Some headlines have described this as "improved facial recognition," which needs a qualifier. Microsoft's November 6 notes include two separate Windows Hello changes, and they are in different channels. The details are below.
The build at a glance
Microsoft released several builds on the same day. Beta gets build 26320.9876 and Experimental gets build 26340.9882, with additional builds for Beta 26H1 (28020.3445), Experimental 26H1 (28120.3454), and Experimental Future Platforms (29704.1000).
The version number goes up, but that doesn't mean a big set of new features on its own. Microsoft is moving testing to the recently released version 26H2 from 25H2 with an increase in build numbering to 26320 from 26220. According to Microsoft's release notes, the jump comes through an enablement package (eKB), and the company says the higher build number alone shouldn't bring any significant change. Digital Trends made the same point: Microsoft says the version change alone doesn't bring anything significant.
| Channel | Build | What's relevant here |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 26320.9876 | New WinUI 3 Search; Hello brightness option |
| Experimental | 26340.9882 | Hello PIN-without-waiting change; new sign-in event logging |
| Experimental (26H1) | 28120.3454 | Hello brightness option, per Microsoft's notes |
| Beta (26H1) | 28020.3445 | New Search and other improvements, per Neowin |
Section summary: Beta testers are now on 26H2, delivered by enablement package. The features that matter here are in the release notes, not in the version number.
Windows Search, rebuilt on WinUI 3
This is the main change in the Beta build. The headline feature is a new Windows Search built on WinUI 3, rolling out gradually. Microsoft calls it faster and more efficient, with better matching for typos and synonyms. Inline actions let you turn on dark mode or Bluetooth, adjust brightness, mute your device, or arrange windows from the results. English is the only supported language for now.
The more interesting idea is "inline actions." Search has always been a list of links to other places. Now it can do some tasks itself. If you type "turn on Bluetooth," Search can switch Bluetooth on without sending you to Settings. In its October 7 Insider Blog post introducing the feature, Microsoft suggested phrases such as "switch to dark mode," "turn on night light," "dim my screen," "mute," "minimize all my windows" and "arrange windows on screen."
The October post also explained the layout change. Microsoft said its data showed nearly all clicks in the current Search come from the results list on the left, not the large preview pane on the right. So the new design puts everything in a single list that's easier to scan. Microsoft also said early testing showed substantial improvements in performance and memory use. That claim comes from Microsoft and hasn't been independently measured yet.
What's not in this build yet
Microsoft's October post separated what was shipping from what was planned:
- Inline previews and richer file details were described as coming later.
- Phone actions through a Phone Link-connected device were described as "coming soon." Italy's Punto Informatico confirmed that this build still lacks actions on Android smartphones through Phone Link (translated from Italian).
- Start menu search keeps the old experience for now. Microsoft said it plans to bring the new Search to Start and adapt it to different taskbar positions and Windows configurations next year.
So if you search from Start and still see the old interface, your PC isn't broken. That's how Microsoft says the preview works for now.
Why you might not see it yet
The new Search is a gradual rollout, so installing Build 26320.9876 doesn't guarantee you'll get it right away. When Microsoft first released the feature to Experimental-channel users in October, it gave a way to turn it on early: Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags. That earlier guide applied to builds 26340.9616 (Experimental) and 28120.3181 (Experimental 26H1). You had to click Check for updates and restart before the "New Windows Search Experience" flag appeared. Microsoft hasn't said those steps apply to the Beta build, so check whether the flag shows up on your device before you rely on it.
To confirm which build you're on, run winver. If you get the new experience, Microsoft asks for feedback in Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Desktop Environment > Search.
Section summary: The new Search is faster by Microsoft's own account, works better with typos, and can perform some system tasks directly. For now it's English-only, it isn't used for Start menu searches, and it reaches Beta PCs gradually.
Windows Hello: two changes in two channels
Beta: screen brightening for face sign-in in dim light
This one is in the Beta build. Windows Hello facial recognition can temporarily brighten your screen to help you sign in when you're in a dark or dimly lit room. It's off until you turn it on:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Expand Facial recognition (Windows Hello).
- Turn on Automatically adjust screen brightness during face recognition.
Microsoft's notes also list this option for Experimental (26H1) build 28120.3454. If you sign in late at night with a dim screen and Hello keeps failing, this setting is meant for you. If a sudden flash of full brightness at 2 a.m. bothers you more, leave it off.
Experimental only: enter your PIN without waiting for biometrics
The second change is easy to confuse with the first, but it isn't in the Beta build. Microsoft's announcement says you no longer have to wait for face or fingerprint recognition to finish before entering your PIN. Use whichever method works first. At certain times, such as after a restart, you'll need your PIN first. After that, biometrics work as usual. Microsoft labels this "Release channel: Experimental," and it comes in build 26340.9882.
This fixes a long-standing irritation. Windows Latest tested it on a Lenovo laptop with an IR camera and reported that, before the update, Windows Hello face recognition hid the PIN box behind Sign-in options. That's the old routine: wait for the scan to fail, click Sign-in options, then pick PIN.
A gift for IT admins (Experimental build)
According to Microsoft's release notes for Experimental build 26340.9882, the same build adds new Windows Hello audit events:
- Event 4628 in Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Security records which Windows Hello methods a user has set up and which one they used to sign in.
- Event 4629 records failed Windows Hello sign-in attempts.
- Both use the existing Audit Logon policy.
- For troubleshooting, events 5010 and 7010 under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > HelloForBusiness > Operational record each sign-in and unlock, along with the result.
Admins who have had to guess which method users actually sign in with will now be able to see it in the logs. Remember, though, that this is Experimental-channel material. Don't build Beta-fleet reporting on events these builds may not produce.
Section summary: The brightness option is in Beta. Using your PIN without waiting and the new audit events are Experimental-only, so check your channel before expecting either.
The rest of the Beta changelog
Search and Hello got the headlines, but Microsoft's notes for Build 26320.9876 include more:
- Web sign-in for hybrid-joined PCs: Web sign-in now works on Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, not just Entra joined devices. Users can sign in at the lock screen with a FIDO2 security key, a passkey on their phone or a Temporary Access Pass. Windows then gets a Kerberos ticket, so on-premises file shares keep working. For enterprise IT, this may be the most useful item in the build.
- Live captions: You can now caption system audio, your microphone or both.
- XBOX mode: Quick settings are coming to the Gaming Task View navigation bar.
- Sticky Keys and Filter Keys prompts: These now make it easier to stop the prompts permanently.
- Microsoft 365 Family storage: Shared storage usage now appears in Settings > Accounts > Cloud storage. Timing depends on when the subscription was bought: people who subscribed before October 8, 2026 get it after their first renewal on or after May 2, 2027.
- File Explorer: The address bar now accepts
~as a shortcut to your user profile folder, as in~\AppData. Anyone who uses PowerShell or Linux will recognize it.
Analysis: a useful build, with the usual preview caveats
The direction is good. Windows Search has long had a reputation for being slow, full of web results and tied to Bing. Microsoft's July work to reduce clutter and remove promotional web content, followed by this WinUI 3 rebuild, suggests it's paying attention. Inline actions are also a sensible step: Search should handle a simple command like "turn on Bluetooth" itself instead of sending you into Settings.
There are still reasons for caution. The performance gains are so far only Microsoft's claim. The feature is English-only. Start menu search still uses the old code. Microsoft's October post also mentions "thoughtful integrations with experiences like Copilot," so it's fair to wonder whether a quick, simple search box will stay that way. Microsoft's own warning applies too: preview features can change, be removed or never ship outside the Insider Program.
What to do:
- Beta Insiders: Install the update, turn on the Hello brightness toggle if you sign in in dim light, and try a few action phrases in Search. Don't worry if Search hasn't changed yet; the rollout is gradual.
- IT admins: Test hybrid web sign-in in a lab before anything else. Watch the Experimental channel for the Hello audit events.
- Everyone else: Nothing here is coming to stable Windows 11 PCs yet. These features are still being tested.