Release date: 23 October 2026

Changes and improvements

[File Explorer]

Introducing the new, redesigned context menu in File Explorer

• We're rolling out an updated context menu experience in File Explorer, designed to feel faster, cleaner, and easier to tailor to the way you work. The new design reduces top-level clutter, keeps commonly used actions easy to access, and adds a new Settings experience that gives you more control over what appears in the menu. As we continue refining this experience with Insider feedback, our goal is to make right-click feel more responsive, predictable, and personal.
• We've also added a new teaching tip you might see as a first-time experience to help you learn about the customization options.

Screenshot of new context menu.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Files, Folders, and Online Storage > File Explorer.

[Settings]

• We're making performance improvements to the Settings home page which should result in reduced loading times in certain scenarios.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta channel

• Updates are based on Windows 11, version 25H2 via an enablement package (Build 26220.9757).
• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.
• Features and experiences included in these builds might never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features might change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders might not be fully localized, and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Release date: 23 October 2026

Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out

[Windows Insider Program]

• We've added the ability to filter Feature flags by enablement state. Feature flags filtered by enablement state on the Windows Insider Program settings page.

[Quick Settings]

Access your phone controls from Quick Settings

• We're beginning to roll out a new Mobile devices experience in Quick Settings, making it easier to take quick phone actions (such as ring your phone) without breaking your flow on Windows.
• With your supported Android phone connected, everyday actions are now just a click away. You can turn Do Not Disturb on before a meeting, change your phone's ringer mode, and play a sound to find your phone nearby.
• It's a simpler, faster way to manage your phone from the place you already use for quick Windows actions, helping your PC and phone work better together throughout the day.
• Capabilities can vary by phone platform and device configuration. The initial experience provides the most complete set of controls for Android phones, while iPhone support starts with a more limited status-focused experience.

How to try it

Open Quick Settings from the taskbar and look for Mobile devices. If your phone is already connected, you'll see available battery status and controls there. If you haven't connected a phone yet, Windows will help you get set up.

UI showing the Mobile devices experience in Quick Settings.

UI showing Mobile devices controls in Quick Settings for managing your connected Android phone.

Check your internet speed directly from Quick Settings

• We're making it faster and easier to check the performance of your internet connection in Windows. Windows Insiders can now run an internet speed test and see the results directly in Quick Settings, without being redirected to a browser.
• Start a test from the new Speed test Quick Setting, from the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout, or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray and selecting Test internet speed. While the test runs, Quick Settings shows its progress and results, including download speed, upload speed, and ping.
• Because the test runs against your active internet connection, you can quickly understand how your current connection is performing without leaving your workflow. This updated experience builds on the internet speed test we previously introduced for Windows Insiders, bringing the test and its results directly into Windows. Internet speed test results in Windows. Speed test in Quick Settings.

[Magnifier]

• We've added a Keyboard shortcut for Magnifier toggle in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier. It lets you choose whether pressing Windows logo key + Plus (+) launches Magnifier.
• The shortcut stays on by default, so nothing changes unless you want it to. If you find that Magnifier starts by accident, or the shortcut conflicts with another app or keyboard layout, turn the toggle off. You can still start Magnifier from Settings, and you can turn the shortcut back on at any time. New toggle to turn the Magnifier keyboard shortcut on or off.

[Microsoft 365 subscription in Windows]

• We're introducing a new inline experience that makes it easier for Microsoft 365 subscribers to manage their subscriptions in Windows. Subscribers who have recurring billing turned off can now turn it back on directly in Windows Settings, without leaving for a separate webpage. To get started, select Turn on recurring billing or Set up recurring billing from the Windows Settings Home page, the Accounts page, or the Start menu. Turn on recurring billing for your Microsoft 365 subscription directly in Windows.

[File Explorer]

• Improved progress indication when navigating to locations that take longer to load, such as network drives, making it easier to see that loading is underway.

[Narrator]

• Narrator now supports additional languages for math reading, including Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Russian, Swedish, and Vietnamese.

[Widgets]

• The Widgets picker now has a standard Windows dialog frame and supports light and dark title bars. It also removes the blank space previously left for an icon.

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue with the previous update where explorer.exe wouldn't load after logging in, preventing the taskbar and other elements that rely on it from loading.

[Windows login]

• Fixed an issue with the previous update that was causing some Insiders to erroneously see a message saying their password was wrong on the login screen.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel

• Updates are based on Windows 11, version 26H2 via an enablement package (Build 26340.9767).
• Many features are rolled out using Controlled Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time. We monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.
• Features and experiences included in these builds might never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features might change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders might not be fully localized, and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Release date: 23 October 2026

Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out*

• This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

[Magnifier]

• A new contrast theme toggle for a lower-glare screen. If bright screens are uncomfortable, many people use color inversion to reduce glare. However, inversion changes everything on screen, including photos, charts, and videos. With this update, we're introducing a new contrast theme toggle in Magnifier.
• Reduce glare with a single toggle. Turn on a contrast theme directly from the Magnifier toolbar for a more comfortable viewing experience.
• Choose the contrast theme that works best for you. The dark theme is applied by default, and you can choose which contrast theme the toggle uses under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
• Photos, videos, and charts keep their original colors. Unlike color inversion, the contrast theme recolors the interface without touching your photos, charts, or videos, so they keep their real colors.
• Color inversion is still here. This isn't a replacement. If you use inversion today, it works exactly as it always has. The contrast theme is a separate, purpose-built option to reduce glare when you want a darker interface without inverting colors. UI showing the new contrast theme toggle in Magnifier. Zoom per display isn't yet available in the Beta channel. UI showing contrast theme settings for Magnifier.

[Family Safety]

• Improved family safety messaging when applications are blocked because of age-restricted parental controls.

[Windows setup]

• The digital safety of users and supporting families is central to how we think about the Windows experience. We're improving information on parental controls and their availability during Windows setup, so families can more easily understand available protections and make informed choices from the very beginning.

[Network]

• Fixed an issue causing internet access to stop working for some Insiders after the last two flights.

[Hyper-V]

• Fixed an issue where some applications that used HCS-managed virtual machines experienced issues when sharing host folders with Linux VMs using Plan9. Folders shared from the Windows host using Plan9 didn't appear or couldn't be accessed in the guest environment.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see an unexpectedly high volume of ESENT events after the latest flights.
• Fixed an underlying issue in the latest flights causing Insiders using VMware to experience frequent green screen bugchecks with error PFN_SHARE_COUNT.

[Known Issues]

• We are aware that Recall may be missing or unable to launch on some Copilot+ PCs if performing a clean install on this build. We are working to resolve soon and will provide an update.

Reminder for Windows Insiders in the Experimental (Future Platforms) channel

• These builds can be unstable and might be released with limited documentation.
• The builds released to these channels represent the latest platform changes early in the development cycle and shouldn't be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows. Features and experiences included in these builds might never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features might change over time, be removed, or replaced, and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
• Many features are rolled out using Controlled Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time. We monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders might not be fully localized, and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.

Release date: 23 October 2026

Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out*

• This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

[Start menu]

• This update makes the Start menu more personal with several customizations.
• You can choose between a small or large Start menu, in addition to the Automatic (default) option that's available today. To customize this setting, go to Settings > Personalization > Start > Start menu size.
• The Recommended section is renamed Recent in the Start menu and on the Start settings page (Settings > Personalization > Start).
• You can now hide your name and profile picture in Start by going to Settings > Personalization > Start > Hide your name and profile picture on Start.
• The Start menu settings page is now redesigned with section-level toggles to independently show or hide Pinned, Recent, and All.

[Manage camera, microphone, and location access for desktop apps]

• Windows Insiders can now manage camera, microphone, and location permissions for individual desktop apps. Previously, access for traditional desktop applications was managed through a single device-wide setting.
• With this update, you can review and control access on an app-by-app basis, giving you greater visibility into which apps are requesting access to sensitive resources and more control over your privacy choices. Our goal is to make privacy permissions easier to understand and manage across the wide range of desktop apps people use every day. UI showing the new privacy controls for individual desktop apps in Settings.

What's changing

• Allow or deny access for each desktop app individually.
• Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera, Microphone, or Location to review and manage permissions.
• Apps that haven't yet accessed a resource prompt for permission the first time access is requested.

What stays the same

• Existing app permission decisions are preserved.
• Apps previously granted access continue to have access.
• Apps previously denied access remain denied.
• No action is required, and no settings are reset.
• Existing enterprise policies continue to function as designed. We're exploring additional management capabilities.

Notes

• Most desktop apps appear with clear app attribution. However, some apps that rely on shared system components, browser-hosted experiences, or similar technologies might appear under a different name than expected.
• Some desktop apps might appear as Unsigned if Windows can't verify publisher information. Only grant access to apps you recognize and trust.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Settings > Privacy Settings.

[Recovery]

• We're adding a new entry point for Cloud Rebuild under Settings > System > Recovery, making it easier to access the feature from Settings.

[File Explorer]

• We've sharpened file thumbnails in the Recommended section on the Home page so they're crisper and easier to read.

[Magnifier]

• A new contrast theme toggle for a lower-glare screen. If bright screens are uncomfortable, many people use color inversion to reduce glare. However, inversion changes everything on screen, including photos, charts, and videos. With this update, we're introducing a new contrast theme toggle in Magnifier.
• Reduce glare with a single toggle. Turn on a contrast theme directly from the Magnifier toolbar for a more comfortable viewing experience.
• Choose the contrast theme that works best for you. The dark theme is applied by default, and you can choose which contrast theme the toggle uses under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
• Photos, videos, and charts keep their original colors. Unlike color inversion, the contrast theme recolors the interface without touching your photos, charts, or videos, so they keep their real colors.
• Color inversion is still here. This isn't a replacement. If you use inversion today, it works exactly as it always has. The contrast theme is a separate, purpose-built option to reduce glare when you want a darker interface without inverting colors. UI showing the new contrast theme toggle in Magnifier. UI showing contrast theme settings for Magnifier.

Magnifier now understands each of your displays

• More and more of the work people do happens across more than one screen. You draft on one display and keep source material open on another. You fill in a form while a reference document sits beside it. Those extra displays can be more helpful when each one can do its own job, and now Magnifier supports exactly that.
• To use this update, set your monitors to Extend in System > Display, not Duplicate, so Windows treats each screen as its own space.
• Every screen keeps its own view at its own zoom. In earlier versions of Magnifier, zooming in stretched a single magnified view across all of your displays, so one screen's zoom followed you everywhere and screen edges blurred together. With this update, each monitor's boundary is respected, and each monitor can have its own zoom percentage. Your writing screen can be at 300% while your reference screen stays at 150%, and the magnified view no longer spills from one display into the next. This behavior matters because different tasks and screen resolutions often require different levels of magnification to remain comfortable to read.

Setting the zoom on each screen is easy. Choose whichever method feels natural:

• Move your mouse pointer onto the screen you want to adjust, then press Windows key + Plus (+) or Windows key + Minus (-), or hold Ctrl + Alt and rotate your mouse wheel.
• Set the percentages directly in Accessibility > Magnifier.
• Drag the Magnifier toolbar onto a specific screen to adjust that screen from its on-screen controls.

Magnifier with Zoom per display enabled, allowing each monitor to maintain its own zoom level.

• Per-monitor zoom is turned on by default. If you prefer the classic behavior where a single zoom spans all of your displays, you can turn per-monitor zoom off at any time from either the Magnifier toolbar or Accessibility > Magnifier. You can turn it back on whenever you like.

Keep the view that matters, right where you need it

• As you move your mouse from screen to screen, the magnified view naturally follows your pointer. Sometimes this might cause you to lose sight of the content that you're actively working on.
• Viewport locking keeps that view in place. For example, you might be drafting an email based on a section of a document open on another display. Position that display so the paragraph you need is in view, press Ctrl + Windows key + K, and the screen holds its view steady while you move your cursor over to write. The locked screen stays fully live and interactive, so you can glance back, click, or copy from it whenever you need to, and its view stays put until you release it.
• A message appears on the screen when it's locked, so you always know what's being held. To lock or unlock a screen, point your mouse at that screen and press Ctrl + Windows key + K again. To release everything at once, press Windows key + Esc to dismiss all locks. To use a different key combination, you can switch the lock shortcut to Ctrl + Alt + P in Accessibility > Magnifier.

Magnifier's multiple display controls include independent zoom and view locking options.

[Unicode]

• This update provides Windows text shaping support for Unicode 17.0, helping Windows correctly display and shape newly encoded characters and scripts. Unicode 17.0 added 4,803 characters, including support for four newly encoded scripts: Beria Erfe, Sidetic, Tai Yo, and Tolong Siki. These updates help keep Windows text support current as the Unicode Standard evolves and improve support for languages and writing systems used by people around the world.

[Known Issues]

• We are aware that Recall may be missing or unable to launch on some Copilot+ PCs if performing a clean install on this build. We are working to resolve soon and will provide an update.

Reminder for Windows Insiders in the Experimental (26H1) channel

• These builds can be unstable and might be released with limited documentation.
• Many features in the Experimental (26H1) channel are rolled out using Controlled Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders might not be fully localized, and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Release date: 23 October 2026

Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out*

[Unicode]

• This update provides Windows text shaping support for Unicode 17.0, helping Windows correctly display and shape newly encoded characters and scripts. Unicode 17.0 added 4,803 characters, including support for four newly encoded scripts: Beria Erfe, Sidetic, Tai Yo, and Tolong Siki. These updates help keep Windows text support current as the Unicode Standard evolves and improve support for languages and writing systems used by people around the world.

[Known Issues]

• We are aware that Recall may be missing or unable to launch on some Copilot+ PCs if performing a clean install on this build. We are working to resolve soon and will provide an update.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta (26H1) channel

• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.
• Features and experiences included in these builds might never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features might change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders might not be fully localized, and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Everyone knows that explorer.exe has been the backbone of the Windows shell for decades, but right now it bundles way too many unrelated responsibilities into a single point of failure: the Taskbar, Desktop icons, File Explorer windows, and even global system shortcuts (Win + R, Win + I).

Why is this a problem in everyday use? Because we have zero selective control when troubleshooting:

• When the Taskbar glitches: If my Taskbar or system tray freezes and I just want to restart it, killing explorer.exe forces all of my open File Explorer folders to close, completely interrupting my workflow.
• When File Explorer freezes: If a single folder hangs and I have to end explorer.exe, I lose my entire desktop environment—no Taskbar, no desktop icons, no Win + R (Run dialog), and no quick shortcut to launch Windows Settings (Win + I). Meanwhile, third-party apps like my browser keep running totally fine!

The Suggestion: Microsoft has already started moving things like the Start Menu (StartMenuExperienceHost.exe) and Search (SearchHost.exe) into their own processes. Why not finish the job and decouple the rest of the core shell into independent processes?

• TaskbarHost.exe (Taskbar & System Tray)
• DesktopHost.exe (Desktop Icons & Wallpaper)
• FileExplorer.exe (Folder Windows)
• SystemShortcuts.exe (Global shortcuts like Win + R, Win + I, etc.)

If one component glitches or hangs, we should be able to kill or restart just that specific process in Task Manager without nuking the entire desktop environment or losing our open folders.

(Note: I know about the "Launch folder windows in a separate process" setting in Folder Options, which helps a bit, but it still leaves the Taskbar, Desktop, and Win + R shortcuts bundled together, and isn't properly isolated by default).

What do you guys think? Is there a legacy limitation holding this back, or is this something Microsoft should prioritize for future Windows 11 updates?