insider preview

Microsoft released several Windows 11 Insider Preview builds on June 8, 2026, splitting Windows 11 26H1 testing into a new Beta branch in the 28000 build series and a separate Experimental branch in the 28100 series. The move looks procedural, but it is more than bookkeeping. Microsoft is...

Microsoft is preparing a Windows 11 Search option that would let users disable Bing-powered web results and Microsoft Store suggestions directly, with testing reportedly beginning for Windows Insiders in the coming weeks after years of registry workarounds. The change is small in interface terms...

Microsoft began testing a quieter Windows 11 Widgets experience on May 1, 2026, in Insider preview builds, changing the board so it opens first to user-selected widgets instead of the MSN-powered Discover feed while disabling hover launch, taskbar badging, and some alerts by default. The...

Microsoft’s Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview build 26300.8553, reported on June 3, 2026, includes a hidden Settings page for managing local AI components on Copilot+ PCs, showing model details and offering limited uninstall support for Phi Silica. The feature is not yet officially...

Microsoft is testing a Windows 11 taskbar setting that lets users place the taskbar at the bottom, top, left, or right of the screen, with the option appearing in Settings under Personalization, Taskbar, and Taskbar behaviors in preview builds in May and June 2026. The change looks small because...

Microsoft added a new Windows 11 Screen tint accessibility setting in Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8497, released May 22, 2026, letting testers apply a customizable color overlay across the entire display from Settings > Accessibility > Vision. It is not yet a mainstream Windows 11...

Microsoft began testing movable Windows 11 taskbar positions on May 15, 2026, in Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8493, letting testers place the taskbar on the bottom, top, left, or right edge of the screen through Settings. It is a small setting with a large symbolic load: Windows 11...

Microsoft has published fresh Windows 11 Insider Preview ISO files for recent preview builds, giving registered Windows Insiders a cleaner path to install or test the latest Beta and Experimental channel releases without waiting for Windows Update. The move is routine on paper, but it matters...

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 to the Experimental channel on May 29, 2026, adding new Start menu controls that let testers hide or show major sections, pick small or large sizing, and conceal account identity details. The change is not a reinvention of Start so...

Microsoft has begun testing a redesigned Windows 11 Start menu in Insider preview builds released in late May 2026, giving users section-level controls for Pinned apps, the renamed Recent area, and the All apps list, while also previewing a broader cleanup of legacy interface elements. The...

Microsoft began rolling out Windows 11 Search improvements in late May 2026, with optional update KB5089573 letting regular PCs find and prioritize files from as few as two characters, while Insider builds 26300.8553 and 26220.8544 add substring matching for compound file names. The short...

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 on May 29, 2026, adding new Start menu customization controls in the Experimental channel, including section toggles, size presets, a renamed Recent area, and an option to hide the user name from the menu. The headline is not that...

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8553 on May 29, 2026, giving testers new Start menu controls to resize the menu, hide or show Pinned, Recent, and All Apps sections, and remove the account name from the Start surface. The change is not a revolution, but it...

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8553 on May 29, 2026, adding Start menu size presets, section visibility controls, a renamed Recent area, and options to hide account identity from the menu. The move is small in code terms but large in Windows-politics...

Microsoft’s last full week of May 2026 turned into a preview of where the Windows PC is headed: Windows 11 received an optional update with performance and device-sharing changes, Insiders saw a redesigned Start menu move forward, Qualcomm pushed Arm laptops toward the $300 tier, and Microsoft...

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 to the Experimental Channel on May 29, 2026, adding a more modular Start menu that can hide or show individual sections, switch between small and large layouts, and remove the visible account name and profile image. The update is not...

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8497 to the Experimental channel on May 22, 2026, adding screen tint, plug-and-play HID Braille display support, Voice Access voice isolation, Magnifier changes, Windows Ready Print controls, and reliability fixes for testers on the 25H2...

Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview builds on May 22, 2026, adding a Screen Tint accessibility setting in the Experimental channel alongside improved HID braille display support, Magnifier changes, Voice Access voice isolation, and related fixes across Beta and Experimental builds. The...

Microsoft is testing a Windows 11 Search change in Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8493 that should make local apps and files appear ahead of Bing-powered web suggestions when they are the better match for what the user typed. The fix sounds small because the failure is small: a click...

Microsoft began testing movable and smaller Windows 11 taskbars on May 15, 2026, in Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8493, restoring the ability to place the taskbar on the top, left, right, or bottom of the screen. The change is small only if you have never watched a power user lose a...