Microsoft Releases April 2026 Patch Tuesday Updates

Microsoft has just released the April 2026 Patch Tuesday updates for all supported versions of Windows 11, and there are several new features that will roll out gradually to all users running the versions 25H2 and 24H2 of the OS. Today’s updates follow the release of two emergency patches in March to address Microsoft account sign-in issues in apps, as well as an installation error related to the March 2026 optional update.

Here are the main changes included in the KB5083769 update for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2:

Narrator improvements: The accessibility feature now offers rich image descriptions on all Windows 11 PCs. Users can either press Narrator key + Ctrl + D to get a description of the focused image, or Narrator key + Ctrl + S to get a description of the full screen.

Smart App Control improvements: It’s now possible to toggle Smart App Control on and off without reinstalling the OS.

File Explorer improvements: Users can now use Voice Typing (Windows logo key + H) to rename a file in File Explorer. There’s also a new option to sort the permissions entries in the Advanced Security Settings window for a folder in File Explorer by Principal.

Display improvements: Windows 11 now supports refresh rates higher than 1000 Hz. Monitors connected via a native USB4 connection can also enter their lowest power level while the PC is sleeping to help save battery life.

New Pen settings: The new “Same as Copilot key” option on the Pen Settings page allows users to configure the pen tail button to open the same app as the Copilot key.

Windows Recovery Environment improvements: x64 apps on ARM64 devices should now run more smoothly when using Windows RE.

Remote Desktop security improvements: This update improves protection against phishing attacks that use Remote Desktop (.rdp) files by showing all requested connection settings before proceeding.

On the security front, today’s Patch Tuesday updates fix 163 vulnerabilities in Windows and other components, making it the second-largest monthly release in Microsoft’s history, according to the experts at the Zero Day Initiative. There’s a fix for a SharePoint Server spoofing vulnerability that’s already being exploited by attackers. Microsoft also addressed eight bugs rated as Critical in severity, and that includes the Remote Desktop Client Remote Code Execution vulnerability I mentioned above.