Insider Preview
The latest Insider Preview coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Windows 11 Xbox Full Screen Experience Turns Your PC Into a Console
Microsoft has quietly given Windows 11 a console-like persona: the new Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) transforms supported PCs into a controller-first, distraction-free gaming shell that boots...
Smart App Control no longer requires Windows 11 reinstall to toggle on or off
Microsoft has quietly implemented a significant change to Windows 11's Smart App Control (SAC) security feature, removing the long-standing requirement for a clean installation to enable or disable...
Xbox Full Screen Experience Transforms Windows 11 Handhelds into Console-Like Devices
Microsoft has quietly introduced a game-changing feature for Windows 11 handheld gaming devices that could fundamentally reshape how users interact with their portable gaming PCs. The Xbox Full...
Microsoft Pulls AI Actions from File Explorer Menu After User Backlash
Microsoft has quietly reversed course on one of its most controversial Windows 11 AI integrations, removing the AI Actions section from File Explorer's right-click context menu in the latest Insider...
Windows 11 Insider Build 26220.7344 Bakes AI Agent Framework Directly into OS
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7344 to both the Dev and Beta channels, marking a significant step forward in the integration of AI capabilities directly into the...
Windows 11 Insider Preview Adds Central Update Hub for All Apps
Microsoft has begun previewing a significant architectural change to how applications are updated on Windows 11 with the introduction of the Update Orchestrator Platform (UOP), a system-level service...
Windows 11 Build 26220: MCP, MIDI Services & QMR Explained
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7344 (KB5070316) to both the Dev and Beta channels, marking a significant milestone as the first matched 25H2 preview across these...
Windows 11 Modern Run Dialog Preview: Fluent Design Overlay Brings Major Update
After more than three decades of near-identical presentation, the Run dialog in Windows has finally been given a visual and functional refresh in recent Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. This...
Windows 11 Run Dialog Gets Fluent UI Overhaul: First Major Redesign in 30 Years
Microsoft has quietly rolled out the first substantial visual overhaul to the Windows Run dialog in three decades, replacing the stark Win32 modal with a modern Fluent Design interface in the latest...
Microsoft quietly tests Fluent Run dialog overlay in Windows 11 Insider Dev builds
Microsoft is quietly testing a modernized Run dialog (Win+R) in Windows 11 that replaces the decades-old compact prompt with a roomier, Fluent-styled overlay that surfaces recent commands, shows app...
Windows 11 Run Dialog Modernization: Fluent UI Refresh & Power User Features
Microsoft is quietly modernizing one of Windows' most enduring power-user tools: the Run dialog (Win+R) is receiving a Fluent-style visual refresh and a handful of functional tweaks in recent Insider...
Windows 11 Insider Explorer Preload: Faster Launch Times vs. RAM Trade-Offs
Microsoft's latest Windows 11 Insider Preview experiment has introduced a background preloading mechanism for File Explorer, promising to make the operating system's most-used interface feel...