Insider Preview
The latest Insider Preview coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Windows 11 26H2 Hits the Experimental Channel as Microsoft Arms IT With Governance Tools
Microsoft officially dropped Windows 11 version 26H2 into the Windows Insider Experimental channel on June 19, 2026, alongside fresh Beta and Experimental builds. The release arrives not as a full...
Windows 11’s Media Player Ramps Up RAM Usage to 377MB—and Still Lacks Essential Codecs
Third-party testing has revealed that Microsoft’s modern Windows 11 Media Player idles at nearly 377 MB of RAM—over triple the 103 MB consumed by the legacy Windows Media Player under identical...
Windows 11 Build 26220.8680 Silences Widgets: No More Hover, Badges, or Pushy Alerts by Default
Microsoft dropped Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8680 to the Beta Channel on a Tuesday in June 2026, and for once, the headline feature isn’t a flashy new addition—it’s a quiet retreat....
Windows 11 Insider Preview Adds Typo-Tolerant App Search, Refined Settings Results, and Taskbar Tray Fixes
Microsoft is testing a new typo-tolerant search feature in Windows 11 Insider previews, allowing users to find installed apps from the Start menu or taskbar even when they misspell the name. This...
Microsoft Tunes Windows 11 for Speed: Experimental Build 28120.2302 Delivers Snappier Start, Search, and Notifications
Microsoft shipped Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 28120.2302 on June 12, 2026, to testers enrolled in the Experimental channel. There are no flashy new features or redesigned interfaces...
Microsoft Tests Unified Windows 11 Update to Slash Monthly Restarts to One in Insider Build 26300.8687
Microsoft is experimenting with a radical overhaul of the Windows Update experience that could cut the number of monthly system restarts down to a single event for many users. The change, spotted in...
Windows 11 24H2/25H2 Release Preview adds point-in-time recovery and smarter update pause
Microsoft pushed out Windows 11 Insider Release Preview builds 26100.8728 and 26200.8728 to testers on June 12, 2026, delivering a suite of recovery and update management features that promise to...
Insiders get reorderable File Explorer tabs, unified updates, and faster search in Build 26300.8687
Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8687 to the Experimental channel on June 12, 2026, delivering a trio of long-awaited improvements. File Explorer tabs get a much-needed...
Hidden Windows 11 Settings Page Lets You Uninstall Local AI Model Phi Silica
Microsoft is secretly testing a new Settings page in Windows 11 Insider Preview build 26300.8553 that exposes all installed local AI models, displays their technical details, and allows users to...
Windows 11’s Run Dialog Gets Its First Major Redesign Since Windows 95 in Build 26300.8346
Microsoft has begun testing a completely revamped Run dialog in Windows 11, delivering the first significant visual overhaul to the Win+R utility since its debut in Windows 95. The experimental...
Snapdragon X2 Gets Exclusive Windows 11 26H1 Build 28100 with AI Scheduler Tweaks
On June 8, 2026, Microsoft released not one but two Windows 11 Insider Preview builds in a single day. This isn't just another routine flight; it's a deliberate cleaving of the 26H1 development cycle...
Windows 11 Search Testing Native Toggle to Remove Bing and Store Results
Microsoft is reportedly preparing a long-awaited search toggle for Windows 11 that would allow users to disable Bing web results and Microsoft Store suggestions directly from the Settings app. The...