Microsoft Issues Several Windows Insider Preview Builds

It had been a slow start to 2026 for the Windows Insider Program, but that changed today with the release of several new builds across the Dev, Beta, and Release Preview channels. The biggest news? The Dev channel is moving ahead to a new series of builds as I speculated a few weeks back.

Here’s what’s new.

Dev channel

The Dev and Beta channels are indeed splitting, with the Dev channel moving forward to the 26300 series builds (as opposed to 26200 series/25H2 for Beta). This is not the same as the 28000 builds that the Canary channel is now testing, and Microsoft doesn’t say this, but this must be 26H1 as well. (For now, Microsoft claims this is somehow still 25H2.)

If you are on the Dev channel and install today’s build, KB5074170, the window to switch to the Beta channel will close and your PC will be upgraded to Windows 11 version 25H2 build 26300.7674.

The 26300 builds in Dev will have most of the same features and changes. That said, today’s build has fixes only and no new features.

Beta channel

Those with a PC enrolled in the Beta channel will get cumulative update KB5074169, which will upgrade Windows 11 version 25H2 to build 26220.7670. As with the Dev build, there are only fixes and no new features.

Release Preview

Microsoft also issued one Release Preview build today, but it applies to both 25H2 and 24H2, and it provides each with the same new features and other changes.

KB5074105 will update Windows 11 version 24H2 to build 26100.7701, and it will update Windows 11 version 25H2 to build 26200.7701. New features and other changes include:

Agent in Settings improvements (Copilot+ PC only). Agent in Settings now supports German, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Italian, and Chinese (Simplified).

Cross-device resume improvements. Cross-device resume lets you start certain activities—including resuming Spotify playback, working in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, and continuing a web browsing session—on your Android phone and then complete them on your PC. This update brings two improvements. Users with a Vivo phone users can continue browsing from Vivo Browser on their PC. And those with an HONOR, OPPO, Samsung, Vivo, or Xiaomi phone can resume working with online Microsoft 365 files that you opened in the Microsoft Copilot app on your phone; files will open in the corresponding Microsoft 365 app on your PC if it is installed or in your default web browser.

Windows MIDI improvements. This update adds enhanced support for MIDI 0 and MIDI 2.0, including full WinMM and WinRT MIDI 1.0 support with built‑in translation, shared MIDI ports across apps, custom port names, loopback and app‑to‑app MIDI, plus performance improvements and bug fixes.

Narrator improvements. You can configure Narrator to choose which details are spoken and adjust their order to match how you navigate apps.

Settings improvements. A new Devices card on the Settings page displays your PC’s key specifications and usage details. This requires a Microsoft account.

Smart App Control improvements. You can now toggle Smart App Control on and off on the fly.

Voice Access improvements. A redesigned set experience helps you download a speech model for your chosen language, select your preferred input microphone, and learn what Voice Access can help you do on your Windows PC.

Voice Typing improvements. A new Wait time before acting setting lets you adjust the delay before a voice command runs to help improve accuracy.

Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-In Security (ESS) improvements. You can now use supported external fingerprint readers and retain Windows Hello ESS compatibility and security.