On February 24, Microsoft rolled out optional preview update KB5077239 (OS Build 28000.1643) for Windows 11. The centerpiece is a complete modernization of the decades-old MIDI stack, finally adding native MIDI 2.0 support for musicians. The update also expands cross-device resume capabilities, letting you pick up phone tasks like Spotify playback and Office documents directly on your PC.

Cross-Device Resume Works With More Apps and Phones

Cross-Device Resume—the feature that bridges Android phone activities with your Windows desktop—now supports a broader set of apps and handoff scenarios. You can resume Spotify playback, continue working on a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, or pick up a browsing session from your phone, provided you have the corresponding Microsoft 365 app on your PC (otherwise it opens in the browser). Offline-only files stored solely on the phone aren’t supported.

Microsoft has widened the list of OEM partners: HONOR, OPPO, Samsung, vivo, and Xiaomi now appear alongside earlier mentions in the ecosystem. Vivo’s own browser is explicitly named as compatible for browsing continuity. The feature still hinges on phone-side integration and app-level cooperation, so the experience will vary per device and service. If you already rely on cloud sync for Spotify or Office files, the added utility may feel incremental—but the hardware-level handoff is a step toward tighter phone-PC continuity.

Windows MIDI Services: A Modern Stack for Musicians

The most technically significant addition is Windows MIDI Services, a ground-up overhaul of Microsoft’s aging MIDI stack. It brings explicit support for both MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0, full WinMM and WinRT MIDI 1.0 compatibility, built-in translation between protocol versions, shared MIDI ports across applications, custom port naming, loopback and app-to-app MIDI, plus performance improvements and bug fixes.

For musicians, native MIDI 2.0 on Windows eliminates the need for third-party middleware and opens the door to higher-resolution controls, better timing, and improved interoperability with modern hardware. Shared ports and loopback routing simplify complex multi-app workflows that previously required kludgey workarounds.

There is a catch: the accompanying App SDK and Tools package—which unlocks inbox MIDI 2.0 features and includes the MIDI Console and MIDI Settings app—is currently unsigned. Microsoft distributes the tools on its landing page and GitHub, but downloading or installing them may trigger security warnings. Early adopters in studios and audio production should test on non-critical systems before integrating the tools into professional environments.

Accessibility Gets Smarter Narration and Setup

KB5077239 refines several built-in accessibility tools:

  • Narrator gains stronger control over which on-screen control details are spoken and in what order, letting users tailor verbosity to their navigation style.
  • Voice Access receives a streamlined setup: the redesigned flow simplifies downloading a speech model, selecting a microphone, and learning what Voice Access can do.
  • Voice Typing adds a “Wait time before acting” setting, giving users flexibility to adjust the delay before a voice command executes—useful for varied speech patterns.

These changes reduce friction for people who rely on assistive technologies. For enterprise deployments, the easier configuration and personalization options can trim support tickets related to accessibility setup.

Smaller but Noteworthy Additions

Beyond the headliners, Microsoft packed in a flurry of quality-of-life improvements:

  • Virtual Workspaces: A new toggle in Settings > System > Advanced lets you enable or disable virtual environments like Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox in one place—a boon for power users and admins who flip these on specific machines.
  • Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS): ESS now works with peripheral fingerprint sensors, extending phishing-resistant biometric sign-in to desktops and external readers. Set up via Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
  • File Explorer polish: Dark mode consistency now reaches copy/move/delete dialogs, progress bars, and chart views. A simplified context menu (initially rolling out to a limited set of devices) consolidates Share, Copy, and Move into a single menu. The Recommended section on the Explorer homepage surfaces frequently used or recently downloaded files, now available for personal Microsoft accounts when enabled.
  • Gaming and input: The Full Screen Experience (FSE) expands beyond ASUS ROG Ally devices to more handhelds, offering a console-style interface that minimizes background tasks. Haptic pens now provide tactile feedback when interacting with UI elements, and keyboard backlight behavior improves on supported HID-compliant keyboards. The AltGr layer adds the Saudi Riyal symbol (AltGr+S) on Arabic 101 layouts.
  • Settings migration: Keyboard character repeat delay/rate and cursor blink rate controls have moved from Control Panel to Settings > Accessibility. The Settings search bar no longer overlaps minimize/maximize buttons, and navigation to Network & Internet is more responsive.
  • Copilot and sharing: The taskbar gains a “Share with Copilot” option that lets you share an open app window directly with Copilot Vision for on-the-fly analysis. Handy, but enterprises will need to review data governance and DLP policies.

Reliability and Fit-and-Finish Fixes

Under the hood, KB5077239 squashes several persistent bugs:

  • Explorer.exe hangs during first sign-in when certain startup apps are configured, which previously caused the taskbar to vanish.
  • The lock screen becomes unresponsive in some cases; the update adds underlying changes to mitigate this.
  • Windows Sandbox startup hangs with error 0x800705b4 are addressed.
  • License migration during upgrades improves, reducing Activation troubleshooter prompts.
  • File Explorer no longer unexpectedly shows a toolbar or fails to render video thumbnails with certain EXIF metadata.
  • Desktop icons stay put when renaming files.
  • User Account Control reliability improves when running Windows Terminal as admin from a non-admin account.

These fixes chip away at daily annoyances and strengthen the perception of the OS as stable and predictable.

What It Means for You

For musicians and audio pros: Evaluate the new MIDI stack on a test system first. The unsigned tools are a preview-phase limitation; don’t rely on them for live performance or client sessions until Microsoft signs the package and distributes it through trusted channels. If you use BLE MIDI or proprietary hardware drivers, check with your vendor for compatibility with the updated stack.

For everyday users with Android phones: Cross-device resume may simplify switching between phone and PC, but its real utility depends on your apps and OEM. If you already sync files through OneDrive or stream from Spotify, the difference may be subtle; watch for richer state handoff in the future.

For accessibility users: The Narrator, Voice Access, and Voice Typing updates are immediate quality-of-life boosts. Test the new settings to see if they fit your workflow.

For IT admins: Pilot the preview in a controlled ring before broad deployment—especially if you manage devices with external biometric readers or rely on Hyper-V/Sandbox. Validate any ESS fingerprint sensor models and driver compatibility. Review Copilot sharing settings: the taskbar-level window sharing is convenient but increases the risk of inadvertent data exposure if not governed.

For developers: The MIDI App SDK opens new possibilities for audio applications. Experiment with the new routing and port naming APIs. Check any shell integrations that depend on Explorer context menus, as the simplified menu may change behavior.

How We Got Here

Microsoft has been layering features onto Windows 11 through optional preview updates, often tied to platform branches like 26H1 that test next-generation capabilities. KB5077239’s build number (28000.1643) sits in the Canary/preview lineage, a stream separate from the main feature track that lets Microsoft experiment with device-specific optimizations.

The MIDI stack overhaul is arguably overdue: Windows’ MIDI support dates back to the 1990s, and the industry has been adopting MIDI 2.0 since its release in 2020. Cross-device resume builds on Phone Link integration, extending the idea that your phone and PC should share activity context rather than just files. Meanwhile, the steady drumbeat of accessibility enhancements—from improved Narrator to streamlined Voice Access—reflects a sustained commitment Microsoft has demonstrated over the last few releases.

What to Do Now

  • Try it on a secondary device first: KB5077239 is optional; navigate to Settings > Windows Update and select “Check for updates,” then choose to download and install the preview. Because many features roll out to subsets of devices, you might not see everything immediately.
  • Musicians: Download the MIDI App SDK and Tools from the Windows MIDI Services landing page or GitHub. Test on a non-critical machine. Do not adopt unsigned tools in production sessions.
  • Admins: Set up a test ring, validate biometric readers and keyboard backlight drivers, and revisit Copilot sharing governance before broader rollout.
  • Developers: Familiarize yourself with the MIDI app SDK and the new Explorer context menu behavior.

Outlook

Watch for Microsoft to sign the MIDI SDK and tools and possibly ship them via the Microsoft Store or a signed installer. That step will be key for wider adoption in studios and enterprises. Expect cross-device resume to gradually expand to more OEMs and app partners, with the eventual goal of rich state handoff. For IT, keep an eye on Copilot Vision governance; Microsoft may refine admin controls as the sharing feature reaches more users. Lastly, because many of KB5077239’s features are in staged rollout, the exact set of visible changes may shift before the update arrives in the production channel.