovery mechanisms, such as WHFB PIN reset, if necessary.

In addition, Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen helps protect Microsoft school or work passwords against phishing and unsafe usage on sites and apps. Improvements have also been made to local file sharing, including a redesign of the sharing windows, and the ability to share files faster using Wi-Fi Direct.

The Windows Copilot preview, which began rolling out with Build 23493, is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Insiders may need to reboot to have it show up.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which explorer.exe might crash when dragging tabs, and another in which opening Home was crashing for some Insiders.

The build has more than a dozen issues, including one in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process, and another in which the context menu background in File Explorer may appear transparent. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23506.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2066

Release date: July 13, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update makes brightness settings more accurate and fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which certain display and audio devices were missing after your system resumed from sleep and another that caused deadlock in Internet Protocol Security (IPsec). When you configured servers with IPsec rules, they stopped responding. This issue affected virtual and physical servers.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2066.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2048 and 22631.2048

Release date: July 13, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.2048 and 22631.2048.

Build 22631.2048 gets the new Gallery feature in File Explorer to make it easier to access your photos. The content shown in Gallery is the same as what you’ll see in the All Photos view in the Photos app. It’s optimized for accessing your most recently taken photos. If you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup set up on your phone, photos you take will show up automatically at the top of the view.

In addition, Build 22631.2048 displays the versioning updated under Settings > System > About (and winver) to version 23H2. This indicates that Windows 11, version 23H2 will be this year’s annual feature update, which will be delivered to customers similar to the most recent Windows 10 feature updates. Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year.

Build 22631.2048 gets a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in Windows Explorer that led to explorer.exe crashes when opening a folder containing .WEBP files, and another that caused the taskbar to hang during initialization and not complete loading.

Build 22621.2048 received no changes. Note that if you receive Build 22621.2048, you can check for updates and install 22631.2048.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.2048 and 22631.2048.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25905

Release date: July 12, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes new features first released in the Dev Channel, including Dev Drive, Backup and Restore improvements (Windows Backup), Dynamic Lighting, the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer and Gallery, and others. Support for Arm32 UWP applications from Windows on Arm has been removed. There’s also New PostAuthenticationAction support for terminating individual processes in Windows LAPS.

This build is not being offered to Asus devices or PCs with Asus motherboards. There is one known issue, in which Ethernet-connected devices may lose network connectivity after updating to this build. Unplugging the Ethernet cable and re-plugging the cable in should resolve the issue.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25905.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23493

Release date: June 29, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build has an early look at Windows Copilot for Windows 11 that focuses on the integrated UI experience and doesn’t have all of Copilot’s future capabilities, which will be released in future previews. To use Copilot in this flight, you must have Windows Build 23493 or higher in the Dev Channel, and Microsoft Edge version 115.0.1901.150 or higher. 

Copilot appears as sidebar docked to the right side of the screen and stays open so you can access it while using applications. It lets you perform tasks such as:

• “Change to dark mode.” 
• “Turn on do not disturb.” 
• “Take a screenshot.” 
• “Summarize this website” (the active tab in Microsoft Edge).
• “Write a story about a dog who lives on the moon.” 
• “Make me a picture of a serene koi fishpond with lily pads.” 

Many features are still missing, and not all of what was shown at Microsoft’s Build conference is available in this early version of Copilot. Copilot is not yet available for all Insiders, and will gradually be rolled out over time to them.

The build also has a new Settings home page which provides an overview of your device and quick access to key settings; it also helps manage your Microsoft account. It includes interactive cards that represent various device and account related settings, grouped by commonly accessed functions.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including improving the performance of archive functionality during compression on Windows, and fixing multiple explorer.exe crashes that were impacting taskbar reliability.

The build has more than two dozen known issues, including one in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process, and another in which the context menu background in File Explorer may appear transparent. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23493.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1972 and 22631.1972

Release date: June 29, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1972 and 22631.1972.

Build 22631.1972 previews the Windows App SDK version of File Explorer. Functionality in File Explorer remains unchanged; it just switches from using WinUI 2 to using WinUI 3. The build also fixes a single bug: the “Hide date and time in the System tray” switch is no longer backwards.

Both 22621.1972 and Build 22631.1972 get several new features, including additional capabilities and improvements to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. For more information, see Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Both builds also let you authenticate across Microsoft clouds. This feature satisfies Conditional Access checks if they are needed.

Both 22621.1972 and Build 22631.1972 also get a variety of bug fixes, including for one that stopped Narrator from retaining your scan mode when you switched between browsers, and another in which Teams stopped alerting you about missed calls or messages.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1972, you can check for updates and install 22631.1972.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1972 and 22631.1972.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23486

Release date: June 22, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build improves the use of passkeys, which can replace passwords when you sign into a website or application that supports them. You can now go to any app or website that supports passkeys to create and sign in using passkeys using Windows Hello. You can also manage passkeys stored on a Windows 11 device.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which the login screen was crashing when trying to connect to certain types of networks, and another in which Task Manager crashed for some people.

The build has more than two dozen known issues, including one in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process, and another in which the count shown for selected files in the File Explorer details pane may be extremely large.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23486.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1906 and 22631.1906

Release date: June 22, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1906 and 22631.1906. The former receives new features; the latter doesn’t.

In 22631.1906, you can now hide the time and date in the system tray. You can also view Wi-Fi passwords for your known networks via Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi and Manage known networks. Support has been added for bridging adapters via command line via netsh.

Both Build 22621.1906 and Build 22631.1906 fix a compatibility issue that occurs because of unsupported use of the registry. The builds also have one known issue, in which toggling on the Hide date and time in the System tray option will show the System Tray clock, while toggling it off will hide it. (In other words, it’s backwards.)

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1906, you can check for updates and install 22631.1906.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1906 and 22631.1906.)

Windows 11 Build 22621.1926 (KB5027303)

Release date: June 20, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build introduces a wide variety of new features, including improved sharing of local files in File Explorer with Microsoft Outlook contacts, expanded rollout of notification badging for Microsoft accounts on the Start menu, and a variety of improvements to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

It also fixes a number of bugs, including one that stopped Narrator from retaining your scan mode when you switched between browsers, and another in which Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 users were not always seeing the right location for a Remote Desktop session on their virtual machine or Cloud PC.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1926.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1900 and 22631.1900

Release date: June 15, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1900 and 22631.1900.

In 22631.1900, to minimize distractions from notification toasts, Windows 11 now detects if the user is interacting with notification toasts or not and provides a suggestion to turn the toast banners off for such apps. In addition, Passpoint Wi-Fi networks now support enhanced connection performance and will display a URL in Quick Settings to provide information to users about the venue or event.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1900, you can check for updates and install 22631.1900.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1900 and 22631.1900.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23481

Release date: June 14, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build improves Windows Ink by allowing users to enable inking directly onto edit fields. In addition, Microsoft says it has improved the accuracy of the recognition technology and a scratch-out gesture for when users need to make edits. It also removes a number of legacy settings under Folder Options in File Explorer, such as displaying file icons on thumbnails and using a sharing wizard.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one that caused a bugcheck when using Dev Drive, and another in which navigating the search flyout on the taskbar with the keyboard arrow keys did not work correctly.

The build has nearly two dozen known issues, including one in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process, and another in which the count shown for selected files in the File Explorer details pane may be extremely large.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23481.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1835 and 22631.1835

Release date: June 8, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1835 and 22631.1835.

In 22631.1835, there are new natural voices in Chinese and Spanish (Spain and Mexico) that allow Narrator users to comfortably browse the web, read, and write mail, and do more. It is also now easier to control whether to use cellular when Wi-Fi is available but poor, via a new toggle in Settings > Network & Internet > Cellular.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1835, you can check for updates and install 22631.1835.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1835 and 22631.1835.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23475

Release date: June 7, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces several new features, including one in which File Explorer gets a new address bar and search box that recognizes local versus cloud folders and displays their status. For OneDrive, the address bar now contains OneDrive sync status and quota flyout.

The Unicode Emoji 15 is also beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Users will now be able to see, search for, and insert new emoji from the emoji panel, including more hearts, animals, and one new smiley face.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which the taskbar didn’t always show the correct apps when using multiple desktops, and another in which some notifications caused explorer.exe crashes.

The build has 19 known issues, including one in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scrollbar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process, and another in which navigating the search flyout on the taskbar with the keyboard arrow keys does not work as expected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23475.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25381

Release date: June 2, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

Beginning with Enterprise editions of this build, SMB signing is required by default for all connections. This changes the legacy behavior of Windows 10 and 11, which required SMB signing by default only when connecting to shares named SYSVOL and NETLOGON and where Active Directory domain controllers required SMB signing when any client connected to them. The move was made to improve security of Windows and Windows Server.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25381.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23471

Release date: June 1, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build lets you access your phone’s camera roll from the File Explorer Gallery. In addition, some Insiders will be able to tear out and merge tabs in File Explorer. The feature is just starting to roll out, so isn’t yet available to all Insiders.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which pressing Shift + F10 wasn’t opening the context menu in File Explorer, and another that was causing the taskbar to get cut off when switching to and from the tablet-optimized taskbar.

The build has 12 known issues, including one in which Insiders who have the new hover behavior for the search box and search highlight gleam will see an empty tooltip displayed momentarily while the gleam is hovered, and another in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23471.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1830 and 22631.1830

Release date: June 1, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1830 and 22631.1830.

In 22631.1830, WPA3 support has been added to the Phone Link instant hotspot feature for more secure connections to a phone’s hotspot. Fixes were also made to respect metered connection settings, reduce duplicate profiles, and show the phone’s display name in the network list.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1830, you can check for updates and install 22631.1830.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1830 and 22631.1830.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25375

Release date: May 25, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build extends Microsoft Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies and actions to endpoints running Windows on Arm (Arm64), which allows you to detect and protect sensitive data in files part of your digital ecosystem. This lets you introduce policy controls for scenarios such as when an information worker using a Windows endpoint powered by an Arm chipset from accessing sensitive files and trying an egress action such as copying to a USB or copying to clipboard, notepad, etc.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25375.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1825 and 22631.1825

Release date: May 25, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1825 and 22624.1825.

In both builds, users will see the full amount of storage capacity of all their OneDrive subscriptions. The total storage is now also visible on the Accounts page in the Settings app.

Both builds get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which the Server Message Block (SMB) shared folder could not be accessed, instead displaying the error messages “Not enough memory resources” or “Insufficient system resources.” Also fixed was an issue affecting devices with multiple, discrete GPUs in which you were not able to choose the high-performance GPUs.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1825 and 22631.1825.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466

Release date: May 24, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces Dev Drive, a new kind of storage volume that improves performance for key developer workloads. It’s built upon Resilient File System (ReFS) technology and has file system optimizations and features that enable developers to better manage their performance and security profile.

The build also adds new backup and restore capabilities to make moving to a new PC easier, and gets users quickly to a familiar desktop so they can become productive faster on their new PC. There are also a wide range of other, more minor features in this build, including the addition of links to advanced properties for network adapters and internet properties under Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which the taskbar in multi-monitor setups showed the indicator for an app window having focus on your screen when it actually didn’t, and another that caused search to crash on launch.

The build has 17 known issues, including one in which Insiders who have the new hover behavior for the search box and search highlight gleam will see an empty tooltip displayed momentarily while the gleam is hovered, and another in which File Explorer may crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25370

Release date: May 22, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build adds links to advanced properties for network adapters and internet properties under Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings, and includes support for vTPM (virtual Trusted Platform Module) in Hyper-V on Windows on Arm (Arm64) builds.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25370.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1776

Release date: May 11, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update adds a wide variety of new features to Windows 11, including access key shortcuts in File Explorer that let you run a command in a context menu with a single keystroke. New voice-related features include live captions for several languages and voice access commands for a number of English dialects.

The build also improves the performance of search within Settings and adds a Settings page for USB4 hubs and devices. You can find it at Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices. This new page provides information about the system’s USB4 capabilities and the attached peripherals on a system that supports USB4.

These and many other new features will roll out slowly. To get them as soon as possible, open Settings > Windows Update and turn on the Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available toggle and check for updates. (The toggle is not enabled for devices managed by Windows Update for Business or WSUS.)

The update also fixes numerous bugs, including one in which the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) stopped working when you used Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), and another in which the Windows Firewall could not apply the correct domain and profile for devices joined to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1776.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1755 and 22624.1755

Release date: May 9, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1755 and 22624.1755.

Build 22624.1755 fixes two bugs, one in which Settings crashed when attempting to uninstall an app while using grid view, and another in which the Pinyin IME’s insert text button wasn’t displaying correctly in some cases.

Builds 22621.1755 and 22624.1755 get a bug fix in which in the Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) might stop responding.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which when you launch the widgets board for the first time, you may see momentarily placeholders of the widgets/feed cards of the old 2-column layout even if your device supports three columns.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1755, you can check for updates and install 22624.1755.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1755 and 22624.1755.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23451

Release date: May 4, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces a details pane in File Explorer that displays contextual information about files including file thumbnails, share status and button, file activity, related files and emails, and other information. It also adds a Facebook widget. To use the widget, you’ll first have to download the Facebook app from the Microsoft Store.

The widget picker has been redesigned with an image that gives a visual preview of the widget before pinning, a deep linking ability that allows users to jump directly to the picker from the provider app/service, and a link to the widgets collection page in the Microsoft Store where users can discover more apps with widgets.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including an explorer.exe crash that made the taskbar unreliable, and another one that caused the Recommended section in Start to be blank the first time it was opened.

The build has 11 known issues, including one in which some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403, and another in which when you open the search flyout, you may see the content flicker before the content finishes loading.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23451.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1690 and 22624.1690

Release date: May 4, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1690 and 22624.1690. Both builds get a Facebook widget. To use it you’ll first have to download the Facebook app from the Microsoft Store.

Those who get Build 22624.1690 get a variety of bug fixes, including for a Task Manager bug in which random processes sometimes were grouped under Microsoft Edge even though they weren’t related, and another in which resizing Task Manager from the top of the window didn’t work properly.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which when you launch the widgets board for the first time, you may see momentarily placeholders of the widgets/feed cards of the old 2-column layout even if your device supports three columns.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1690, you can check for updates and install 22624.1690.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1690 and 22624.1690.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25357

Release date: May 4, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build adds a Facebook widget and a new volume mixer design in Quick Settings. To use the Facebook widget you’ll first have to download the Facebook app from the Microsoft Store.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25357.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25352

Release date: April 28, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build rolls out a new widget picker that gives a visual preview of the widget before pinning, as well as a linking ability that allows users to jump directly to the picker from the provider app/service as well as a link to the widgets Store collection page where users can discover more apps with widgets.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25352.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1680 and 22624.1680

Release date: April 27, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1680 and 22624.1680. Those in both builds get a revamped widgets board with a larger canvas (three-column if supported by the device) and new zones to provide users access to glanceable widgets from their apps and services and their personalized feeds.

Build 22624.1680 fixes a number of bugs, including one in which the touch keyboard and PIN entry wasn’t appearing on the login screen for touch-capable PCs, and another in which searching for service host in the Processes section didn’t return any results.

Both 22621.1680 and 22624.1680 get a wide variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which endpoints in SMB Direct weren’t always available on systems that use multi-byte character sets, and another in which signed Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policies were not applied to the Secure Kernel when you enabled Secure Boot.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which when you launch the widgets board for the first time, you may see momentarily placeholders of the widgets/feed cards of the old 2-column layout even if your device supports 3 column.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1680, you can check for updates and install 22624.1680, which has the new features.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1680 and 22624.1680.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1616 and 22624.1616

Release date: April 20, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1616 and 22624.1616. Those in 22624.1616 get new language support for Danish, English (Ireland), French (Canada), Korean, and Portuguese (Portugal).

Build 22624.1616 fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which the touch keyboard didn’t correctly recognize that a hardware keyboard was available in some cases, and another in which live captions crashed on first launch due to an issue impacting registry data retrieval.

There are four known issues in this build, including one in which a Shift + right-click on a file or folder is not opening “Show more options.”

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1616, you can check for updates and install 22624.1616, which has the new features and bug fixes.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1616 and 22624.1616.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23440

Release date: April 19, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, you can now hide the time and date in the system tray. Turn the feature on by right-clicking on the system tray clock and choosing “Adjust date and time.” The desktop icon for Windows Spotlight has also been updated.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including several explorer.exe crashes that were impacting taskbar reliability, and an issue in Language & region settings that caused language feature installation progress to be hidden.

The build has 10 known issues, including one in which some languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions, and another in which some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23440.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25346

Release date: April 19, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build lets Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC) run on devices such as laptops and 2-in-1’s that are plugged into a charger. CABC dims or brighten areas of a display or monitor based on the content being displayed, with the goal of striking a balance between reduced power consumption with visual experience to save battery life.

Other changes include new presence sensor privacy settings and APIs. If you have a device with compatible presence sensors, you can now manage your privacy and block/allow certain apps from accessing these sensors.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25346.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23435

Release date: April 14, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces the new Gallery feature of File Explorer, which shows what you see in the All Photos view in the Photos app, while giving you the file-management capabilities and navigation of File Explorer. Note that it isn’t yet available to all Dev Channel Insiders.

A variety of bugs have been fixed, including several in explorer.exe that made the taskbar less reliable. The build also improves the performance of the expand all / collapse all view options on the Task Manager’s Processes page.

The build has a dozen known issues, including one in which some languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions, and another in which some people may not see the search box on the taskbar and/or the settings to adjust the search box experience on the taskbar after updating to Build 23403.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23435.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1610 and 22624.1610

Release date: April 13, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1610 and 22624.1610. Those in 22624.1610 get new presence sensor privacy settings and APIs. If you have a device with compatible presence sensors, you can now manage your privacy and block/allow certain apps from accessing these sensors. No images or metadata is collected by Microsoft, and all processing is done locally on the device hardware to maximize privacy.

Both 22621.1610 and 22624.1610 get a new toggle under Settings > Windows Update for “getting the latest updates as soon as they are available.” This new toggle is meant to be used in the Beta Channel to allow Insiders to switch more seamlessly to the enablement package.

Build 22624.1610 fixes a bug that caused a noticeable increase in explorer.exe crashes in the last flight for some Insiders.

Both 22621.1610 and 22624.1610 fix a compatibility issue that occurred because of unsupported use of the registry.

There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1610, you can check for updates and install 22624.1610, which has the new features.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1610 and 22624.1610.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1631

Release date: April 13, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update adds a new toggle control on the Settings > Windows Update page. When you turn it on, your device will opt in to receive future non-security updates as soon as they are available. For commercial customers, the toggle is disabled by default. It also changes firewall settings. You can now configure application group rules.

The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Microsoft Edge IE mode in which the Tab Window Manager stopped responding, and another that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process. It might stop responding. Because of this, the machine restarts. The error is 0xc0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1631.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1546 and 22624.1546

Release date: April 7, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1546 and 22624.1546. Those in the 22624.1546 group will see several new features, including one in which search performance has been improved in Settings, and another in which pressing the print screen key will now open Snipping Tool by default. This setting can be turned off via Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.

Build 22624.1546 also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which text input features like the touch keyboard, voice typing, and emoji panel didn’t always launch, and another in which  some of the details in the Performance page wouldn’t display properly until you resized the window or changed pages back and forth.

There are six known issues in this build, including one in which certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.

Note that if you receive Build 22621.1546, you can check for updates and install 22624.1546, which has the new features.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1546 and 22624.1546.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23430

Release date: April 7, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, urgent or important notifications that appear when “do not disturb” is turned on while using apps at full screen will now display a “View notification” button, instead of showing the notification itself, to protect your privacy.

In addition, for developers, there is a new setting under Settings > Privacy & security > For developers to enable “end task” when right-clicking an app on the taskbar. Although the setting is included in this build, it does not currently work. It will be fixed in a future build.

There are also several bug fixes, including for a bug in which text input features like the touch keyboard, voice typing, and emoji panel might not have launched. In addition, the Task Manager search box is no longer cropped at the top when a window is maximized.

The build has nine known issues, including one in which some languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions, and another in which if you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23430.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25336

Release date: April 7, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build improves search performance in Settings. In addition, people with two or more discrete graphics adapters with no integrated graphics can now choose which of the discrete graphics adapters is considered high-performance. To do it, navigate to Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Default graphics settings and select which of the discrete graphics adapters you would like to be designated as the default high-performance GPU.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25336 .)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1537 and 22624.1537

Release date: March 31, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1537 and 22624.1537. Those in 22624.1537 will see several new features, including one in which access key shortcuts have been added into the XAML context menu in File Explorer. An access key is a one keystroke shortcut that allows a keyboard user to quickly execute a command in a context menu. The build also has a new set of features to aid the collection of live kernel memory dumps (LKDs).

In builds 22621.1537 and 22624.1537, once you have access to the new Bing, the search box on the taskbar will include a button that opens the Bing chat experience in Edge. If you don’t have access, the search box on the taskbar will feature a dynamic search highlight button. The change is being rolled out, and not everyone will see it yet.

Build 22624.1537 fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which an unexpected error message appeared when opening Group Policy Editor.

Builds 22621.1537 and Build 22624.1537 both get a number of bugs fixed, including one in which audio glitching or screeching may have occurred when the system was under a heavy load or woke from sleep, and another in which Clustered Shared Volume (CSV) failed to come online if you enabled BitLocker and local CSV managed protectors, and the system recently rotated the BitLocker keys.

There are five issues in this build, including one in which certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1537 and 22624.1537.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23424

Release date: March 30, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build revamps the widget board with a larger canvas (3 columns if supported by the device) and new zones to provide users quick access to glanceable widgets from their apps and services as well as enable users to take a break with their personalized feed.

It also fixes a number of bugs, including one in Task Manager in which the search icon could end up overlapping the Task Manager icon in the title bar, and another in which voice access was taking some time to turn on after using the wake-up command.

The build has eight known issues, including one in which some languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions, and another in which if you have the Bing button in the search box on the taskbar and you restart your computer, you may see the daily rotating search highlight for some time before getting the Bing button back.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23424.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25330

Release date: March 30, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces several changes to the Microsoft Store, including new purchase dialog styles that align better with Windows 11, and a new interface for the in-app ratings dialogue.

In addition, the Remote Desktop Connection setup window (mstsc.exe) now follows the text scaling settings under Settings > Accessibility > Text Size. In cases where the text scaling is very large, it will show a scrollbar. The print screen key will now open the Snipping Tool by default.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25330.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25324

Release date: March 23, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

This build offers a revamped widgets board, with a larger canvas (3 columns if supported by the device) and dedicated sections for widgets and feed content with a clear separation between them. There is also a new USB4 hubs and devices Settings page for users under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices. USB4 enables new productivity scenarios for docking, high performance peripherals, displays and charging.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25324.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1470 and 22624.1470

Release date: March 23, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22624.1470 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.1470 update that fewer new features and bug fixes.

In Build 22624.1470 there is a new USB4 hubs and devices Settings page for users under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices. USB4 enables new productivity scenarios for docking, high performance peripherals, displays and charging.

In both builds, the search box on the taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode. When Windows 11 mode is set to dark, and the app mode is set to light under Settings > Personalization > Colors, and you will see a lighter search box on taskbar.

Builds 22621.1470 and 22624.1470 have a number of new bug fixes, including for an issue in which double-clicking the search highlight glyph in the search box made it disappear. Build 22624.1470 fixes an additional bug, in which live captions did not work for Chinese Traditional on Arm64 devices.

There are several known issues in this build, including one in which some languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1470 and 22624.1470.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23419

Release date: March 22, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build offers a number of new features, including several developer-focused ones that aid the collection of live kernel memory dumps (LKDs). This is in addition to the existing “Memory dump” for user mode processes.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Narrator read the position before the name on system tray icons, and another which caused explorer.exe to crash when opening Home if certain content was visible in the Recent section.

The build has nine known issues, including one in which clicking on the “Remove from list”
 command in File Explorer doesn’t work, and another in which some languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23419.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1483

Release date: March 21, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build includes several new features, including one in which notifications for Microsoft accounts are now on the Start menu. (Note that this feature is available to only a small number of people and will roll out to more in the next several months.)

The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which Windows classified USB printers as multimedia devices even though they are not, and another in which Windows Search failed inside of Windows container images.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1483.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1465 and 22624.1465

Release date: March 16, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1465 and 22624.1465. Those in the 22624.1465 group will see a variety of new features, including live captions in more languages, updated touch keyboard settings, and the multi-app kiosk mode, a lockdown feature that allows an IT administrator to select a set of allowable apps to run on the device, while all other functionalities are blocked.

Builds 22621.1465 and 22624.1465 both get phase three of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) hardening. (See KB5004442 for details.) They also get a fix for a bug that affects a computer account and Active Directory, in which when you reuse an existing computer account to join an Active Directory domain, joining fails.

There are five issues in this build, including one in which certain languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1465 and 22624.1465.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.1757

Release date: March 16, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which Microsoft PowerPoint stopped responding when you used accessibility tools, and another in which the command line failed when you set the system locale to Japanese and cmd.exe was configured in legacy mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.1757.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25314

Release date: March 8, 2023

Released to: Canary Channel

The first build to be released to the new Canary Channel offers a number of new features, including one in which File Explorer recommends files that are most relevant to what people are currently working on. It is available to users signed into Windows with an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account. Files that are recommended are cloud files associated with that account, either owned by the user or shared with the user. (Note that this feature has not yet rolled out to all insiders in the Canary Channel. Microsoft is gathering feedback about it before introducing it more widely.)

The build also adds access key shortcuts into the XAML context menu in File Explorer. An access key is a one-keystroke shortcut that allows a keyboard user to quickly execute a command in a context menu. Each access key corresponds with a letter in the display name.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25314.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23403

Release date: March 8, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build offers a number of new features, including one in which File Explorer recommends files that are most relevant to what people are currently working on. It is available to users signed into Windows with an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account. Files that are recommended are cloud files associated with that account, either owned by the user or shared with the user. (Note that this feature has not yet rolled out to all insiders in the Dev Channel. Microsoft is gathering feedback about it before introducing it more widely.)

The build also adds access key shortcuts into the XAML context menu in File Explorer. An access key is a one-keystroke shortcut that allows a keyboard user to quickly execute a command in context menu. Each access key corresponds with a letter in the display name.

Live captioning is also now available in more languages, and touch keyboard settings have been updated with new options that control how tapping an edit control should launch the touch keyboard.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the search box randomly disappeared, and another in which File Explorer sometimes unexpectedly jumped into the foreground.

The build has 10 known issues, including one in which clicking on the “Remove from list”
 command in File Explorer doesn’t work, and another in which some languages shown on the Language & Region settings page will indicate speech recognition support (e.g., Korean) but don’t yet have support for live captions.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23403.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25309

Release date: March 2, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build lets you customize audio settings on a per-app basis using the volume mixer in Quick Settings. In addition, the in-app command help page for voice access has been redesigned so you can more quickly find the settings you want. New voice commands have also been added, including selecting a range of text in a text box and deleting all text in a text box.

It fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which some USB devices (including keyboards and mice) weren’t working in builds 25295 and above, another that could have caused the taskbar to appear duplicated when making resolution changes, and another in which under certain circumstances third-party widgets weren’t loading as expected.

The build has 10 known issues, including one in which launching Group Policy Editor may show an error about a displayName attribute not being found, and another in which some AAD (Azure Active Directory) joined users are seeing “Getting ready for you” screens when signing into Windows after updating the latest builds.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25309.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1391 and 22624.1391

Release date: March 2, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1391 and 22624.1391. Those in 22624.1391 will see a redesigned in-app command help page for voice access so you can more quickly find the settings you want. New voice commands have also been added, including selecting a range of text in a text box and deleting all text in a text box.

Builds 22621.1391 and 22624.1391 both get two bug fixes, one that improves the reliability of Windows after you install an update, and another that fixes an issue in which Notification Center, Quick Settings, and taskbar jump lists were not working for some Insiders.

There is one known issue in this build – the redesigned in-app help page in voice access may not include all commands and the supplementary information may be inaccurate.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1391 and 22624.1391.)

Windows 11 Build 22621.1343

Release date: February 21, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build includes a variety of new features, including one that shows search results in a flyout box as you type them in the taskbar’s search box. For devices joined to Azure Active Directory (AAD), this update provides AI-powered recommended content on the Start menu.

You can now also get recommendations to help to improve the energy efficiency of your PC and reduce your carbon footprint. Go to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Energy Recommendations for them. In the Task Manager, you can now filter processes using the binary name, PID, or publisher name. The filter also applies when you switch between pages. The keyboard shortcut is Alt-F.

The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning for Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) failed, and another in which after you ran Sysprep on a domain-joined, the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) might have stopped responding.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Build 22621.1343.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1325 and 22623.1325

Release date: February 16, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1325 and 22623.1325. Both builds get support for new preview widgets for Messenger, Spotify, Phone Link, and Xbox (Game Pass). In 22623.1325, devices that are Azure Active Directory (AAD) joined now receive AI-powered recommended, personalized content on the Start menu.

Both builds get a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which lsass.exe sometimes stopped responding when it sent a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query to a domain controller that had a very large LDAP filter. In Build 22623.1325 a bug that caused the taskbar to be cut off after resolution change was fixed.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1325 and 22623.1325.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25300

Release date: February 15, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build adds live captioning in several new languages, including Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and other English dialects. In addition, it adds several different treatments for snap layouts and is looking for feedback on them.

It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which some people experienced issues authenticating to enterprise websites that require windows integrated authentication, and another in which the “Find more widgets” feature in the widgets picker didn’t work.

The build has 17 known issues, including one in which Launching Group Policy Editor may show an error about a displayName attribute not being found, and another in which under certain circumstances third-party widgets may not load as expected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25300.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25295

Release date: February 9, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces a copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notifications from apps installed on a PC or from phones linked to the PC. In addition, the new search design for the taskbar that began rolling out with Build 25252 is now available for all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. You can change the treatment of search on the taskbar by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Items.

The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which the update history page under Settings > Windows Update > Update history was blank for some users after installing Build 25290, and another in which the Add a Device dialog had an unexpectedly big border.

The build has 14 known issues, including one in which some users are experiencing issues authenticating to enterprise websites that require windows integrated authentication, and another in which the “Find more widgets” option in the widgets picker doesn’t work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25295.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1255 and 22623.1255

Release date: February 9, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

In both builds, tabs in Notepad are beginning to be rolled out. Build 22623.1255 also has several bug fixes, including for a bug in which results disappeared when using search on the App History page, and another in which Process names typed into the search box were unexpectedly getting spellchecked.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1255 and 22623.1255.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1250 and 22623.1250

Release date: February 2, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1250 and 22623.1250. Both updates get a new policy for IT administrators to manage how the search box on the taskbar appears in their organizations. This blog post has details.

Build 22623.1250 also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the search box would randomly disappear sometimes when you clicked it, leaving a blank space on the taskbar, and another in which ending processes in the Task Manager’s Details tab wasn’t showing a confirmation dialog.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1250 and 22623.1250.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25290

Release date: February 1, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces two new widgets, one for Spotify and one for the Phone Link app. It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one which an explorer.exe crash which could cause the taskbar not to load for some people, and another in which some dialogs did not render in the correct theme when applied from the Task Manager Settings page.

The build has 14 known issues, including one in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which “Find more widgets” in the widgets picker doesn’t work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25290.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1245 and 22623.1245

Release date: January 26, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel, 22621.1245 and 22623.1245. Builds 22621.1245 and 22623.1245 both fix a wide variety of bugs, including one in which copying from a network to a local drive was slower than expected for some users, and another that affected searchindexer.exe, which randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.

Build 22623.1245 gets several additional bug fixes, including for several issues that caused Task Manager to crash, and one in which certain parts of its title bar couldn’t be used to drag the window.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1245 and 22623.1245.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25284

Release date: January 25, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces a new widget for the Messenger app. It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused some apps to hang or crash when saving files as PDF, and another in the taskbar and system tray in which right-clicking on some icons in the hidden icons flyout would make the flyout dismiss rather than bringing up the context menu for that icon.

The build has 15 known issues, including one in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which some Task Manager dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page. Note that the build is not being offered to Arm64 devices due to an issue that causes the devices to get stuck at the OS boot logo.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25284.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25281

Release date: January 19, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build marks the beginning of Microsoft trying different treatments for how Windows Spotlight looks, using what Microsoft calls a “richer UI around displaying the title and description and learning more information about the image displayed on your desktop via Spotlight.” To enable Windows Spotlight on your PC, right-click your desktop and choose “Personalize,” then choose the new Spotlight theme.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which explorer.exe would crash when closing File Explorer, and another in which SSID wasn’t being populated on the properties page for Wi-Fi in Network & Internet Settings.

The build has seven known issues, including one in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which some Task Manager dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build  25281.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1180 and 22623.1180

Release date: January 19, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.1180 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.1180 update that has new features but no bug fixes.

Both builds update the Settings app with new cloud storage visuals on the Accounts page, including a bar that shows your storage usage for each product and lets you know if you’re running low on storage. Outlook attachment data is also shown. (This change will roll out gradually to Insiders.)

Build 22623.1180 has a variety of bug fixes, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when trying to load certain app icons, and another which prevented the taskbar from showing in Safe Mode when using the new search box option.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1180 and 22623.1180.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1192

Release date: January 17, 2023

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build changes the way in which preview .NET Framework updates are shown. From now on, future preview (optional) .NET Framework updates will be displayed on the Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates page. On that page, you can control which optional updates you want to install.

It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including an issue that affected searchindexer.exe and randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out. It also fixed one that affected the Domain Name System (DNS) suffix search list. When you configured it, the parent domain might have been missing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1192.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25276

Release date: January 12, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces developer-focused features in Task Manager to help collecting live kernel memory dumps (LKDs). This is in addition to the existing “Memory dump” for user mode processes. The build also adds new information to the visual overview of cloud storage usage in Settings app — it now shows Outlook attachment data.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which switching windows through taskbar previews wasn’t working, and another in which explorer.exe would crash when opening File Explorer.

The build has eight known issues, including one in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which some Task Manager dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25276.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25272

Release date: January 5, 2023

Released to: Dev Channel

This build moves Quick Assist out of Windows Tools so it displays directly in the Start menu’s All apps list and is easier to find. It also adds a refresh button to the Windows print queue.

The build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in the Task Manger in which filtering by publisher name did not match correctly on the Processes page, and another in which the Task Manager did not display light and dark content correctly, rendering potentially unreadable text.

The build has eight known issues, including one in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which some Task Manager dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25272.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1095 and 22623.1095

Release date: January 5, 2023

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.1095 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.1095 update with fewer new features and bug fixes.

In Build 22623.1095, Quick Assist has been moved out of Windows Tools, so it displays directly in the Start menu’s All apps list and is easier to find.

In Builds 22621.1095 and 22623.1095, the search box design in the Start menu has been updated with more rounded corners to reflect the design of the search box on the taskbar.

Build 22623.1095 has a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in Task Manager in which filtering by publisher name did not match correctly on the Processes page.

Builds 22621.1095 and 22623.1095 fix a number of bugs, including one that affected how fast you could copy items from a network to a local computer. For some users, the copy speed was slower than expected.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1095 and 22623.1095.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1037 and 22623.1037

Release date: December 15, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.1037 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.1037 update that has fewer new features and bug fixes.

Build 22623.1037 gets a wide variety of voice access improvements, including many new commands, such as for opening and closing applications, releasing a held down key, and showing a grid overlay on the screen.

Builds 22621.1037 and 22623.1037 both get several new treatments for how search looks on the taskbar. They can be found by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Items.

Build 22623.1037 has a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug that caused Task Manager to become unresponsive when using its search box, and another that caused explorer.exe crashes.

Builds 22621.1037 and 22623.1037 have two bug fixes, one for a bug that caused Task Manager to display certain elements in the user interface (UI) in unexpected colors, and another in which the decryption of a certificate private key failed in Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) decryption.

Both builds have seven known issues, including one in which some services may not show in the Task Manager’s Services page after filtering is applied, and another in which the search box on the taskbar does not render correctly and displays visual artifact

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1037 and 22623.1037.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25267

Release date: December 14, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build makes two minor changes: Search on the taskbar now has rounded corners, and the Windows Security (firewall) notification dialogs now match Windows 11 visuals.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused the Bluetooth section of Quick Settings to crash for some people, and another in which using “Browse for Folder” from an app was only showing Desktop (and no other folders) for some people.

The build has 17 known issues, including one in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing, another in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25267.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25262

Release date: December 9, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build removes the sign-in requirement for using the widgets board and adds a link to Quick Assist at the bottom of Settings > System > Troubleshooters, to help if you’re having issues with your PC. It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused secondary drives or other PCI devices to not be viewable for some Insiders, another in which auto-hiding the taskbar would stop working after you had interacted with the hidden icons flyout, and another in which explorer.exe would crash when opening certain items from the Recent section in File Explorer.

The build has 18 known issues, including one in which various UI elements in apps disappear and reappear, another in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25262.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1028 and 22623.1028

Release date: December 6, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.1028 update that has multiple new bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.1028 update that has only one bug fix.

There are several bug fixes for 22623.1028, including for an issue in which auto-hiding the taskbar would stop working after you had interacted with the hidden icons flyout in the system tray, and another in which the sleep recommendation on the Energy Recommendations page and Battery & Power page were sometimes inconsistent.

One bug was fixed in both Build 22621.1028 and 22623.1028, in which GPU performance debugging features lowered the performance of games.

Both builds have eight known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which some services may not show in the Task Manager’s Services page after filtering is applied.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1028 and 22623.1028.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25252

Release date: November 28, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build adds a VPN status icon into the system tray when connected to a recognized VPN profile. The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including multiple explorer.exe crashes that impacted system tray performance, another that caused folders in Start menu to not open on the first try, and another that could put your PC to sleep although it was configured to not sleep.

The build has 21 known issues, including one in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing, another in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build  25252.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1020 and 22623.1020

Release date: November 28, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get Build 22623.1020, which has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive Build 22621.1020, which has only bug fixes.

In Build 22623.1020, there is support for new Braille displays and new Braille input and output languages in Narrator.

There are several bug fixes for 22623.1020, including for one that crashed explorer.exe in safe mode, another that caused certain third-party app icons in the system tray to be unresponsive, and another in which the Delete key didn’t work in the search box.

A number of bugs were fixed in both Build 22621.1020 and 22623.1020, including one in which the Settings app failed to open a page under the Accounts category, and another that caused File Explorer to stop working when you closed context menus and menu items.

Both builds have ten known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1020 and 22623.1020.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25247

Release date: November 18, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build lets you access Windows Studio effects directly from Quick Settings on the taskbar, for devices that have a supported Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The build also begins the rollout of Energy Recommendations under Settings > System > Power & Battery > Energy Recommendations. Following the recommendations may improve the energy efficiency of your PC and reduce your carbon footprint.

In addition, Task Manager lets you use process filtering, letting you filter the binary name, PID or publisher name. The Settings app now has new visuals on the Accounts page to provide a visual overview of your cloud storage usage across Microsoft products.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that didn’t allow you to input text using the touch keyboard/PIN entry keyboard on the login screen, another that caused the NVIDIA icon in the system tray to show empty notifications, and several that led to multiple explorer.exe crashes that harmed taskbar performance.

The build has 15 known issues, including one in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing, another in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25247.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.898

Release date: November 17, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this build, Microsoft OneDrive subscribers will get storage alerts on the Systems page in the Settings app when they are close to their storage limits. The full amount of storage capacity from all of someone’s OneDrive subscriptions will also be displayed.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that stopped modern applications from opening, another that affected transparency in layered windows when you were in High Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode, and another that caused File Explorer to stop working when you closed context menus and menu items.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.898.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.891 and 22623.891

Release date: November 10, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.891 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.891 update that has only bug fixes.

In Build 22623.891, the Task Manager gets several improvements, including filtering processes using the binary name, PID, or publisher name. You can now also use your preferred theme in Task Manager regardless of the active Windows theme.

There are several bug fixes for 22623.891, including for a bug that caused the do not disturb icon to disappear while in do not disturb mode, and multiple issues that caused explorer.exe crashes, impacting the performance of the taskbar.

A number of bugs were fixed in both Build 22621.891 and 22623.891, including one in which File Explorer failed to localize folders, and another that affected the Windows Firewall service when the Override block rules option was turned on.

Both builds have 10 known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 22621.891 and 22623.891.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.885 and 22623.885

Release date: November 7, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.885 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.885 update that has fewer features and bug fixes.

In Build 22623.885, Windows Studio effects can now be accessed directly from Quick Settings on the taskbar, for devices that have a supported Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The build also has several minor changes, including support for the use of clipboard history (Windows key + V) on password fields.

In both 22623.885 and 22621.885, you can now expand the size of your widgets board.

There are several bug fixes for 22623.885, including several related to the taskbar and system tray. The performance of deleting files via File Explorer when emptying the recycle bin or using Shift + Delete has been improved when there are a large number of files being deleted at once.

In both 22623.885 and 22621.885, an issue in which modern applications couldn’t open has been fixed.

Both builds have four known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.

(Get more info about Insider Preview Builds 22621.885 and 22623.885.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25236

Release date: November 2, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including issues related to the taskbar that were impacting explorer.exe reliability, and another in which natural voices such as Guy or Jenny were not speaking in Narrator.

The build has 13 known issues, including one in which the taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25236.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.875 and 22623.875

Release date: October 27, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.875 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.875 update that has only bug fixes.

In Build 22623.875, the tablet-optimized taskbar that began rolling out with Build 22623.730 is now available.

There are several bug fixes for both 22623.875 and 22621.875, including one that affected transparency in layered windows. This occurs when you are in High-Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode.

Both builds have four known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.875 and 22623.875.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25231

Release date: October 27, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that prevented some users from using FIDO to unlock a PC if it was connected to an external display with the laptop lid closed, and another in which certain network cameras were not being added when selected under Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras.

The build has 14 known issues, including one in which the taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25231.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.870 and 22623.870

Release date: October 20, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.870 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.870 update, which has only some new bug fixes.

In Build 22623.870, Task Manager has been added to the context menu when right-clicking on the taskbar. It also has a new Narrator braille driver solution that automatically changes Braille drivers when switching between Narrator and third-party screen readers.

Build 22623.870 also has a number of bug fixes, including one that improves how touch gestures and their animations with the tablet-optimized taskbar work with the touch keyboard, and another that fixes an issue which caused explorer.exe to crash when dragging icons in the system tray,

There are several bug fixes for both 22623.870 and 22621.870, including one that caused vertical and horizontal line artifacts to appear on the screen, and another that did not allow the Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) Application Proxy connector to retrieve a Kerberos ticket on behalf of the user. The error message was, “The handle specified is invalid (0x80090301).

Both builds have four known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.870 and 22623.870.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.754

Release date: October 19, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build includes a variety of small improvements, including new choices for biometric data for Windows Hello Face and Fingerprint, new settings for your Microsoft account, and the addition of Task Manager to the context menu when you right-click the taskbar.

It fixes a variety of bugs, including one that slowed down the Windows Search Service, and another that affected the Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) Application Proxy connector, in which it cannot retrieve a Kerberos ticket on behalf of the user. The error message was, “The handle specified is invalid (0x80090301).”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.754.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25227

Release date: October 19, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes improvements for update management for IT administrators by making a variety of changes to the Update Stack Orchestrator. It also introduces some very small changes to the Start menu, widgets, Settings, voice typing, and input.

It fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused explorer.exe to crash while switching between apps on the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which dragging content across an open Start menu folder could cause a crash.

The build has seven known issues, including one in which the taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet postures, and another in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25227.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.1163

Release date: October 18, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

The build improves Windows search results and performance, and adds Task Manager to the context menu when you right-click the taskbar. It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which in Microsoft Direct3D 9 games the graphics hardware stopped working if the hardware did not have a native Direct3D 9 driver.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.1163.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.746 and 22623.746

Release date: October 13, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get Build 22623.746 with new features. The other group will receive Build 22621.746 with the new features turned off by default.

Those who get Build 22623.746 will get preliminary support to rearrange System Tray icons. System Tray updates are still rolling out and are not available to all Insiders yet. If your PC does not have these changes, your System Tray experience will remain the same as before.

A number of bugs have been fixed only in Build 22623.746, including one for the tablet-optimized taskbar, in which the gesture to slide the Start menu open from the bottom of the screen using touch might have stopped following your finger.

In both Build 22621.746 and Build 22623.746, the ms-appinstaller Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) has been enabled to work for the DesktopAppInstaller.

Both builds have five known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which dragging the system tray icons may cause explorer.exe to crash.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.746 and 22623.746.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.675

Release date: October 11, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

The build enables a variety of new features that began rolling out to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 22H2 last week, including tabs for File Explorer; Suggested Actions, which suggests actions you might want to take on items you copy, such as recommending making a call with Skype if you copy a phone number;  the taskbar overflow menu, which shows you all your overflowed apps in one space; and the ability to share to more devices.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.675.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.741 and 22623.741

Release date: October 10, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.741 update that has new bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.741 update that has only some new bug fixes.

In Build 22623.741, the bug fixes include several for the tablet-optimized taskbar, including one in which it sometimes collapsed when it should have been expanded if there were no running windows on the desktop, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar would crash explorer.exe if you entered the overflow flyout.

There are two bug fixes for both 22621.741 and 22623.741: one in which Server Manager could reset the wrong disk when several disks have the same UniqueId, and another in which localization issues for some setup files stopped you from creating installation media for non-English languages.

Both builds have four known issues, including one in which audio has stopped working for some Insiders, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.741 and 22623.741.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25217

Release date: October 6, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the taskbar sometimes collapsed when it should be expanded if there are no running windows on the desktop, and another in which when switching between windows, the entire window flashed black for a frame while rendering.

The build has eight known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which the taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet postures.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25217.)

October 2022 feature rollout

Release date: October 4, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

Insiders in the Release Preview Channel who have upgraded to Windows 11 22H2 and installed the KB5017389 build will begin to see several new features, including one of the most significant ones left out of Windows 11 22H2 — tabs in File Explorer like those in browsers. Among other File Explorer improvements are the ability to pin important files on its home page for easy access to them. You’ll also be able to see actions that colleagues take on your shared files.

In addition, with a new feature called Suggested Actions, when you copy phone numbers or future dates, Windows provides suggestions for what you might want to do with them, such as making a call with Teams or Skype or adding an event in the Calendar app.

The new taskbar overflow menu shows all of your taskbar apps on a single menu entry. Also, there are new sharing features, letting you discover and share to more devices.

Note that initially not all Insiders will get these new features. They’ll be gradually rolled out.

(Get more info about the October 2022 feature rollout.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25211

Release date: September 29, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces new settings to the Widgets pane and makes them easier to access than previous settings. It also adds Task Manager to the context menu that appears on the taskbar when you right-click it.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which command bar items like copy, paste, and empty recycle bin may unexpectedly not be enabled when they should be, and another in which Settings would crash when changing your mobile hotspot name.

The build has 10 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which the taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop and tablet postures.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25211.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.730 and 22623.730

Release date: September 29, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.730 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.730 update that has new features and some new bug fixes turned off by default.

In Build 22623.730, the tablet-optimized taskbar has been reintroduced. In addition, File Explorer search will show results as you type. Among the bugs fixed are one that caused parts of the taskbar or its icons to get stuck in the wrong theme’s colors when switching between light and dark themes.

There are a wide variety of bug fixes for both 22621.730 and 22623.730, including for one that stopped you from signing in to various Microsoft 365 apps, and another that caused updates to the Microsoft Store to fail.

Both builds have six known issues, including one in which audio has stopped working for some Insiders, and another in which when there are no running windows on the desktop, the taskbar can sometimes collapse, when it should be expanded.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.730 and 22623.730.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.607

Release date: September 22, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build for Windows 11 22H2 fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one that that caused updates to the Microsoft Store to fail, another that stopped you from signing into various Microsoft Office 365 apps, and another in which Task Manager stopped working when you switched between light and dark mode or changed the accent color.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.607.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25206

Release date: September 21, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build improves the security of the SMB server service by implementing a delay between each failed NTLM authentication in the SMB authentication rate limiter. This means, for example, if an attacker previously sent 300 brute force attempts per second from a client for 5 minutes (90,000 passwords), the same number of attempts would now take at least 50 hours.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which OneDrive setup unexpectedly asked for permission to set up every time your PC rebooted, and another in which the Windows Sandbox window resized incorrectly when you snapped it to the side of the screen.

The build has 13 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which command bar items like Copy, Paste, and Empty Recycle Bin may unexpectedly not be enabled when they should be.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25206.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.601 and 22622.601

Release date: September 21, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22622.601 update, which would normally have new bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.601 update, which would normally have most new bug fixes turned off by default. In this instance, however, the builds are identical.

The build fixes four bugs, including one in which clicking the network icon on the Lock screen crashed the Lock screen, and another that affected Dual SIM calling. If you selected no SIM on your phone and initiated a call on your device, Dual SIM functionality would not work.

Both builds have one known issue, in which audio stops working for some Insiders.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.601 and 22622.601.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.598 and 22622.598

Release date: September 12, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22622.598 update that has new bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.598 update that has most new bug fixes turned off by default.

For those who get Build 22622.598, among the bugs fixed are one that wouldn’t allow you to interact with the top part of File Explorer (with the address bar) when File Explorer was full screen, and another in which File Explorer command bar items like copy, paste, and empty recycle bin were not enabled when they should have been.

There are several bug fixes for both Build 22621.598 and 22622.598, including one that created a duplicate print queue, and another in Roaming User Profiles in which after you signed in or out, some of your settings were not restored.

Both builds have one known issue, in which clicking the network icon on the Lock screen does not work, may crash the Lock screen, and may require you to reboot to log in.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.598 and 22622.598.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25197

Release date: September 8, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build reintroduces the touch-optimized taskbar for using your device as a tablet. Your taskbar will automatically transition to the optimized version when you disconnect or fold back the keyboard on your 2-in-1 device. In addition, animated icons are being rolled out in the Settings app.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused parts of the taskbar or its icons like search to get stuck in the wrong theme’s colors when switching between light and dark theme, and another that led to Settings crashing when removing devices.

The build has 13 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which command bar items like copy, paste, and empty recycle bin may unexpectedly not be enabled when they should be.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25197.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25193

Release date: September 1, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces new Xbox subscription management details in the Windows 11 Settings app. If you are a member of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass for Console or Xbox Live Gold, you can now see your subscription details via Settings > Accounts.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including several that were leading to sporadic explorer.exe crashes related to the taskbar overflow, one that caused the Start menu to crash on launch for some people when Search Highlights was enabled, and one in File Explorer in which certain files couldn’t be unpinned from the Favorites section of Home after you’d pinned them.

The build has 10 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25193.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.590 and 22622.590

Release date: September 1, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22622.590 update that has new bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.590 update that has most new bug fixes turned off by default.

For those who get Build 22622.590, among the bugs fixed are one in which the Control Panel could not launch from the Start menu search or if pinned to the taskbar, one in which there was a memory leak when closing File Explorer windows, and several that made the taskbar overflow cause sporadic explorer.exe crashes.

There are several bug fixes in both builds, including for one in which cldflt.sys caused a bug check when it used with Microsoft OneDrive.

Both builds have three known issues, including one in which audio has stopped working for some Insiders, and another in which command bar items like copy, paste, and empty recycle bin may unexpectedly not be enabled when they should be.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.590 and 22622.590.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25188

Release date: August 24, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build updates touch keyboard settings to replace the “Show the touch keyboard when there’s no keyboard attached” checkbox under Settings > Time & language > Typing > Touch keyboard with a new dropdown menu with three options to control whether tapping an edit control should launch the touch keyboard.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the taskbar overflow was impacting explorer.exe reliability and another that caused Start’s recommendations to show one column instead of two.

The build has 10 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25188.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.586 and 22622.586

Release date: August 24, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22622.586 update that has new bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.586 update that has most new bug fixes turned off by default.

In Build 22622.586, among the bugs fixed are one that caused the left half of the File Explorer title bar to not be draggable via mouse or touch, and another that caused the taskbar overflow flyout to unexpectedly appear on the opposite side of the screen.

There are several bug fixes for both Build 22621.586 and 22622.586, including one that caused domain credentials to not work for some Insiders, and another that forced the IE mode tabs in a session to reload.

Both builds have four known issues, including one in which audio has stopped working for some Insiders, and another in which the taskbar isn’t able to display if File Explorer is maximized and you have the taskbar set to auto-hide.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.586 and 22622.586.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.457 (KB5016695)

Release date: August 23, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

The build introduces several new minor features and fixes a variety of bugs for Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 22H2. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s ability to identify and intercept ransomware and advanced attacks has been enhanced, and files can be compressed regardless of its size if you have configured Server Message Block (SMB) Compression.

Bugs fixed include one that caused Windows to display tablet mode features for some devices that do not have touchscreens, and another that caused Microsoft Edge to stop responding when you use IE mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.457.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25182

Release date: August 17, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the taskbar overflow flyout unexpectedly appeared on the opposite side of the screen, another in which a Start menu crash prevented apps from launching from Start, and another in which the camera light on laptops became stuck after people logged into their PCs.

The build has 11 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bugcheck.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25182.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview 22000.917 (KB5016691)

Release date: August 16, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

The build enhances Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s ability to identify and intercept ransomware and advanced attacks, and gives IT admins the ability to remotely add languages and language-related features.

It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one that caused ServerAssignedConfigurations to be null in a few full-configuration scenarios, another that degraded BitLocker performance, and another that prevented virtualized App-V Microsoft Office applications from opening or causes them to stop working.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview 22000.917.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25179

Release date: August 10, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The File Explorer tabs and navigation updates which began rolling out to some people in the Dev Channel with Build 25136 are rolling out to everyone in this build. If you don’t see them, reboot your PC.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the min/max/ close buttons were not visible in File Explorer when using a contrast theme, and another in which the taskbar overflow flyout unexpectedly appeared on the opposite side of the screen.

The build has 13 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bugcheck.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25179.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.575 and 22622.575

Release date: August 10, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22622.575 update that has new features. The other group will receive the Build 22621.575 update that has new features turned off by default.

In those who get Build 22622.575, middle clicking a folder in the navigation pane of File Explorer will now open it in a new tab, like clicking a folder in the body of File Explorer already does.

A number of bugs have been fixed only in Build 22622.575, including two in File Explorer, one in which the dividers in the navigation pane were overlapping or drawing too close to text, and another in which the left/right arrows were in light mode when you were using dark mode, causing them to not have enough contrast to show when they were enabled

There are several bug fixes for both 22621.575 and 22622.575, including one that prevented you from opening a URL if the URL’s length is more than 2084 characters. The update supports a URL of up to 8192 characters.

Both builds have 10 known issues, including one in which the up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs, and another in which the left-half of the File Explorer title bar may not be draggable via mouse or touch.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.575 and 22622.575.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25174

Release date: August 3, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build introduces the Game Pass Widget, which shows you the latest additions, games leaving soon, and games from highlighted categories in the PC Game Pass Library. You can use the widget to go to the Xbox app to see game reviews and install games.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when opening new File Explorer windows, and another in which some PCs were crashing when going to System > Storage > Disks & Volumes.

The build has 14 known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number appeared misaligned on the taskbar and another in which the Delete key doesn’t work to delete files in File Explorer.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25174.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.450 and 22622.450

Release date: August 2, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. As a general rule, one group gets build updates that have new features, while the other receives build updates that have most new features turned off by default.

In this instance, however, the builds are identical and include several minor changes and fixes. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s ability to identify and intercept ransomware and advanced attacks has been improved, and storage replication that occurs over low bandwidth or congested wide area networks (WAN) is being done more efficiently.

Among the bugs fixed are one that caused Windows to display tablet mode features for some devices that do not have touchscreens, one that caused some application windows to have blank sections in the Task View preview, and one that caused Microsoft Edge to stop responding when you use IE mode.

The builds have five known issues, including one in which the up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs and another in which the left half of the File Explorer title bar may not be draggable via mouse or touch.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.450 and 22622.450.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.317 

Release date: July 28, 2022 

Released to: Release Preview Channel 

The build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in that prevented troubleshooters from opening, another that caused the Smart App Control to block catalog-signed files, and another that distorted photos taken with the Camera app when using certain cameras under certain low light conditions. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.317.) 

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25169 

Release date: July 28, 2022 

Released to: Dev Channel 

The build introduces kiosk mode, a lockdown Windows 11 feature that allows an IT administrator to select a set of allowable apps to run on the device, while all other functionalities are blocked. Several other new features have been introduced as well, including an update to the US English (EN-US) handwriting model that makes it faster and more accurate. 

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which an explorer.exe crash sometimes prevented taskbar from loading when launching Microsoft Teams meetings, and another in which after using the reveal password button in the Wi-Fi section of Quick Settings, the text unexpectedly lost focus. 

The build has seven known issues, including one in which the Widgets notification badge number may appear misaligned on the taskbar, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build  25169.) 

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.440 and 22622.440 

Release date: July 28, 2022 

Released to: Beta Channel 

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get Build 22622.440 with new features. The other group will get receive Build 22621.440 with most new features turned off by default. 

Those who get Build 22622.440 will get the new taskbar overflow feature, in which when the taskbar goes over its maximum capacity for notifications and icons, you’ll be able to click an icon which will launch an overflow menu showing the taskbar icons that aren’t being displayed. 

In both 22621.440 and Build 22622.440, the weather, news, and finance widgets offer live updates.  

A number of bugs have been fixed only in Build 22622.440, including one that caused explorer.exe crashes when docking and undocking monitors, and another caused a memory leak when using tabs with File Explorer. 

Both builds have five known issues, including one in which the up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs, and another in which left half of the File Explorer title bar may not be draggable via mouse or touch. 

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.440 and 22622.440.) 

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25163

Release date: July 20, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build introduces the new taskbar overflow feature: When the taskbar goes over its maximum capacity for notifications and icons, you’ll be able to click an icon that will launch an overflow menu showing the taskbar icons that aren’t being displayed.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when tabs were dragged around, and another in which the File Explorer “Add new tab” button wasn’t clearly visible when using Aquatic or Desert contrast themes.

The build has nine known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible; another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions is run, they will relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top; and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25163.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.436 and 22622.436

Release date: July 19, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get Build 22622.436 with new features. The other group will receive Build 22621.436 with new features turned off by default.

Those who get Build 22622.436 will be able to use UDP and Bluetooth to discover and share files with more devices. In addition, Windows Terminal is being made the default terminal in Windows 11, so all command line applications will open in it, including Command Prompt and PowerShell.

A number of bugs have been fixed in both Build 22621.436 and Build 22622.436, including one that prevented troubleshooters from opening, and another that led to a loss of network connectivity after turning on mobile hotspots.

Build 22622.436 fixes several additional bugs, including an explorer.exe crash when dragging tabs around.

Both builds have one known issue, in which the up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build  22621.436 and 22622.436.)

Windows 11 Build 22000.829 (KB5015882)

Release date: July 14, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build lets you receive urgent notifications when focus assist is on. It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that prevented troubleshooters from opening, one that caused port mapping conflicts for containers, and another that caused Windows to stop working when you enabled Windows Defender Application Control with the Intelligent Security Graph feature turned on.

The build has one known issue: On some devices, Widgets may crash in the background upon logging in and show the static default icon instead of populating and updating to show the weather.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Build 22000.829.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25158

Release date: July 13, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build introduces notification badging for Widgets. When a Widget has new content, it displays a small notification on the bottom left of the taskbar. When you open the Widget board, you’ll get more information about the notification.

There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which explorer.exe would crash when navigating OneDrive in File Explorer, and another in which the Start menu would crash when it loaded.

The build has nine known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible; another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions is run, they will relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top; and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25158.)

Update to Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 (version 2205.40000.14.0)

Release date: July 6, 2022

Released to: All Insider channels

This update for Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 includes advanced networking, which enables app access to local network devices for ARM computers. IPv6 and VPN connectivity has also been turned on. The Windows Subsystem for Android Settings app has been updated accordingly: the IP address has been removed from the Developer section in the Settings app because the subsystem no longer has a different IP from your computer.

Note that some VPNs may not work with advanced networking. If you use a VPN and find Android apps do not have network connectivity, disable Advanced Networking in the Windows Subsystem for Android Settings app.

(Get more info about Update to Windows Subsystem for Android (version 2205.40000.14.0).)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.290 and 22622.290

Release date: July 5, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get Build 22622.xxx updates that have new features. The other group will get receive Build 22621.xxx updates that have new features turned off by default.

Those who get Build 22622.290 will have a new feature in to make everyday tasks quicker in Windows 11 through inline suggested actions. When you copy a date, time, or phone number, Windows will suggest actions relevant to you such as creating calendar events or making phone calls with your favorite apps. The build also displays OneDrive storage alert and subscription management in Settings. Those who get Build 22621.290 do not get the new features.

A number of bugs have been fixed in both Build 22621.290 and Build 22622.290, including one that caused the Take Photo button to disappear when you use a common file dialog to open the camera, and another that prevented Microsoft Edge from being available in Windows Sandbox.

Build 22622.290 fixes several additional bugs, including fixing a scaling issue that could result in the tabs being unexpectedly large.

Both builds have two known issues, one of which causes cyclical crashes in Windows UI components (like explorer.exe), making it appear that the screen is flashing. If you are impacted, running the following command from an elevated PowerShell window should resolve it:

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml -DisableDevelopmentMode -ForceApplicationShutdown

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.290 and 22622.290.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 222621.169

Release date: June 30, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build adds minor improvements, such as support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 in Windows client and server Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) implementation, and Server Message Block (SMB) redirector (RDR) specific public File System Control (FSCTL) code FSCTL_LMR_QUERY_INFO. In addition, a number of bugs were fixed, including one that prevented Microsoft Edge from being available in Windows Sandbox, and another that caused install from media (IFM) creation for Active Directory to fail with the error “2101 JET_errCallbackFailed.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 222621.169.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25151

Release date: June 29, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build fixes several bugs, including one in File Explorer in which a scaling issue caused tabs to be unexpectedly large.

The build has eight known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, another in which some Widgets preferences unexpectedly get reset to default, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25151.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25145

Release date: June 22, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build incorporates the legacy Local Administrator Password Solution product (LAPS) directly into Windows and adds new features, including extending Active Directory schema by running the Update-LapsADSchema cmdlet in the new LAPS PowerShell module. The build also displays OneDrive Standalone 100GB subscriptions in the Accounts page within Settings, letting you see your recurring billing, payment method, and OneDrive storage usage.

The build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which tab order when using Ctrl-Tab was wrong if you had rearranged the tabs in File Explorer, and another that caused Settings to crash when going to Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners.

The build has nine known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, another in which some Widgets preferences unexpectedly get reset to default, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25145.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.776

Release date: June 16, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build introduces search highlights, which display notable moments about each day, including holidays, anniversaries, and other events globally and in your region. To see more details at a glance, hover or click on the illustration in the search box.

There are also a wide variety of bug fixes, including for a bug that prevented the use of Encrypted File System files over a WebDAV connection, another that sometimes caused Windows 11 to stop working when installing an application without network connectivity, and another that prevented Bluetooth from reconnecting to some audio devices after restarting the devices.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.776.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25140

Release date: June 15, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

The build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in File Explorer where the active tab color didn’t match the command bar below it, one in Task Manager that caused a crash when switching modes in pages other than the Processes page, and one that caused audio to stop playing in certain apps after a minute.

The build has nine known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (such as video players) prevent live captions from being visible, another in which the up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs, and another in which shutting down via the Start is unexpectedly rebooting instead.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25140.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.160 (KB5014770)

Release date: June 13, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

This build introduces tabs in File Explorer and a redesigned layout in File Explorer’s left navigation pane to make it easier to navigate to folders you use frequently.

The build has one known issue, in which the up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.160.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25136

Release date: June 9, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces tabs in File Explorer and a redesigned layout in File Explorer’s left navigation pane to make it easier to navigate to folders you use frequently. Some dynamic widgets in the taskbar have gotten new features, including live content from the weather widget, live updates from the sports and finance widgets, and breaking news alerts.

There are also a wide variety of bug fixes, including one that caused Start to only show one column of recommended items, and another in which Windows Update unexpectedly showed error 0x00000000 when there wasn’t anything wrong.

The build has seven known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions is run, they will relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top, and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25136.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621

Release date: June 7, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

Microsoft has now released Build 22621, which was previously released to the Beta Channel, to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. This signifies that the build is the shipping version of Windows 11 22H2 (more or less) and is ready for final testing by corporate IT departments.

Commercial devices enrolled in the Windows Insider Program for Business within the Release Preview Channel will automatically be offered Windows 11 22H2 as an optional update (as long as they meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11). Noncommercial Windows Insider devices can seek out Build 22621 via Settings > Windows Update.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25131

Release date: June 2, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused File Explorer to hang when browsing folders with lots of .mkv files, and another in Settings in which the “Listen to this device” audio option would stop working after a reboot until being unchecked and rechecked.

The build has five known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible; another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions is run, they will relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top; and another in which games that use Easy Anti-Cheat may crash or cause your PC to bug check.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25131.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.706

Release date: May 19, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build introduces Windows spotlight, which displays new photos on your desktop background every day. To turn it on, go to Settings > Personalization > Background > Personalize your background, and choose Windows spotlight.

The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one that failed to display the Application Counters section in the performance reports of the Performance Monitor tool, one that failed to maintain the display brightness after you change the display mode, and another that caused some users to see a black screen when they signed in and out of Windows.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.706.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25120

Release date: May 18, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces a new widget that lets you search the web directly from your desktop. It also fixes several bugs, including one in Task Manager that caused unreadable text to appear in the Performance page when a contrast theme was enabled, and another that could crash Settings when opening and looking at the battery usage graph.

The build has three known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, and another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions is run, they will relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25120.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25115

Release date: May 11, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build has a new feature called suggested actions. With it, when you copy a date, time, or phone number, Windows will suggest related actions such as creating a calendar event or making a phone call with an app. The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in File Explorer that displayed the error 0x800703E6 when copying files from Google Drive, and another that caused the Task Manager to become unreadable in dark mode when the CPU reached 100%.

The build has three known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, and another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions is run, they relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25115.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621

Release date: May 11, 2022

Released to: Beta Channel

This build fixes several bugs, including one in File Explorer that displayed the error 0x800703E6 when copying files from Google Drive, and another that caused Smart App Control to block correctly signed applications.

The build has two known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, and another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions is run, they relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22616

Release date: May 5, 2022

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

This build fixes a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which the widgets board did not open successfully when using the opening gesture from the side of the screen, another in which performance and reliability of explorer.exe degraded over time, eventually resulting in a bug check, and another in which using the 3-finger on-screen touch gesture for minimizing windows could cause animations to stop working across the system.

The build has two known issues, including one in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, and another in which when certain apps positioned near the top of the screen are closed before live captions are run will relaunch behind the live captions window positioned at top.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22616.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22610

Release date: April 29, 2022

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

This build adds the following new MDM and group policies for IT administrators:

• Disable Quick Settings flyout
• Disable Notification Center and calendar flyouts
• Disable all taskbar settings
• Disable search (across Start and taskbar)
• Hide Task View from taskbar
• Block customization of ‘Pinned’ in Start
• Hide ‘Recommended’ in Start
• Disable Start context menus
• Hide ‘All apps’ in Start

It also updates the Family Safety widget that includes a new location sharing view that shows where your family members are using the Family Safety app.

There are also a wide variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which an Administrative Template error no longer popped up when opening Group Policy editor, another that prevented Shift + Right-click on a taskbar icon from opening the expected context menu, and another in which app icons like Microsoft Edge were cut off on the bottom in Start’s all apps list.

The build has five known issues, including one in which the widgets board may not open successfully when using the gesture from the side of the screen, and another in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22610.)

Windows 11 Preview Build 22000.651 (KB5012643)

Release date: April 14, 2022

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which a memory leak affected Windows systems that are in use 24 hours each day of the week, another that caused video subtitles to be partially cut off, and another in which mobile device management (MDM) policies were not allowed on Windows Enterprise editions that were upgraded to Enterprise using Azure AD-joined subscription entitlement.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Preview Build 22000.651.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22598

Release date: April 13, 2022

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer’s context menu sometimes did not render completely and was sometimes transparent, and another in which the Task Manager’s memory composition graph was blank instead of filled in with the appropriate color.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including one in which the widgets board may not open successfully when using the gesture from the side of the screen, another in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible, and another in which the taskbar doesn’t always automatically collapse after launching an app or tapping outside of the expanded taskbar on 2-in-1 devices.  

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22598.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22593

Release date: April 6, 2022

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

In this build, recent and pinned files displayed in Home are now searchable using the search box in File Explorer, even if they are not local files, so you can find Office files recently shared with you.

There are also a wide variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which app icons were unexpectedly animating in from the upper left of the taskbar when launching a new app, another that caused Windows Spotlight to unexpectedly stop updating for a prolonged period of time, and another that caused Narrator to read dialog buttons incorrectly in scan mode.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including one in which the widgets board may not open successfully when using the gesture from the side of the screen, and another in which some apps in full screen (for example, video players) prevent live captions from being visible.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22593.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22581

Release date: March 23, 2022

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

This build includes several minor changes to the taskbar, including having the top border line extend across the entire taskbar regardless of device type. There are also a wide variety of bugs thar have been fixed, including one in which the Search box at the top of the Start menu would flicker, and another in which Task Manager wasn’t populating the details of the Status column in the Startup Apps page.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including one in which when you enter search terms in File Explorer’s search box, suggested results may not show, and another in which after rearranging widgets in the widgets board, widgets in the pinned section may render incorrectly.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22581.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22579

Release date: March 18, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build allows IT administrators to exclude USB removable drives from BitLocker encryption. This solves the problem of automatic or accidental encryption of storage built into specialized devices like video cameras, voice recorders, conferencing systems, and medical devices.

There are also a variety of minor changes, including one that lets you name your app folders in the Start menu, and another that puts the new Run New Task button on all pages of Task Manager.

The build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which Start’s folders were still showing animations even if you had animation effects disabled, and another in which explorer.exe crashed when dragging certain windows across snap layouts at the top of the screen.

The build has a dozen known issues, including one in which opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box may not work, and another in which when rearranging widgets in the widgets board, you may experience problems with widgets in the pinned section rendering incorrectly.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22579.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.588

Release date: March 15, 2022

Released to: Beta and Release Preview Channels

This build allows Windows to display up to three high priority “toast” (popup) notifications simultaneously for apps that send notifications for calls, reminders, or alarms using Windows notifications. It also fixes more than two dozen bugs, including one that crashed SystemSettings.exe, and another that affected searchindexer.exe and prevented Microsoft Outlook’s offline search from returning recent emails.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.588.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572

Release date: March 9, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build lets you set family controls for browsing in Microsoft Edge, and introduces a video editor called Clipchamp that offers tools like trimming, splitting, transitions, and animated text. For real-time content capture, Clipchamp has a built-in webcam and screen recorders.

There are a variety of small changes, including a Print Queue with an updated design to align with Windows 11 design principles. In addition, Shift + right-clicking in File Explorer and the desktop will now open the “Show more options” context menu.

The build also fixes several dozen bugs, including one in which scroll bars didn’t render appropriately on some Win32 applications, and another in which custom mouse pointers reverted to the default Windows one after rebooting.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including one in which opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box may not work, and another in which when rearranging widgets in the widgets board, you may experience problems with widgets in the pinned section rendering incorrectly.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22567

Release date: March 2, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build attempts to increase the use of renewable energy by installing Windows 11 updates at times of the day that are more likely to have higher availability of renewable energy such as solar, wind, and hydro. This feature will only be enabled when your PC is plugged in and regional carbon intensity data is available to Microsoft.

The build also allows you to link your Android phone to your PC during setup. It also introduces a new security feature, Smart App Control (SAC), that blocks untrusted or potentially dangerous applications.

There are a variety of small changes, including an updated “Open with” dialog box that better aligns with Windows 11 design principles.

The build also fixes several dozen bugs, including one in which the Windows startup sound didn’t play, and another in which explorer.exe would sometimes crash when opening the context menu.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including one in which scroll bars are not rendering appropriately on some Win32 applications, and another in which opening suggested results shown while entering search terms in File Explorer’s search box may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22567.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22563

Release date: February 24, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes a new taskbar feature in which it automatically adjusts to an optimized version when it detects a device is being used as a tablet. The taskbar can then either be collapsed or expanded. When collapsed, it disappears, giving you more screen space. When expanded, the taskbar is optimized to use with touch. You can easily switch between the two states by swiping up or down on the bottom of the tablet.

In this build, widgets and news feeds are mixed into the same feed, so you can more easily see changing information at a glance. There’s also a new feature for IT admins in education: the ability to use group policy to turn off all Windows Update notifications so as not to distract students.

A variety of smaller improvements have also been made, including an expanded search from Quick Access that includes content from OneDrive, Downloads, and any indexed location.

The build also fixes several dozen bugs, including one in which pop-up dialogs (for example, when adding an optional feature) in Settings were launching left aligned instead of centered, and another in which the navigation bar in Task Manager was showing black glitches when you launched Task Manager from a minimized state. Also fixed was a long-standing bug in which the taskbar sometimes flickered when switching input methods.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including one in which the File Explorer search box may not work when typing and clicking a suggestion, and another in the Task Manager in which the Efficiency mode icon is missing on some child processes.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22563.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557

Release date: February 16, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes many new features, including the ability to group pinned apps into folders in the Start menu; the Do not disturb feature, which lets you silence notifications; and the Focus feature, which turns off a variety of Windows actions that may be distracting.

Also new is integration of OneDrive and File Explorer, which will let you see your OneDrive sync status and quota usage without having to leave File Explorer. There are also a variety of new touch gestures. A new way of snapping windows into Snap Layouts has been introduced as well.

Default battery settings have been changed in order to reduce energy consumption. Task Manager has been redesigned to be in more in keeping with Windows 11 design principles, including a new hamburger-style navigation bar and a new settings page.

A variety of smaller improvements has also been made, including drag-and-drop support on the taskbar and a faster and more accurate search.  

The build also fixes several dozen bugs, including one in which Task View crashed if you held down the Ctrl key while hovering over it, and another in which explorer.exe crashed when you clicked on More Keyboard Settings in the input switcher.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.526

Release date: February 10, 2022

Released to: Beta and Release Preview Channels

The build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which the Startup impact values didn’t display in Task Manager, another that caused a mismatch between a Remote Desktop session’s keyboard and the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client when signing in, and another that that disconnected Offline Files on the network drive after you restarted Windows and signed in. This occurred if the Distributed File System (DFS) path was mapped to the network drive.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.526.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22543

Release date: January 27, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces more “natural”-sounding voices for Narrator along with new Narrator keyboard shortcuts, and also updates the media controls that appear on the Lock screen when playing music in a supported app.

The build also fixes many bugs, including one in which Task Manager crashed when switching to the Performance tab, another that caused explorer.exe to crash when dragging and dropping a file out of a zipped folder in File Explorer, and another that caused the cursor to disappear in certain apps.

The build has five known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22543.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22538

Release date: January 19, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build gives new capabilities to voice access, including spelling words and entering numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols and emojis. There are also a wide variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which pressing the hardware buttons for volume up/down caused explorer.exe to crash, and another in which Settings sometimes crashed when viewing the properties of a Wi-Fi network.

The build has five known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22538.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.466

Release date: January 14, 2022

Released to: Beta and Release Preview Channels

The build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one that prevented some image editing programs from rendering colors correctly on certain high dynamic range (HDR) displays, another that incorrectly showed the volume icon in the taskbar as muted, and another that prevented the touch keyboard from appearing on the lock screen when a device has a Microsoft account (MSA).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.466.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22533

Release date: January 12, 2022

Released to: Dev Channel

This build updates the flyout design for hardware indicators for brightness, volume, camera privacy, camera on/off, and airplane mode to follow what Microsoft calls “Windows 11 design principles.” The new flyouts appear when you press the volume or brightness keys on a laptop.

The build also fixes 16 bugs, including one that wouldn’t allow you to import photos from certain cameras and mobile phones into the Photos app, and another in which holding the Ctrl key and hovering your mouse over the Task View icon in the taskbar crashed explorer.exe.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22533.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22526

Release date: January 6, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build fixes nine bugs, including one in which the Search flyout became stuck on the screen and appeared transparent except for its border, and another in which the Widgets panel would temporarily become blank, showing only an Add Widgets button, which when clicked on opened to a blank dialog box.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22526.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22523

Release date: December 15, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build brings the snap groups feature to Alt-Tab and Task View, allowing you to easily choose from a number of pre-set ways to automatically arrange your open windows. The build also squashes a wide variety of bugs, including the battery icon tooltip unexpectedly showing a percent above 100, and Settings content getting truncated when the Settings window is made small.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which the Search panel may not open after the Search icon on the taskbar is clicked.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22523.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22518

Release date: December 8, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes a new set of photos that can be used as desktop backgrounds, plus a new widget that delivers live weather content on the widget panel. It also introduces Voice Access, which lets you control your PC and create and edit text using your voice.

A wide variety of bugs have been squashed, including an explorer.exe crash related to having websites pinned to the taskbar, and another in which Snap Group thumbnails weren’t updating in real time in Task View after you moved a group window to a different desktop.

The build has more than a dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22518.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22509

Release date: December 1, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build improves the way that Narrator can control Microsoft Edge. In addition, it lets you right-click on Start to quickly access Start settings and customize the “More pins” or “More recommendations” layout options. It also brings a variety of settings from Control Panel into the Settings app, including moving the advanced sharing settings (such as Network discovery, File and printer sharing, and public folder sharing) to a new page in the Settings app under Advanced Network Settings.

There are a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which the Start, Search, Task View, Widgets, and Chat icons in the taskbar no longer unexpectedly enlarge when the system scaling is set to 125%, and another in which hovering your mouse back and forth between different desktops in Task View will no longer result in the displayed thumbnails and content area unexpectedly shrinking.

The build has four known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22509.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.348

Release date: November 19, 2021

Released to: Beta and Release Preview Channels

The build includes all the features and bug fixes of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.346, and also fixes a bug that prevented apps, such as Kaspersky apps, from opening after you attempt to repair or update the apps using the Microsoft Installer (MSI).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.348.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22504

Release date: November 17, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build applies the 13 themes for the touch keyboard to other input methods, including IMEs, the emoji panel, and voice typing. It also lets you use the Windows key + Alt + K keyboard shortcut to toggle the new mute icon in the taskbar when it’s showing.

There are also a wide variety of bug fixes, including for one in which snap layout options randomly put windows on other monitors, and another in which text was duplicated if the caret was moved while using voice typing.

The build has seven known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22504.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.346

Release date: November 12, 2021

Released to: Beta and Release Preview Channels

The build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one that caused the system to stop working after you enabled Hyper-V, one that affected the System Memory Management Unit’s (SMMU) fault handling after hibernation, and another that caused some USB Print installers to report that they didn’t detect the printer after the printer was plugged in.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.346.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499

Release date: November 10, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build lets you quickly share content from open app windows directly from your taskbar to your Teams meeting calls. In addition, a wide variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Clipboard history wasn’t working properly, and another in which explorer.exe crashed when using the touch keyboard.

The build has 10 known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods and the Search panel sometimes not opening when the Search icon on the taskbar is clicked.

On November 12 Microsoft noted that it is starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22499.1010 (KB5008400) to test the servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev Channel; the update does not include anything new.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview KB5008295

Release date: November 4, 2021

Released to: Beta and Release Preview Channels

This build fixes a bug that prevented some users from opening or using certain built-in Windows apps or parts of some built-in apps, including the Snipping Tool, Touch Keyboard, Voice Typing, and Emoji Panel, Input Method Editor user interface (IME UI), and Getting Started and Tips.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview KB5008295.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22494

Release date: November 3, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

With this build you can mute and unmute your microphone from the taskbar during a Microsoft Teams call. In addition, a wide variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which context menus crashed when you tried to scroll through them, and another in which some devices had a black screen when coming out of sleep.

The build has eight known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22494.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22489

Release date: October 27, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes a new settings page that displays information about your Microsoft account, including your subscriptions for Microsoft 365, links to order history, payment details, and Microsoft Rewards. Note that it’s only being rolled out to a small group of Insiders at first.

A wide variety of bugs have been fixed, including one in which explorer.exe crashed sometimes when using the Desktops flyout context menu, and another in which Settings crashed in certain cases after going to Windows Update.

The build has nine known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which the Search panel may not open after the Search icon on the taskbar is clicked.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22489.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22483

Release date: October 20, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes a new feature that lets you right-click on either “Recommended” or the “More” button in Start to refresh the items shown there. In addition, it has a number of bug fixes, including one that caused Search to appear black and not display any content below the search box, and another that caused cellular data to not work on certain devices.

The build has 10 known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which the Search panel may not open after the Search icon on the taskbar is clicked.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22483.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.282

Release date: October 15, 2021

Released to: Beta and Release Preview Channels

The build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including an L3 caching issue that affected performance on devices with AMD Ryzen processors, another that caused distortion in the audio captured by voice assistants, and another in Windows Defender Exploit Protection that prevented some Microsoft Office applications from working on machines with certain processors.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.282.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22478

Release date: October 14, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build includes new emojis that conform to Microsoft’s Fluent design standards. It also lets you log in to a closed laptop using Windows Hello facial recognition on a connected external monitor if it has a camera attached that supports it.

The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which the Notification Center refused to launch, and another in File Explorer in which the “Show hidden items” option was out of sync when multiple File Explorer windows were open.

The build has eight known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and another in which after the Search icon on the taskbar is clicked, the Search panel may not open.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22478.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22471

Release date: October 4, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build has more than a dozen bug fixes, including for a bug that sometimes caused the taskbar’s hidden icons flyout to have sharp corners instead of rounded corners, and another that caused explorer.exe to crash sometimes when closing File Explorer windows.

The build also has 10 known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and widgets displaying in the wrong size on external monitors.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22471.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22468

Release date: September 29, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

The build has two minor new features. When you click a VPN connection in VPN Settings, you can now see some statistics about the connection. And you can now turn off recent searches when hovering over the Search icon in the taskbar.

There are also more than a dozen bug fixes, including for a bug in which some drives did not display in Defragment and Optimize Drives, and another that caused unexpected flickering in certain apps such as Microsoft Edge when using multiple monitors with different refresh rates.

The build has nine known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and widgets displaying in the wrong size on external monitors.

Microsoft also announced that the redesigned Paint app for Windows 11 is beginning to roll out to Insiders in the Dev Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22468.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22463

Release date: September 22, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

The build has several minor new features, including one in which when you have a file or folder selected in File Explorer, you can now use Ctrl-Shift-C to copy the path to your clipboard. The build also fixes several dozen bugs, including one in which pressing F1 in File Explorer opened Windows 10 help instead of Windows 11 help, and another that caused File Explorer to hang when doing a search.

The build also has several dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and widgets displaying in the wrong size on external monitors.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22463.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.194

Release date: September 16, 2021

Released to: Beta Channel and commercial PCs in the Release Preview Channel

This build includes updates to the Snipping Tool, Calculator, and Clock with Focus Sessions apps.

The build also fixes several small issues, including one that caused some PCs to bug check during modern standby, and another that caused PowerShell to create an infinite number of child directories.

There are more than a dozen issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.194.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22458

Release date: September 15, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

The build has more than a dozen bug fixes, including for one in which Settings sometimes crashed when trying to open the Display page, and another that made Start unreliable.

The build also has several dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and widgets displaying in the wrong size on external monitors.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22458.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22454

Release date: September 9, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build has a few extremely minor changes, including in which right-clicking on Recycle Bin on the desktop brings up the new modern context menu.

The build also has several dozen bug fixes, including for a bug in which PCs with Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) enabled bug-check continuously, and another in which taskbar icons flickered when you moused over them while using a contrast theme.

The build also has several dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and widgets displaying in the wrong size on external monitors.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22454.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.184

Release date: September 9, 2021

Released to: Beta Channel and commercial PCs in the Release Preview Channel

This build fixes two small issues, including one in which a small set of languages were missing translations across the user interface, and another in which the “learn more info” about Windows Hello in the out-of-box experience (OOBE) wasn’t translated for non-English languages.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.184.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22449

Release date: September 2, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

With this build, the Dev Channel moves back to receiving only builds from the active development branch (RS_PRERELEASE). This means the Dev Channel builds no longer match the version of Windows 11 that will be released on October 5th. Dev Channel builds represent the newest works in progress and are not always stable.

The build changes the way SMB compression (compression of files as they’re sent over a network) works. From now on, algorithms will not determine whether to compress files — files will always be compressed if a user asks for it.

Additionally, there are several minor changes in the build, including notifications now having acrylic backgrounds. There are also many bug fixes, including for one that caused the font in the taskbar previews to incorrect and another that crashed explorer.exe when using Alt-Tab.

The build also has more than a dozen known issues, including the taskbar sometimes flickering when switching input methods, and widgets displaying in the wrong size on external monitors.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22449.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.176

Release date: September 2, 2021

Released to: Beta Channel

This build introduces a “Taskbar settings” page, which lets you hide and unhide icons on the taskbar. It also includes a small number of bug fixes, including one that caused some users to  get an unexpected error when trying to take pictures with certain USB cameras, and another in which ratings and reviews weren’t available for some Microsoft Store apps.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.176.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.168

Release date: August 27, 2021

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

This build introduces a Microsoft 365 widget that displays relevant documents, news, and meeting recordings to enterprise users. It only works if you’re signed into your Azure Active Directory (AAD) account on Windows 11. And Chat with Microsoft Teams now supports more than 50 languages.

The build also includes five bug fixes, including for a bug in which typing certain phrases into the search box in Settings sometimes crashed Settings, and another in Microsoft Teams in which videos sometimes froze or displayed a black image during video calls.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.168.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.160

Release date: August 19, 2021

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

This build fixes a bug in which the taskbar sometimes showed the “location in use” icon even when it had been blocked in preferences.

For Insiders in the Dev Channel, this build also includes the revamped Windows Clock app, with a new feature called Focus Sessions that lets you do things such as set timers, automatically play music from Spotify, and work directly with Microsoft’s To Do app. Go here for details.

The build is also available as an ISO from the Windows Insider Preview Downloads page for those who want to install it from media rather than online. Using this method, users experience the full Windows 11 setup process.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.160.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.132

Release date: August 12, 2021

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

With this build, Insiders in the Beta Channel now have access to Chat from Microsoft Teams. The feature, which was previously rolled out to Insiders in the Dev Channel, includes one-to-one and group audio and video calling. You can create and join meetings, toggle your microphone and camera on or off, and choose your preferred speakers, mic, and camera. You can also share your screen, see the roster of participants, admit meeting participants from the lobby, chat, and see people’s video in a gallery view. For more details, see “First Preview of Chat from Microsoft Teams begins rolling out to Windows Insiders.”

The build also rolls out the new Snipping Tool for Windows 11, and updated Calculator, Mail, and Calendar apps for Insiders in the Dev Channel. For details, see “First set of Windows app updates rolling out to Windows Insiders for Windows 11.”

There are seven fixes in this build, including for a bug in which the taskbar repeatedly crashed inside the Windows Sandbox, and another in which the “location in use” indicator icon wasn’t showing up in the taskbar when it should have been.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which the Search panel may not open when you click the Search icon on the taskbar.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.132.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.120

Release date: August 5, 2021

Released to: Dev and Beta Channels

This build introduces a new family widget for MSA accounts (a single sign-on Microsoft account). It lets people see recent activity of members of their Microsoft family group. The build also fixes several dozen bugs, including one in which File Explorer didn’t show an updated scroll bar in dark mode; another that caused search in Settings to be in a permanently broken state, saying “No result” for every search; and one in which explorer.exe crashed when the Task View button was clicked.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which after clicking the Search icon on the taskbar, the Search panel may not open.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.120.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.100

Release date: July 22, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces Microsoft Teams integration into Windows 11, including a Teams Chat flyout on the taskbar. For more details, see Microsoft’s blog post, “First Preview of Chat from Microsoft Teams begins rolling out to Windows Insiders.” Note that not every Insider will see the feature right away.

There are also a variety of minor new features, including making the taskbar calendar flyout fully collapse when clicking the chevron in the top corner to give more room for notifications.

Several dozen bugs have been fixed, including one in which when you right-clicked the desktop or File Explorer, the resulting context menu and submenus appeared partially off screen, and another in which sign-in wasn’t working for widgets in some scenarios due to authentication hanging.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which the taskbar sometimes flickers when switching input methods.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.100.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.71

Release date: July 15, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This build introduces a new entertainment widget that displays new and featured movie titles in the Microsoft Store. There are also many bug fixes, including for one in which the new command bar didn’t appear when the “Open folders in a separate process” is enabled under File Explorer Options > View, and another that made Settings periodically crash when it launched.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which the right-click menu and submenus from the desktop or File Explorer may appear partially off-screen.

 (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000. 71.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.65

Release date: July 8, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

Among other changes in this build, the Start menu now includes a search box, Power mode settings are now available on the Power & battery page in Settings, and several system alert dialog boxes, such as the alert for when your battery is running low or when you change your display settings, now adhere to the new Windows 11 visual design.

The build includes a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which Settings could not be launched, another in which you could not pin and unpin apps from Start, another in which the command bar in File Explorer disappeared, and another in which the snap layouts did not appear until you rebooted your PC.

In addition, a remote code execution exploit in the Windows Print Spooler service, known as “PrintNightmare,” has been closed. For details, see CVE-2021-34527.

There are many known issues in this build, including one in which you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the taskbar, and another in which the new command bar may not appear when “Open folders in a separate process” is enabled under File Explorer Options > View.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.65.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.51

Release date: June 28, 2021

Released to: Dev Channel

This first Insider Preview for Windows 11 is a big one and offers many of the new features expected to be part of the shipping version of the new operating system.

General interface changes: The Start menu is now centered, rather than pinned to the left of the screen. It includes a set of pinned apps as well as recently opened files in OneDrive on all your cloud-connected devices, including PCs and smartphones. The taskbar is centered as well and offers new animations. It includes a button on the lower-right corner for notifications and for making quick changes to your settings.

File Explorer has a new command bar and new overall look, including new context menus. New themes have been added to the overall interface, and Windows sounds have been redesigned.

Widgets: Windows 11 comes with a set of resizable informational widgets for things such as news, the weather, your calendar, local traffic, a to-do list, photos from OneDrive, news, sports, and more.

Multitasking: Windows 10’s “Snap” feature that gives you control over how you can arrange your open windows gets a makeover. You can choose from pre-built Snap layouts and arrange them into predesigned Snap groups. Desktops available via Task View can now be reordered and have custom backgrounds.

Touch, inking, and voice input: The touch keyboard gets 13 new themes and can be resized. There’s also a voice typing launcher, and several new touch gestures. The build lets you quickly switch between additional languages and keyboards via a switcher that appears at the lower right on the taskbar next to Quick Settings. There’s also now a menu for customizing digital pens.

Other changes include:

• The Microsoft Store has been redesigned. Eventually Android mobile games and apps will be housed there, and be able to work on Windows 11.
• When you undock your laptop, the windows on your external monitor will be minimized. When you re-dock your computer to your monitor, Windows puts everything back where it was before.
• With Windows 11’s Dynamic Refresh Rate, your PC can automatically boost the refresh rate when you’re inking or scrolling to give you a smoother experience, and lower the refresh rate when you don’t need it to save power on your laptop.
• Settings has been redesigned, including left-hand navigation that persists between pages. There are also breadcrumbs to help you know exactly where you are in Settings.
• Windows 11 offers Wi-Fi 6E.

Known issues: There are more than two dozen known issues in this build across a wide variety of features, including the taskbar, Settings, Start, Search, Widgets and the Store. For example, when upgrading a device with multiple user accounts to Windows 11, Settings will fail to launch; after clicking the Search icon taskbar, the Search panel may not open; and when upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10 or when installing an update to Windows 11, some features may be deprecated or removed.

Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.51.

As the excitement about the immense potential of large language models (LLMs) dies down, now comes the hard work of ironing out the things they don’t do well.  

The word “hallucination” is the most obvious example, but at least output that is crazily fictitious stands out as wrong. It’s the lesser mistakes — factual inaccuracies, bias, misleading references — that are more of a problem because they aren’t noticed.

It’s become a big enough issue that a paper by the Oxford Internet Institute argued last year that the technology is so inclined to sloppy output that it poses a risk to science, education, and perhaps democracy itself.

The digital era finds itself struggling with the issue of factual accuracy across multiple spheres. LLMs, in particular, struggle with facts. This isn’t primarily the fault of the LLMs themselves; if the data used to train an LLM is inaccurate, the output will be too.

Now a team of researchers from IBM, MIT, Boston University, and Monash University in Indonesia has suggested techniques they believe could address the shortcomings in the way LLMs are trained. The paper’s abstract sums up the problem:

“Language models appear knowledgeable, but all they produce are predictions of words and phrases — an appearance of knowledge that doesn’t reflect a coherent grasp on the world. They don’t possess knowledge in the way that a person does.”

One solution is to deploy retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), which improves LLMs by feeding them high-quality specialist data.

The catch is that this requires a lot of computational resources and human labor, which renders the technique impractical for general LLMs.

Marking its own homework

The team’s alternative is something called deductive closure training (DCT), whereby the LLM assesses the accuracy of its own output.

In unsupervised mode, the LLM is given “seed” statements, which it uses to generate a cloud of statements inferred from them, some of which are true, others which aren’t. The LLM model then analyses the probability that each of these statements is true by plotting a graph of their consistency. When supervised by humans, the model can also be seeded with statements known to be true.

“Supervised DCT improves LM fact verification and text generation accuracy by 3-26%; on CREAK, fully unsupervised DCT improves verification accuracy by 12%,” reported the team’s research paper (PDF).

Meanwhile, a second team has suggested a way to refine this further using a technique called self-specialization, essentially a way of turning a generalist model into a specialist one by ingesting material from specific areas of knowledge.

“They could give the model a genetics dataset and ask the model to generate a report on the gene variants and mutations it contains,” IBM explained. “With a small number of these seeds planted, the model begins generating new instructions and responses, calling on the latent expertise in its training data and using RAG to pull facts from external databases when necessary to ensure accuracy.”

This might sound rather like a way of implementing RAG. The difference is that these specialist models are only called upon, via an API, when they are needed, the researchers said.

Still bad at facts

According to Mark Stockley, who co-presents The AI Fix podcast with Graham Cluley, the underlying problem is that LLMs are widely misunderstood. They are good at specific tasks but are not, nor were ever intended to be, uncomplicated fact- or truth-checking engines.

“The IBM research doesn’t seem to address the root cause of why LLMs are bad at facts, but it suggests there is a useful but unspectacular modification that might make them less bad at the things they’re currently bad at,” he said.

“You can look at that and say the route to a truly intelligent AI doesn’t go through LLMs and so improving them is a sideshow, or you can look at that and say LLMs are useful in their own right, and a more useful LLM is therefore a more useful tool, whether it’s enroute to artificial general intelligence (AGI) or ultimately a cul-de-sac.”

What is not in doubt, however, is that LLMs need to evolve rapidly or face either becoming specialized, expensive tools for the few or glorified grammar checkers for everyone else.

A group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have opted to not just discuss all of the ways artificial intelligence (AI) can go wrong, but to create what they described in an abstract released Wednesday as “a living database” of 777 risks extracted from 43 taxonomies.

According to an article in MIT Technology Review outlining the initiative, “adopting AI can be fraught with danger. Systems could be biased or parrot falsehoods, or even become addictive. And that’s before you consider the possibility AI could be used to create new biological or chemical weapons, or even one day somehow spin out of control. To manage these potential risks, we first need to know what they are.”

Jamf has removed yet another brick in the wall put up by Windows-centric IT staffers to fend off acceptance Macs in the enterprise, revealing a new partnership with Microsoft that simplifies management of both Windows and Apple devices using Microsoft Azure.

The arrangement means Jamf device management solutions will be hosted on Microsoft Azure and made available for purchase on the Azure Marketplace. 

The Apple device management company has also joined the Microsoft ISV Partner Program and reached a five-year agreement to expand its existing collaboration with new and innovative Microsoft Cloud and AI-powered solutions.

Apple is in the enterprise tent

This builds on work both companies have been doing since at least 2017, as they responded to the realization that most enterprises now recognize the value of Apple products within their ecosystems.

This trend kick-started when the iPhone entered the workplace as an employee-owned device and grew to include employee-choice schemes across multiple platforms.

Of course, those in IT with vested (and sometimes expensively qualified) interest in Microsoft’s hegemony continue to sit on their thrones before a restless ocean to deny the changing tides — and those are the ones most likely to benefit from the new partnership between Jamf and MIcrosoft.

That’s because the move to make Jamf Pro available via Azure (cloud and marketplace) means those accustomed to using Azure to help manage and secure Windows devices can now use Jamf to manage and secure Apple devices from within the same familiar, unified environment. 

More than Windows

This goes beyond just the PC. Many companies rely on Microsoft’s back-end technologies and services, so the move to bring Jamf into Azure will make life a little easier there too. 

To an extent, this reflects what current Jamf CEO, John Strosahl told me last year: “Many companies still use Windows applications and services, and we do support some of those activities on network security and the like — things that are further from the device. But the closer you get to the device, the more we believe that Apple is the future.”

With Azure, it will be much easier to integrate iPhones, iPads, and Macs in complex IT workflows built on Microsoft’s enterprise cloud platform.

The direction of travel has been clear for a while, particularly as Jamf integrates with Microsoft Intune and Entra ID. In truth, Jamf and Microsoft have created a string of landmark partnerships in recent years, including integrations across Sentinel, Defender, and Copilot for Security. Jamf joined the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) in 2023. 

The Apple enterprise

The news should also help Windows-based tech support take better control over the security of those Apple devices that are already deployed across their networks.

With as many as 75% of enterprise employees ready to choose a Mac if given a choice, IT really should take security seriously. Earlier this year, Jamf reported that 40% of mobile users and 39% of organizations are running a device with known vulnerabilities. Apple itself has also warned that the number of data breaches has at least tripled since 2013. (Though it is fair to say that Apple is not the platform most impacted, which is a story that speaks many volumes on its own account.) Timely updates on every platform should be in your supplier SLAs.

“It’s time for organizations to get their modern device estates in order by embracing industry best practices and building a defense-in-depth strategy for the hybrid workforce,” Michael Covington, vice president of portfolio strategy at Jamf, said earlier this year.

Soon, with Jamf and Azure, it will become a little easier to do just that. The multi-platform future of enterprise technology continues to emerge, and Apple will play a big part.

Please follow me on Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.

For almost as long as it has existed, Google has been at the center of controversies around its data strategy, ranging from privacy concerns, data retention with its related cybersecurity implications, and compliance, to the debate about what kind of limits there should be for leveraging data.

A series of Google internal documents, which were entered as exhibits in an ongoing United States prosecution of the company on antitrust issues, shines a light on the data giant’s strategy and positioning. The documents are roughly seven years old, so these memos may not reflect Google’s current thinking, but they do give IT leaders a peek into Google’s candid views on data strategies.

The Google documents are part of the United States Vs. Google litigation being heard in the US District Court for Virginia’s Eastern District, and were made public August 6.

The internal documents made clear Google’s enthusiasm for coordinating all possible data about users so that they could sell the most focused details to advertisers. Google said that it needs to “use a combination of advertiser data such as email subscription lists, Google signed-in data such as web traversal data, Gmail data such as receipts, and subscribed newsletters, to target users across multiple devices.” 

It also showed a fondness for various corporate-speak euphemisms for spying on users, such as “sharing of conversational corpus” and “being able to harvest the conversation signals that could improve ad timeliness and applicability will be important to stay competitive.” 

Google said that it needed to invest more heavily “to improve our understanding of the message that is being exchanged between the parties. To be used to better understand the funnel position of a user and as well as broad quality uplift.”

Google also wrote that it needed to “evaluate tradeoffs between user happiness and shorter-term revenue gains.”

The notes also revealed hesitation by some at Google to push data usage too far, saying, “The capabilities of Gmail ads format has remained a quite limited set over the last couple of years, mostly due to security concerns by the consumer Gmail team.”

One document did express corporate worries about privacy, but it was not involving the privacy of users. It involved the privacy of Google itself. 

“Once again, the privacy protections here are key. We would never allow audiences generated with Google data to leave the Google ecosystem, nor impression level reports based on those media buys,” it said. “Ad tech vendors or agencies could then use these reports and the ability to activate media from them within their own systems. We suggest we require Google-branded, or alternatively white-labeled or otherwise branded by the partner.”

The documents also show that Google at the time was starting to see the need to focus more on what users were doing online and less on where they were doing it. Google said that it wanted to focus on “geo-targeting based on weather/travel searches, not IP address, auto make/model/year, e-commerce product catalogs, user profile/ transaction data, etc.”

Google strategists elaborated on these possibilities as they evaluated efforts by various companies that were luring away Google advertisers. 

“Services have enough data — typically location, logged-in users, intent data — to offer unique targeting aligned with their brand. Weather.com can command a premium with weather data, Pandora can optimize based on what type of music someone listens to, etc. TripAdvisor can target based on destination searches. Commerce companies can even expand into audience extension, buying third-party inventory on behalf of advertisers. We lost Wayfair because AppNexus is better at this than us,” the documents said.

“Audio services like Pandora and Spotify are heavily subscription-driven and many content companies are pursuing subscriptions with increasing success. NYT [New York Times] makes as much from subscriptions as ads and wants to emulate Netflix’s sophistication with upsells. Conde Nast is trying to build a universal subscriber ID to manage on-site subscription offers.”

The documents also included management discussions about Google’s strategic weaknesses, pointing out that some advertisers who had left Google fared significantly better.

“Weather.com ended exclusivity with Google and is seeing 30%+ revenue lift,” it said.

The documents also looked at Gmail’s global challenges at the time, under “coverage shortcomings,” noting:

“Gmail lacking strong penetration in Apple devices. No obvious differentiator from Apple Mail to merit standalone download, unlike data differentiator in Maps. Gmail lacking footprint in key countries/regions. China: no Google products. Japan: Yahoo mail is the leading provider. Russia: Mail.ru is the key player.”

The Virginia case, one of multiple antitrust actions involving Google at the moment, is heading to a jury trial. Many more documents, some of them much more recent, are expected to be published soon. Those are likely to shed even more light on Google’s data strategies.

Microsoft’s facial matching verification system, Face Check, is now available. The feature, part of Entra Verified ID, offers a new way to confirm a user’s identity and protect against unauthorized login attempts, Microsoft said. 

Face Check works by comparing selfie footage taken on a user’s smartphone in real-time with a verified photo held on Microsoft’s servers — a passport photo or driver’s license, for example. The real-time selfie footage won’t be stored after a verification attempt, Microsoft said.

A successful match will confirm a user’s identity and authorize a login to an account. This could be useful for purposes such as remote employee onboarding or password changes, the company said. 

Microsoft’s Azure AI Vision Face API is used to power the face detection and recognition. The software can also conduct a “liveness” check, which helps prevent the use of a static photo or 2D video to trick the verification system, Microsoft said, so deepfakes shouldn’t be effective.  

Customer organizations can choose the level of confidence required to accept a Face Check login attempt. The higher the confidence score threshold, the less likely Face Check will incorrectly verify an impersonator. The default score is a 50% match, which equates to a one in 100,000 chance of getting a false positive; at 90%, the chances are  one in a billion, Microsoft said. (A higher confidence score requirement also increases the likelihood a legitimate login attempt will be rejected.)

Changes in a user’s appearance compared to the verified photo — a different haircut, for example –—could lower the match score, as well as differences in surroundings, such as lighting.

Microsoft Entra ID customers can access Face Check as a standalone service (which costs 25 cents per verification) or with a subscription to the Entra Suite paid add-on ($12 per user each month).  

Hollywood actors’ union SAG-AFTRA said it has signed an agreement with talent marketplace Narrativ to let advertisers buy the rights from actors to recreate their voices using AI.

According to Reuters, the agreement allows the actors themselves to set the price for the digital voice copy, provided that it is at least equivalent to SAG-AFTRA’s minimum wage for audio-based advertising. Brands must also obtain consent from the actor for any ad that uses a digital voice copy.

“It is understandable that not all members will be interested in taking advantage of the opportunities that licensing their digital voice copies can offer. But for those who want to, you now have a safe alternative,” SAG-AFTRA official Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement.

It’s long been possible to encrypt the contents of a Windows PC using the included BitLocker encryption tool. Beginning this fall, with the newest update of Windows 11 (version 24H2), the encryption will be activated by default during re- or new installations, according to The Verge.

Microsoft also plans to lower the system requirements for BitLocker; for example, the computer no longer needs to support Hardware Security Test Interface (HSTI) or Modern Standby.

In a normal update, encryption will not be turned on automatically, meaning users shouldn’t run into trouble accessing files if they update from Windows 11 23H2 to 24H2, for example.

If there were any ounce of doubt remaining, I think we can safely set it aside now and say that Google’s all in on AI.

And, let’s be honest: That’s probably putting it mildly.

At its earlier-than-usual Made by Google Pixel launch gala this week, El Googabond made it clear that its next generation of Android-based Pixel phones would be all about AI. And good golly, it sure ain’t kiddin’.

The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL — along with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, launching a little later in the year — represent a “rebuilding” of Android with “AI at the core,” as a Google executive put it in a prebriefing I attended ahead of Tuesday’s public event.

That kind of language is everywhere you look with these new Pixel products. Right off the bat, the official Google announcement proclaims that the devices “bring you the best of Google AI.” Another company blog post waxes poetic about how the now-present-on-Pixels-by-default Gemini Android assistant reshapes the Pixel experience. Everywhere you look and everything you see about the phones, it’s AI, AI, AI. And then AI some more.

It’s an interesting move that mirrors trends across the tech industry right now. Practically every app, service, and product you see is “AI-based” at this point, even if it does exactly the same stuff it did two years earlier — before those two lofty letters turned into an unavoidable buzzword. 

With Google’s Pixel phones, though, the singular-seeming emphasis on AI represents a puzzling duality with a more than a sliver of irony attached. And it sure seems like going all in on the idea of “AI” as a central identity of the Pixel model is a bold and risky gamble for Google to make.

[Psst: Got a Pixel? Any Pixel? Check out my free Pixel Academy e-course to uncover all sorts of advanced intelligence lurking within whatever Pixel model you’re using!]

Google’s Pixel 9 phones, AI aside

Let’s get one thing out of the way: On the surface, at least, the new Pixel 9 phones look like spectacular products.

The Pixel 9 series maintains all the unmatched qualities that have made Google’s Pixel devices stand out from the Android pack since the very first model:

• The phones sport the same pristine, unmuddled Android software experience that’s defined Pixels from the get-go, along with the same seamless integration with standout Google services and cohesive-feeling consistency with the greater Google and Android ecosystems.
• They have all sorts of genuinely useful features no one else offers along with a lack of patience-testing and privacy-compromising additions so many other Android device-makers dump into their devices.
• Their cameras look to be every bit as phenomenal as what past Pixels have possessed, with all sorts of intelligent software-driven editing tools and opportunities for effortless enhancements.
• And they continue Google’s industry-leading seven-year promise for timely and reliable OS updates, security patches, and quarterly feature drops — something even Apple can’t outclass.

Newly polished outer appearances aside, the Pixel 9 devices add some interesting and useful-seeming practical elements into the equation, too, including a Call Notes feature that creates a private (and locally processed) summary of every call you make, a Pixel Screenshots app that lets you search through saved screenshots with natural language inquiries, and a futuristic new camera feature that lets you capture a group photo including yourself without having to rely on any awkward arm-stretching maneuvers.

That’s all awesome, right? So what’s the gamble — and where’s the irony?

It’s two-fold. And it’s something I suspect a lot of potential Pixel purchasers — particularly folks who aren’t already familiar with the Pixel experience and who might be considering a switch from a different type of device — are gonna be chewing over closely in the weeks and months ahead.

Google’s Pixel 9 AI obsession

First things first, let’s not beat around the bush: AI, in the way the word is most commonly perceived and defined right now, hasn’t exactly made a winning impression on most ordinary mammals.

Even specific to Google, the advent of all this generative AI gobbledegook has been a bit of a mess. The company has been pushing us with increasing aggressiveness to adopt its next-gen Gemini AI assistant in place of the classic (now “legacy”) Google Assistant while simultaneously injecting AI-powered poppycock into all sorts of awkward places — and for most of us, that largely seems to be leaving a bad taste.

From the facepalm-inducing inaccuracies and inconsistent, unreliable info these sorts of systems serve up to their lack of critical functionality core to the Android assistant arena, it’s been a frustrating and forced-feeling rush into a type of technology that seems at best not quite ready for primetime and at worst ill-suited for its intended purpose. Plain and simple, Gemini just isn’t an effective Android assistant when it comes to the types of tasks we need such a service to handle. And the “creative” elements it adds into the mix aren’t particularly compelling or pertinent for that environment.

Most of this is just an inherent side effect of the large-language-model concept at the heart of Gemini and other such systems. LLMs, as they’re called, can’t really analyze or understand anything. At the simplest level, they just look at patterns in language and predict the most likely next word in an ongoing sequence. That’s why they get so much stuff wrong and churn out so much low-quality info while having a tough time understanding and accomplishing the types of tasks we’ve come to expect our Android assistants to manage.

Plus, the systems’ most commonly touted new capabilities — being able to generate text (of questionable quality and originality) and create images (of questionable creepiness) — just aren’t things most of us actually need all that often or would be well-advised to use in most of situations, particularly in the business universe.

And I’m far from the only one who’s been sensing that.

Google, Pixels, and the AI fixation frustration

A study published by Washington State University earlier this summer dug deep into people’s perceptions of AI at this point. And — yes, indeed — it found that using the term “artificial intelligence” in a product description actively turns off potential purchasers and “reduces purchase intentions”:

The findings consistently showed products described as using artificial intelligence were less popular, according to Mesut Cicek, clinical assistant professor of marketing and lead author of the study.

“When AI is mentioned, it tends to lower emotional trust, which in turn decreases purchase intentions,” he said. “We found emotional trust plays a critical role in how consumers perceive AI-powered products.”

Oh, and also — emphasis mine:

Researchers also discovered that negative response to AI disclosure was even stronger for “high-risk” products and services, those which people commonly feel more uncertain or anxious about buying, such as expensive electronics. … Because failure carries more potential risk, which may include monetary loss or danger to physical safety, mentioning AI for these types of descriptions may make consumers more wary and less likely to purchase, according to Cicek.

So, yeah — there’s the gamble: By positioning the Pixels so firmly around the idea of “AI,” Google may actually repel potential purchasers who might otherwise be interested in the phones and all the legitimately great things they have to offer.

And now the irony: All AI placarding aside, Google’s Pixel phones have actually been delivering incredible real-world experiences with artificial intelligence at their core for years now — since the very earliest Pixel models. Most of that just happened before AI became a household term and took on its current generative AI association.

After all, much of the Pixels’ photography prowess is related to Google’s exceptional work with software-driven, AI-oriented processing. The same goes for the slew of post-capture editing and image-enhancing options offered on Pixels. The devices’ popular and extremely useful call-related features are all AI-provided advantages. The list just keeps going from there — and absolutely includes the most practical-seeming new additions from this year’s models, too, as mentioned a moment ago.

So it’s actually been AI that’s set Pixels apart and made them what they are all along. And it’s still AI that, in many ways, continues to make them commendable. That term has just taken on a new meaning now and brought with it a bunch of extra baggage and also-ran silliness most of us could happily (and arguably quite eagerly) do without.

The Pixel perception problem

For years now, I’ve been crowing about how Google has long struggled with figuring out how to market Pixel phones and present their very real, very compelling advantages in a way that both reaches and resonates with the general phone-buying public. As I wrote around this time last year:

Where the Pixel really stands out is in all the unique bits of Google intelligence it brings into the equation and the practical impact those elements add into your day-to-day life — things like the Pixel’s exceptional call spam screening system and its Call Screen feature, which can answer calls for you and lean on AI to interact with unknown callers so you’re barely even bothered by their interruptions. The Hold for Me feature, which takes over torturous holds for you and then notifies you when an actual (alleged) human comes back on the line, is another one of those things you never want to live without once you realize how helpful it can be.

And the updates — for the love of Goog, the updates. The Pixel’s long-standing advantage in the area of timely and reliable software update delivery has always been a difficult type of value to convey and get any “normal” phone owner to care about, important as those of us in these quarters may know it to be.

But [starting] with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, being able to say “Our phones will remain viable and safe for you to use for a full seven years, which is more than anyone else offers” — and to be able to break down a specific dollar figure of exactly how much money that’ll save you over the course of the device’s life — that’s the kind of information that can make an impact with anyone and emphasize what sets the Pixel apart.

All those statements apply even more now with the Pixel 9 series. But now more than ever, Google risks getting lost in an ocean of AI ambivalence by focusing on those two letters as a primary reason for why the phones are worth owning — both in a philosophical sense, given that “AI” actually means very little (beyond maybe “unreliable and not particularly important”) to most people, and in a practical sense, since that focus relies on overused buzzwords instead of the genuine bits of specific practical value Pixel phones provide.

Focusing on Gemini — which, again, by all counts remains an incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable Android assistant — feels like another liability when it comes to the Pixels’ public perception. It’s clear why tech companies so desperately want us to go gaga over these AI chatbots (hint: Look to their investors’ reactions), but it isn’t clear that their presence offers any meaningful value for most of us human phone owners in our day-to-day lives. And more and more signs suggest even the non-tech-obsessed lay-folk among us are starting to pick up on that and see “AI” as being something between a “meh”-inducing neutral and a “nah”-inspiring turn-off.

Google’s got so much good stuff going on with its Pixel devices, and that’s never been more apparent than now — with the unveiling of this new Pixel 9 series. But by zooming in so heavily on the area of AI and making the phones seem all about that, it risks sending the wrong message and highlighting all the wrong elements of what makes these devices so special.

Don’t let yourself miss an ounce of Pixel magic. Sign up for my free Pixel Academy e-course to find tons of hidden features and time-saving tricks for your favorite Googley phone.

The battle between privacy and convenience in artificial intelligence (AI) has truly begun, as Google introduces its own Pixel take on AI smartphones, making a subtle (and unwise) indirect dig at Apple for being open to working with others.

Because open beats closed, right?

The new Pixel 9 range ships with support for Gemini AI, Google’s ChatGPT/Apple Intelligence competitor. That means these users will have access to that AI, so long as they accept the privacy risk of using cloud-based AI services. 

The cost of that convenience is some sacrifice in privacy (see below).

Google Gemini v. Apple Intelligence

Strangely, in view of its contributions to privacy, Google doesn’t want the conversation to be about privacy. So, it instead focused on convenience, telling Pixel launch attendees that the device is “deeply integrated with Google apps and Android and can handle complex queries without hand-off to third-party AI providers you may not know or trust.”  

That “hand-off” remark seems to be an obvious dig at Apple Intelligence. Google knows that the Pixel is up against the iPhone and Apple Intelligence and needs to foster the perception that there are shortcomings to those products (and to the Macs and iPads that already ship with AI inside). 

The problem is that when it comes to Apple Intelligence, Apple has developed an AI system with privacy at its core.

That means it can handle many tasks on-device, some using Apple’s own secured servers, and others with help from third-party AI services, currently including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and soon perhaps also Google Gemini. However, Apple prizes privacy and iPhone users will be warned before their request is shared with a third-party AI service provider. That means it is intentional. 

Apple has also designed its AI system to gather and store as little information about you, the device, or your request as it can, while offering its services. That’s privacy by design. 

Privacy beats convenience

It is also why I feel that Google is making a somewhat sophisticated argument when it throws shade at Apple for directing complex requests to “third-party AI providers you may not know or trust.” Because Google is collecting a lot of information about you — and you don’t know how it is used or who gets access to it.

This is the information Google Gemini collects when you make a request:

• Conversations.
• Usage information.
• Location Information.
• Feedback.

Google says it needs this information to improve its product, but anyone who still recalls the outcry when it emerged that Apple’s Siri teams had access to conversations made with HomePod will surely want to raise the same concern on Google’s statement that human reviewers “read, annotate and process your Gemini Apps conversations.” 

Not only that, but also while Google promises to “take steps” to protect privacy as part of this process, including disconnecting conversations from the Google account, it clearly doesn’t see those steps as foolproof, or it wouldn’t also warn (reproduced in bold text, as that’s how Google published it on its own website): “Please don’t enter confidential information in your conversations, or any data you wouldn’t want a reviewer to see or Google to use to improve our products, services and machine learning technologies.”

Who watches the watchmen?

Now, I don’t know who those human reviewers working for Google are, where they might be, how much they are paid, or the extent to which they may have been penetrated by surveillance operatives. But I suspect at least some teams will be working for third-party companies on Google’s behalf. 

If that’s the case, then when you use Gemini, you are also arguably sharing your requests with outside providers you might not “know or trust,” and while that information might be made private in the sense of removing names, telephone numbers, that still leaves the actual request — which in some cases is too much information to share in the first place.

Think about that.  Then consider that conversations that have been reviewed by human reviewers are not deleted for three years, even if you delete your Gemini Apps Activity.  

What you gain in exchange for these privacy risks is access to a sophisticated Generative AI system capable of helping you get challenging tasks successfully done. 

Convenience has a cost, privacy has iPhone

This convenience comes at a price that will be far, far too high for any enterprise professional handling private or restricted data. Those working in regulated industries will almost certainly be advised to forbid employees against using these systems with company information.

Fortunately, there is an alternative: iPhone (and iPad and Mac) and Apple Intelligence. 

While the combination might not (yet) provide everything ChatGPT or Gemini promise, what it does provide is built with privacy in mind, particularly when it comes to edge-based AI. So, the stark choice Google tried to obfuscate during its Pixel launch is that convenience has a cost, while privacy has an iPhone. 

And those complex queries you can solve at the cost of privacy? We’ve managed to resolve many of them most of the time for the last few thousand years, so perhaps it’s OK to wait until Apple Intelligence can match those features in an AI that’s private by design. Just putting it out there. 

More from Jonny Evans

• Apple’s Patreon fee will hurt the wrong people
• Apple, this is the time to seize the moment
• Seeking DMA compliance, Apple gets to business

Please follow me on Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.

A group of visual artists has scored a significant victory in their legal battle against AI image generators. A California federal judge has ruled that visual artists can continue to pursue some of their copyright claims against AI companies Stability AI, Midjourney, DeviantArt, and Runway AI.

The artists alleged that these companies used their copyrighted images to train their AI models without permission, violating their rights. While the judge dismissed some of the claims, he allowed others to proceed, including allegations that the companies illegally stored copyrighted works on their systems.

US District Judge William Orrick, presiding over the Northern District of California, stated that the artists have made a plausible argument that the companies’ actions could violate their rights.

“Plaintiffs rely on some of those works to plausibly demonstrate that their works were used as training images and that their works or elements of their works can be recreated through the AI products. The identification of those works may not prove liability under the Copyright Act, but they do provide support for the plausibility of plaintiffs’ Copyright Act theories,” the judge said in a 33-page ruling.

This case is part of a broader legal battle concerning the use of copyrighted material in AI training. The artists argued that AI companies have used datasets, such as those from LIAON, which include their copyrighted works without permission.

The judge admitted the artists’ submission.

“Plaintiffs have plausible allegations showing why they believe their works were included in the LAION datasets. And plaintiffs plausibly allege that the Midjourney product produces images – when their own names are used as prompts – that are similar to plaintiffs’ artistic works,” the ruling read.

The judge refused to dismiss related trademark claims but dismissed allegations of unjust enrichment, breach of contract, and violations of a separate US copyright law.

The bone of contention

The core issue in this case revolves around the AI systems’ use of copyrighted works to train their models, particularly the Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion model, which the artists claim contains “compressed copies” of their works. Judge Orrick noted in his ruling that while the full extent of copyright infringement is not yet clear, it is plausible that the Stable Diffusion model could lead to infringement through its use by end-users.

“If an AI company profits from content based on someone else’s copyrighted material, they are obligated to share those earnings, possibly in the form of royalties,” said Prashant Mali, an advocate who specializes in data protection and cyber laws.  “AI technology was never intended to be used freely at the expense of creators’ rights, and this ruling underscores the need for clear guidelines in balancing innovation with copyright protection.”

This ruling follows a previous decision by Judge Orrick, who had dismissed several of the artists’ original claims in October but allowed them to refile their case. The artists, including Sarah Andersen, Kelly McKernan, and Karla Ortiz, refiled their complaint in November with additional plaintiffs.

Judge Orrick’s recent decision now permits them to proceed with their copyright claims.

Mali pointed out that copyright protection exists for any original work created by an artist. “If an artist has provided explicit consent, such as a No Objection Certificate (NOC), their work can be legally used to train AI algorithms.”

“However,” Mali stated, “AI-generated content must be transparent regarding copyright usage, including providing appropriate disclaimers where necessary.”

While the judge dismissed some of their claims due to procedural issues, like the lack of registered copyrights for many of the works in question, the case will continue to move forward on the remaining counts.

This ongoing legal dispute highlights the complexities surrounding copyright issues in the era of AI-generated content. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for other similar lawsuits, such as those filed by Sarah Silverman against Meta and a class action against OpenAI, which are also being heard in the Northern District of California.

For now, the artists have secured a critical victory in their fight to protect their work from what they view as unauthorized use by AI technologies. As the case progresses, it could have far-reaching implications for how copyright law is applied to AI-generated content and the responsibilities of companies that develop and deploy such technologies.

Microsoft plans to begin archiving unlicensed OneDrive user accounts after 90 days beginning Jan. 27, 2025 — with a fee required for account storage and re-activation. 

There are different reasons why businesses might have unlicensed OneDrive accounts, Microsoft said in a blog post on the SharePoint admin site; if a license has been removed when an employee leaves an organization but the OneDrive account remains, for instance, or if an account has been created but not assigned a license. 

These unlicensed accounts can pose security and compliance problems, Microsoft said, and result in file duplication. 

With the coming change to its OneDrive policy, Microsoft will begin to automatically move unlicensed accounts to Microsoft 365 Archive after 90 days. At that point, the OneDrive account will be inaccessible by IT admins and users. 

According to a message on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, seen by Petri, customers will be charged 5 cents per gigabyte each month to store the accounts in the Microsoft 365 Archive; account reactivation will cost 60 cents per gigabyte. 

Microsoft also offered guidance for managing any unlicensed accounts.

First, admins can generate a report via the SharePoint admin center to identify any such accounts across their organization. These reports — which display information such as username, email address, account type and the date of last activity on the account –—will be widely available beginning this Friday, Aug. 16. 

Once unlicensed accounts have been tracked down, they can be deleted, assigned a new license (which requires a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription that includes OneDrive for the user), or kept in the Microsoft 365 Archive.

Microsoft fixed 88 vulnerabilities on Tuesday as part of its monthly patching cycle. Six of those flaws were already being actively exploited in the wild before a patch was available and another four were publicly disclosed, putting the total number of zero-day vulnerabilities covered in this release at 10.

Of the 88 vulnerabilities patched only seven are rated critical, 79 are rated important, and one is rated moderate. But severity isn’t everything when it comes to prioritizing patch deployments, as attackers are regularly exploiting non-critical flaws as part of their attack chains.

“While this isn’t the biggest release, it is unusual to see so many bugs listed as public or under active attack in a single release,” researchers from Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) program wrote in an analysis.

The massive worldwide Windows outage caused by a disastrous update from the security company CrowdStrike made clear again just how reliant the world is on technologies few people understand — seemingly even the companies in charge of them.

The incident is a case study in how vulnerable the world is, not just to technology, but to the occasional short-sightedness and incompetence of billion-dollar companies who use them.

In this case, a run-of-the-mill security update of the kind that’s been done thousands of times over the years went wrong because CrowdStrike simply wasn’t paying attention. In the aftermath, there have been calls for changes to the way those kinds of updates are handled to make sure this kind of thing never happens again.

Chief among those calls is one that says CrowdStrike — or any other company — shouldn’t be allowed access to a key part of Windows that could lead to a crash on every system that uses it. By only allowing Microsoft to touch the most vulnerable part of Windows, the thinking goes, Microsoft can keep the OS safe. Those who make this argument say it’s inevitable that if many companies can muck around with the central core of Windows, one of them will make an error and we’ll have more massive crashes like the one caused by CrowdStrike.

But is that really the case — will that solve the problem? To figure that out, we need to first take a look into how the worldwide crash occurred.

Anatomy of a disastrous outage

CrowdStrike offers security software to enterprises and claims it “secures the most critical areas of risk — endpoints and cloud workloads, identity, and data — to keep customers ahead of today’s adversaries and stop breaches.” 

The company says on its website that it is in widespread use among the world’s top companies, including 298 of the Fortune 500 companies, eight of the top 10 financial services firms, six out of the top 10 healthcare providers, and so on.

It provides cybersecurity via its CrowdStrike platform, which, like many other pieces of security software, is composed of two primary parts: the “Falcon sensor,” which is essentially a kind of security engine and “Rapid Response Content,” which contains data the Falcon sensor uses to check for potential cyberattacks and malware. 

The Falcon sensor does not get updated frequently, but the Rapid Response Content is constantly being updated, sometimes multiple times a day.  That’s because cyberattacks and malware are constantly evolving. The Rapid Response Content has information about new potential attacks, and the Falcon sensor uses that information to keep companies safe. The more frequently it’s updated, the safer companies should be.

The Falcon sensor and Rapid Response Content both have access to the Windows kernel — the very core of the operating system. That means if something goes wrong with a CrowdStrike update, it can crash Windows and make it difficult to get the operating system re-started.

That’s exactly what happened here. CrowdStrike didn’t properly vet a Rapid Response Content update, and it brought down every Windows system that received the update with the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. Restarting Windows didn’t solve the problem because the issue affected the Windows kernel. Each PC with the bad update had to be restarted manually, booted into Safe Mode, and then someone had to navigate with File Explorer to Windows > System32 > drivers > CrowdStrike, and delete a specific file. That’s why it took so long to recover from the flawed update; there simply weren’t enough IT staffers available to do the work.

As for why CrowdStrike let a bad update into the Windows kernel, one reason is that Rapid Response Content updates don’t go through as comprehensive checking procedure as a Falcon sensor update. The company apparently thought Rapid Response Content updates couldn’t do as much harm as bad Sensor updates. The company certainly got that wrong and pledged to fix the problem quickly.

Microsoft’s suggestion for better security

Soon after the crash, Microsoft’s John Cable, vice president of program management for Windows servicing and delivery, wrote a blog post about how Windows could better protect against widespread crashes in the future. There wasn’t anything particularly startling in his recommendations, including, “This incident shows clearly that Windows must prioritize change and innovation in the area of end-to-end resilience.” Cable also recommended using technologies that don’t require security companies access the Windows kernel.

Because of that, many people and companies, including CrowdStrike and other security vendors, believed Cable’s comments were a first step towards taking away security companies’ access to the kernel. They fear Microsoft could argue that allowing too many companies to use the kernel makes Windows less secure, and the more companies that access it the more opportunities there are for errors. The companies see that possibility as essentially a land grab by Microsoft; if companies are denied kernel access, Microsoft could take away their business.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, for example, warns, “Lest we forget, Microsoft themselves had their own eternal screw up where they potentially let a foreign actor read every customer’s email because they failed to adequately secure their session signing keys. We still have no idea how bad the implications of #EternalBlue are.”

At the moment, even if Microsoft wanted to ban access to the kernel, it couldn’t do so An agreement it made with the European Union in 2009 guarantees kernel access to security vendors. But the company could use the CrowdStrike fiasco as a way to reopen negotiations.

Would Windows be safer if only Microsoft had kernel access? Certainly not. Prince is right — Microsoft has a history of big-time security screw-ups. I’ve often written about them, notably lax security practices that allowed Chinese spies to hack the accounts of high-level government officials, including US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, and Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE). (All of them are involved with the country’s relationship with China.)

The best way to make Windows safer is to give reliable security companies access to the Windows kernel. Collective security is a better bet than allowing Microsoft to go it alone, particularly given its problematic security history. That was true before the CrowdStrike mess, and it remains true in the aftermath.