The build also moves Beta testers to Windows 11 version 26H2. As Neowin reported, the company is moving testing to the recently released version 26H2 from 25H2 with an increase in build numbering to 26320 from 26220.
Digital Trends put the build in context: Microsoft has spent much of 2026 fixing long-standing Windows 11 complaints, from a customizable right-click menu to recovery that no longer needs a USB drive. This release continues that work.
The 26H2 version change: what it does and doesn't do
The version number sounds like a big deal, but it isn't. Notebookcheck summarized Microsoft's own note: the jump to 26H2 arrives through an enablement package, so Microsoft says the higher build number should not bring significant changes by itself.
An enablement package (eKB) is a small update. It switches on a new version label and features that are already on the device. It doesn't reinstall the operating system. NTCompatible described it as Microsoft's clean way of saying the underlying system stays mostly intact while a small unlock grants the new version's identity.
For Beta Insiders, the version bump itself is routine. The real changes are the features below.
Section summary: The Beta channel is now on 26H2, Build 26320.9876, delivered by enablement package. The new features are documented separately from the version change.
Windows Search rebuilt on WinUI 3
Search is the main feature in this build. Windows Report wrote that Microsoft is rebuilding it with WinUI 3, promising faster performance and a cleaner interface. Users can now perform certain actions directly from search results.
Inline actions: from finding to doing
The new inline actions let you complete common tasks from the Search box instead of opening Settings or Quick Settings. According to Notebookcheck, inline actions let you turn on dark mode or Bluetooth, adjust brightness, mute your device, or arrange windows from the results.
Microsoft's October 7 Windows Insider blog post, which first introduced the WinUI 3 Search in the Experimental channel, suggested phrases to try:
- Toggles: "switch to dark mode," "turn on night light," or "turn on Bluetooth"
- Quick adjustments: "dim my screen" or "mute"
- Workspace management: "minimize all my windows" or "arrange windows on screen"
Those examples come from the earlier Experimental preview. The November 6 Beta release notes specifically list dark mode, Bluetooth, brightness, mute and window arrangement. Night light and minimize-all may behave the same way, but don't assume every phrase from the October post works on your Beta machine yet.
Better tolerance for typos
Search is also getting better at handling sloppy typing. Search is also getting better at understanding typos and synonyms. However, English is the only supported language during this initial rollout. Microsoft's release notes add that the matching will keep being tuned over the coming weeks, so results may improve during the preview.
A single results list
The October blog post explains the design change. Microsoft said its data showed nearly all clicks came from the results list on the left, not the large preview pane on the right. So the new design combines results into one list. The company also said early testing showed large gains in performance and memory use. Those are Microsoft's own claims; neither post includes independent benchmarks.
What's not in this build yet
The October post also laid out a roadmap: inline file previews, richer web answers (weather, quick facts), category filters, phone actions through Phone Link, and eventually the new Search in the Start menu. Microsoft said searching from Start would keep the old experience during the initial previews. None of those later items is promised for Build 26320.9876. If you search from Start and see the old interface, nothing is broken. That's how Microsoft says it should work for now.
Why you might not see it
The release notes say the new Search is "beginning to roll out." That's Microsoft's usual phrase for a gradual, controlled rollout. Two Beta PCs on the same build can show different interfaces. The October post described turning on a "New Windows Search Experience" feature flag under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags, but those steps were written for specific Experimental builds (26340.9616 and 28120.3181). Microsoft hasn't confirmed that the same toggle appears on every Beta device.
Section summary: Search gets a WinUI 3 rebuild, inline actions for common settings, and better typo and synonym matching, in English only. The rollout is gradual, and Start-menu search still uses the old experience.
Windows Hello: brighter screen for face sign-in in the dark
The second headline feature fixes a familiar problem. Your laptop is in a dark bedroom, the screen is dim, and the face-recognition camera can't see you. Per Notebookcheck, Windows Hello facial recognition can brighten the screen in dim rooms. Enable it under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Facial recognition (Windows Hello).
How to turn it on, per Microsoft's release notes:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Expand Facial recognition (Windows Hello).
- Turn on Automatically adjust screen brightness during face recognition.
If it works: in a dark room, the screen briefly gets brighter while Windows Hello scans your face, then goes back to normal.
If you don't see the toggle: check that you're on Build 26320.9876 (run winver) and that facial recognition is already set up. The option sits inside the facial recognition settings, so PCs without a Windows Hello–compatible camera won't show it.
To be clear about what this feature does: it uses your screen as a light source. Microsoft doesn't claim better recognition algorithms or camera upgrades. Calling it "improved facial recognition" fits for sign-in in the dark. It doesn't mean the biometrics themselves changed.
A separate Windows Hello change also appeared on November 6, but in the Experimental channel, not Beta. Microsoft's Insider blog said Experimental testers can now use face, fingerprint or PIN, whichever works first, without waiting for biometrics to time out. Beta users shouldn't expect that one in this build.
Section summary: A new opt-in setting brightens the screen during face sign-in in low light. The "whichever works first" sign-in change is Experimental-only.
Live captions, Xbox mode, and other changes
The Digital Trends headline focused on Search and Hello, but the build includes several other changes:
- Live captions audio source: Before, captions used system audio with an option to add the microphone. Now you can choose system audio, microphone, or both. That means you can caption an in-person conversation without picking up a YouTube video, or caption only your PC audio during a meeting.
- Quick Settings in Xbox mode: Microsoft says Quick Settings is "coming to" the Gaming Task View navigation bar in Xbox mode. It gives you the full taskbar Quick Settings panel without leaving the full-screen gaming interface. "Coming to" suggests it may not be enabled for every tester yet.
- File Explorer
~shortcut: The address bar now accepts~as a shortcut to your user profile folder. Typing~\AppDatatakes you straight there. Anyone who uses PowerShell or a Linux terminal will recognize it. - Sticky Keys and Filter Keys prompts: You can now permanently dismiss these dialogs from the prompt itself. That's welcome news for anyone who has hit Shift five times mid-game.
- Microsoft 365 Family storage in Settings: Settings > Accounts > Cloud storage now shows shared storage use across a Family subscription, with a per-member breakdown coming later. Microsoft says subscriptions bought after October 8, 2026 get the view now. Older subscriptions get it after their first renewal on or after May 2, 2027.
For IT admins: web sign-in on hybrid-joined devices
This change got little attention in consumer coverage, but it matters to enterprise admins. Neowin noted the build brings several improvements including those to the Search, web sign-in, Settings, Windows Hello, and more.
According to Microsoft's release notes, Windows web sign-in now works on Microsoft Entra hybrid-joined devices. Before, it only worked on fully Entra-joined machines. Users can sign in at the lock screen without a password, using a FIDO2 security key, a passkey on their phone, or a Temporary Access Pass (TAP). After sign-in, Windows gets a Kerberos ticket, so on-premises file shares and internal sites keep working.
Many organizations still run hybrid identity, with Active Directory on-premises and Entra in the cloud. Hybrid devices have been one of the biggest obstacles to passwordless sign-in at the lock screen. Temporary Access Pass support is especially useful for onboarding staff or recovering accounts after someone loses their authenticator. This is still a preview, so test it in a lab or a small pilot group before planning any rollout around it.
When will this reach regular Windows 11 users?
Microsoft hasn't given a date. Its standard Insider disclaimer applies: features in these builds may change, be removed, or never ship outside the Insider program. Notebookcheck noted that Stephen Lines announced it on the Windows Insider Blog, and the full beta changelog sits on Microsoft Learn, but neither post sets a public release date.
What it means for you
- Beta Insiders: Update, and check the Windows Hello brightness toggle now. That one is a standard opt-in setting, not a gradual rollout. If you don't have the new Search yet, wait. It's arriving gradually.
- Non-English users: The Search improvements are English-only for now.
- IT admins: Hybrid web sign-in is the change to test. Search behavior also differs between the taskbar and Start during the preview, so keep that in mind for user documentation.
- Everyone else: These features are in preview with no release date.
Bottom line: This build won't overhaul Windows, but it improves something you use dozens of times a day. Search that handles typos and can switch on Bluetooth for you is a practical upgrade. Whether Microsoft ships it broadly, and in more languages, is still an open question.