Windows 11 Canary Build 28020.1495 Brings WebP Wallpapers and Fixes

Today’s Canary-channel flight from Microsoft delivers a compact but practical update: Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1495 (KB 5074168) ships with a handful of fixes, a continuation of recent desktop background improvements (notably .webp wallpaper support), and a single noteworthy known issue affecting File Explorer windows and tabs. The release is light on headline features but important for Insiders tracking platform stability and desktop UX polish in the Canary Channel.

Background / Overview​

The Canary Channel is Microsoft’s earliest preview lane for Windows 11, intended for rapid experimentation with platform-level changes that may be long‑lead or never ship to production. Unlike Dev or Beta, Canary builds are allowed to be more volatile; they’re often used to validate kernel-level changes, driver behavior, and new plumbing that may later propagate across other channels.
Build 28020.1495 continues that posture. The official announcement from the Windows Insider team identifies the release by build number and servicing KB (KB 5074168), and lists a short set of fixes and a single open known issue. I verified the release notes against Microsoft’s Windows Insider blog post and cross-checked the most notable user-facing change — native WebP wallpaper support — with independent coverage from mainstream Windows outlets and community forums to confirm the change is surfacing across channels and platforms.
To set expectations: releases to Canary are often incremental and sometimes undocumented beyond the release note. Microsoft still uses Control Feature Rollout to gate features, so what you see may differ by device, account, or server-side toggles. Because of that, this build is best read as a maintenance flight with a UI nicety carried forward from earlier Insider work rather than a major functional milestone.

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What shipped in Build 28020.1495​

Quick summary of the headline items​

• Release: Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1495 for the Canary Channel (KB 5074168).
• Most visible user change called out: .webp images can be used as desktop backgrounds (surfaceable via Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background).
• Several stability and UX fixes across Start, Input, Power, Settings, and an obscure kernel bug tied to some smart card readers.
• Known issue: an underlying File Explorer problem that can make windows and tabs jump to Desktop or Home unexpectedly.

WebP wallpaper support (what changed and why it matters)​

Microsoft’s release notes state that recent Canary builds now support setting .webp images for desktop backgrounds via Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background. This is a small but practical modernization of the personalization path: WebP is a modern raster image format widely used on the web because it offers better compression at similar visual quality compared to JPEG and PNG.
Why this matters:

• WebP reduces the friction of using web-sourced wallpapers. Users who save wallpapers from the web no longer need to convert files to JPG or PNG before applying them.
• Lower file sizes for high-resolution images can reduce disk and sync footprints for wallpaper galleries and theme packs.
• Theme creators and IT teams distributing branded wallpapers gain the convenience of deploying a single WebP asset rather than multiple legacy formats.

I confirmed the WebP wallpaper note directly from the official Windows Insider announcement and corroborated the change in independent coverage and community threads that tracked the feature as it rolled through Insider channels. Coverage shows the feature was visible across recent Insider builds and is being enabled gradually rather than all at once.

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Fixes and improvements in this build​

Microsoft describes this build as a small package of general improvements with several targeted fixes. The main fixes include:

• General
• The desktop watermark (lower-right corner of the desktop) should now display the correct build number. This fixes a cosmetic but common annoyance for Insiders who check winver or rely on the watermark for quick identification of flighted builds.
• Start menu
• Fixed a problem where the edge of the shutdown-warning dialog (shown when other users are signed in) could be truncated by the Start menu edge. This was a visual clipping/regression in the shell UX.
• Input
• Resolved an issue that could produce a noticeable black flash when using a pen to ink inside Snipping Tool. For stylus users and tablet surfaces, that improves the inking transition experience and reduces flicker.
• Power
• Fixed a bug in recent Canary builds that caused shutdown to appear to restart on some devices. This is likely a UX/boot-state reflection issue rather than a full hardware reboot loop, but it’s good to see it addressed given how discouraging perceived restart loops can be for testers.
• Settings
• Fixed an issue causing the Windows Update settings page to hang when loading.
• Resolved a problem where language features under Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region for English — Australia would not download when the button was clicked. That’s a targeted localization/servicing bug fix for a specific locale.
• Other
• Fixed a bug that resulted in a small number of Insiders encountering bugchecks with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL tied to some smart card readers. Kernel-level bugchecks of this type are serious and often driver- or hardware-interaction related; the fix suggests Microsoft identified and corrected a scenario that triggered a high‑IRQL memory access path.

Each of these fixes is small in isolation, but together they reflect ongoing housekeeping work that matters to day-to-day Insider experience. I validated the presence and wording of these fixes against the official release note, and cross-checked the kernel/smart-card bugcheck mention with community reporting that saw similar IRQL issues in prior Canary/Dev builds.

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Known issues: File Explorer windows and tabs jumping​

The single documented known issue in this flight is new: some open File Explorer windows and tabs may unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home within File Explorer. Microsoft lists this as a new known issue they’re working on.
What that looks like in practice:

• You have multiple File Explorer windows or tab groups open. When switching between windows or performing certain actions, Explorer may re-focus or re-navigate an open window to Desktop (the Desktop folder view) or the Home location — effectively losing your previous folder context.
• Because it affects both windows and tabs, the disruption can be more visible for heavy file managers, power users, and developers who keep many folders open.

Why this matters:

• This issue impacts productivity: losing the current folder context interrupts workflows that rely on multiple Explorer windows or persistent tabs.
• It’s not a data-loss problem, but it’s a nuisance and can be a showstopper for testers who use Explorer heavily.

My verification found the issue explicitly mentioned in the Microsoft announcement; community posts in Insider forums and threads about recent Canary and Dev builds previously highlighted other Explorer regressions, so this fits a pattern of Explorer corner-cases that sometimes surface early in Canary.

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Critical analysis — strengths and risks​

Strengths: small, meaningful UX polish​

• The addition of WebP wallpaper support is a pragmatic, user-visible improvement. It modernizes the Settings personalization picker and aligns Windows with web-first image practices.
• The fixes address a mix of cosmetic and functional problems: from clipping dialogs to inking flicker, each fix improves the daily feel of the OS for testers.
• The smart card bugcheck fix is particularly important for affected users and enterprise scenarios where smart-card authentication is used. Eliminating an IRQL bugcheck improves platform robustness.

Risks and cautions: Canary’s instability and regression potential​

• Canary builds are inherently experimental. Even this small release includes a new File Explorer regression, underscoring that fixes in Canary can introduce other problems. Insiders should be prepared for instability.
• The smart card bugfix suggests a previous regression may have been device/driver specific. That implies other device-specific regressions could exist in the stack, particularly with third-party drivers (storage, NICs, GPU).
• The note that some features are gradually rolled out using feature-gating means your mileage will vary. Insiders may see inconsistent behavior across devices (e.g., WebP wallpapers visible on one machine, not another).
• To leave the Canary Channel, Microsoft still requires a clean install of Windows 11. That’s an operational risk for testers who need to revert to Beta or Retail channels without re-installing.

For enterprise and IT admins​

• This build is not meant for production. Even small fixes can interact unpredictably with corporate images, group policy settings, or managed drivers.
• The referenced smart-card bugchecks could be particularly concerning in environments that use physical authentication tokens. Admins should avoid exposing business-critical test environments to Canary unless they’re explicitly performing driver/hardware validation.

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How I verified the release and what I checked​

I cross-checked the release note verbatim against Microsoft’s Windows Insider blog entry for January 28, 2026. To validate the WebP wallpaper claim and put it into historical context, I compared Microsoft’s note with reporting from major Windows-focused outlets and active Insider community forums that tracked WebP wallpaper support as it moved through earlier Insider builds. For the IRQL bug and Explorer regressions I inspected multiple community threads and prior Canary/Dev release notes that referenced related issues to ensure the pattern aligns.
A word on independent verification:

• The official Windows Insider blog is the canonical source for this flight.
• Independent reporting from mainstream Windows news outlets and active community forums corroborated the WebP wallpaper detail and amplified earlier sightings of related bugs. Those second sources are useful for practical testing notes and real-world observations beyond the terse official release note.

If you’re checking your own machine:

• Open Settings > System > About or run winver to check your build number; the watermark should match the build where applicable.
• Go to Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background and try browsing to a .webp file to confirm whether WebP wallpaper support is active on your device.
• If you’re experiencing the File Explorer jump, reproduce the steps that trigger it and file feedback via Feedback Hub with repro steps and a time-stamped problem report.

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Practical recommendations for Insiders​

If you’re a casual Insider or depend on your PC daily​

• Skip Canary unless you explicitly want to test platform edge cases. The file-explorer jumping issue and other unforeseen regressions make Canary unsuitable for everyday tasks.
• If you already run Canary and want to keep it for mess-around testing, ensure you take full system backups or create a system image before installing new flights.

If you’re a power user or developer who tests across channels​

• Install this build if you’re tracking Explorer regressions or WebP behavior specifically. Report any anomalies via Feedback Hub with reproduction steps.
• Keep current GPU, chipset, and smart-card drivers from OEMs. Because some kernel bugchecks trace back to drivers, staying current helps reduce false positives that are driver-caused.

If you’re an IT admin or manage corporate images​

• Do not use Canary builds in production or in staging images that feed production. Use controlled lab hardware for any Canary testing, and only when you need to validate new platform behavior.
• If your environment uses smart card authentication, monitor Insider announcements and community reports before testing Canary builds that might have hardware or driver interactions.

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How to validate and report problems​

• Confirm build: open Settings > System > About or run winver to see the installed Windows build. The blog lists Build 28020.1495 (KB 5074168).
• Check the watermark: the build watermark appears at the lower-right on Insider pre-release builds; the release states it should now display the correct build number.
• Verify WebP wallpaper support: Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background > Browse and select a .webp file. If the OS accepts and applies it like a PNG or JPG, the feature is enabled on your device.
• Reproduce bugs: if you hit the File Explorer jump or IRQL bugcheck, document exact steps, attach system logs and a minidump if you get a bugcheck.
• Report via Feedback Hub: use the Feedback Hub (WIN + F), categorize appropriately (File Explorer, Input, Power, Windows Update, Hardware and Drivers), and attach repro steps and logs. Tag the report so Microsoft’s engineering teams can triage quickly.

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Looking ahead — what this build signals​

This flight suggests Microsoft is focused on incremental desktop polish and stability improvements while continuing to field experiments in Canary. The WebP wallpaper support demonstrates continued alignment with modern web formats and user workflows, which is a subtle but meaningful usability win. The presence of targeted kernel fixes (IRQL bug) and immediate known issues (File Explorer) highlights the trade-offs of Canary: you get early access to platform changes but also shoulder the burden of instability.
Expect the following patterns to persist:

• Small, user-visible enhancements (like WebP support) will appear across channels on a staggered timetable.
• Canary will continue to be the place where potentially risky kernel and driver interactions are validated, so occasional bugchecks and regressions should be expected.
• Microsoft will continue to use server-side gating and Control Feature Rollout to smooth the experience, meaning not every Insider sees the same behavior at the same time.

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Final thoughts and bottom line​

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1495 (KB 5074168) won’t change the world, but it is an example of the steady, iterative work Microsoft does across the OS — small practical improvements, driver and kernel hardening, and the ongoing churn of fixes and regressions you expect in the Canary Channel. The addition of .webp wallpaper support makes the personalization UI friendlier to modern web-sourced assets, while the targeted fixes improve everyday interactions like inking and shutdown behavior.
If you rely on your PC for critical work, exercise caution: Canary builds can and do introduce new issues. If you’re an Insider who enjoys living on the bleeding edge and feeding feedback to Microsoft, this build is worth installing if you’re testing WebP behavior or want to confirm the small fixes. Regardless of your channel choice, keep backups, stay current with drivers, and use the Feedback Hub to report problems so Microsoft can triage and prioritize the next round of fixes.

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Source: Microsoft - Windows Insiders Blog Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1495 (Canary Channel)

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft has quietly pushed another Canary-channel preview — Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1495 (serviced as KB5074168) — and the headline change is small but useful: you can now set .webp images as first-class desktop backgrounds, alongside a handful of stability fixes and a couple of noteworthy known issues that make this build a maintenance-focused flight rather than a major feature drop.

Background / Overview​

Windows Insider channels serve different engineering and testing roles: Canary for early plumbing and experimental platform changes, Dev for active feature development, and Beta for features nearing broader release. Microsoft published the official release notes for Build 28020.1495 on January 28, 2026; the update is identified by KB5074168 and lists the WebP wallpaper capability explicitly under Desktop Background. This change follows earlier Insider releases (Dev/Beta builds such as Build 26220.7653, rolled as KB5074157) that introduced the same wallpaper support to other channels, confirming Microsoft’s gradual, multi-channel rollout pattern.
The build includes a short, targeted list of fixes spanning Start, Input, Power, Settings, and other areas. It also documents two operational caveats: the desktop watermark may show the wrong build number for some devices (updated in this release notes set), and there’s an active File Explorer problem that can cause all open File Explorer windows and tabs to unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home. Microsoft reiterates the Canary-channel disclaimer: these builds can be unstable, may be limited by server-side feature gating (Controlled Feature Rollout), and are not intended for production machines.

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What changed in KB5074168 (Build 28020.1495)​

WebP as a native wallpaper format​

• The Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background picker now accepts .webp files as wallpaper choices, and the system will treat them like JPG or PNG when applying them to the desktop.
• This aligns the desktop personalization UX with modern web image usage: WebP is widely used online and supports lossy and lossless compression, alpha (transparency), and animation in a single container format.

Why this matters in practical terms:

• No more manual “Save as JPG/PNG” steps when you download an attractive wallpaper from the web that happens to be WebP.
• Smaller file sizes for high-resolution wallpapers can reduce disk footprints on devices that store multiple backgrounds or sync them across devices.
• Wallpaper packs, theme galleries, and corporate imagery distributions can use a single WebP asset instead of packaging multiple legacy formats.

Bug fixes and reliability improvements​

This Canary flight bundles fixes meant to improve day-to-day reliability for Insiders running pre-release builds:

• General: Minor improvements and overall experience fixes for Insiders.
• Start menu: Fix for a warning dialog edge that could be truncated by the Start menu when shutting down while other users are signed in.
• Input: Resolved an issue that could cause a black flash when using a pen to ink inside the Snipping Tool.
• Power: Corrected a recent Canary regression where shutdown could appear to restart on some devices.
• Settings: Fixed hangs on the Windows Update settings page and corrected download failures for language features for English (Australia) in Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region.
• Other: Fixed a small number of IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL bugchecks tied to some smart card reader hardware.

Known issues to watch​

• The desktop watermark may show the wrong build number on some devices (Microsoft noted the watermark display is being adjusted).
• A File Explorer issue remains under investigation: open Explorer windows and tabs can unexpectedly jump to Desktop or Home. This is a usability regression that may disrupt workflows for power users and multi-window setups.

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Technical context: What WebP brings — and what it doesn’t​

WebP was developed to modernize web image delivery and has three attributes that make it attractive as a wallpaper format:

• Better compression: WebP generally produces smaller files than equivalent-quality JPEG or PNG images, which can matter for large, high-resolution wallpapers.
• Versatility: WebP supports lossy and lossless compression, alpha (transparency), and animated frames—so it collapses multiple legacy formats into one.
• Broad browser support: Modern web browsers and many apps already decode WebP, so transporting images from web pages to desktop backgrounds becomes frictionless.

Practical caveats and technical unknowns:

• Microsoft’s release notes confirm WebP support at the Desktop Background picker, but they do not publish low-level engineering details about whether the shell decodes WebP directly for GPU-backed rendering or whether Windows transcodes WebP to an intermediate cached bitmap before presenting it. That internal behavior affects memory usage, GPU texture handling, and how quickly high-resolution wallpapers are applied. At present, that implementation detail remains unverified publicly and should be treated as internal to Microsoft unless they publish deeper engineering notes.
• Legacy apps and tools that expect JPG/PNG assets (for example, older image-management utilities, print pipelines, or custom MDM packaging scripts) may not handle WebP correctly; testing is recommended before you standardize on WebP in an organizational image pipeline.

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Who benefits and who should be cautious​

Desktop users and enthusiasts​

• Immediate convenience: If you frequently download wallpapers from web sources, WebP support eliminates the conversion step.
• Storage efficiency: Lower file sizes can help users who store multiple large wallpapers or sync them via cloud services that count storage and bandwidth.

Theme and wallpaper creators​

• Simplified asset management: Creators can publish a single WebP master that works across web and desktop with smaller distribution sizes.
• Animated wallpapers: WebP’s animation support could simplify creating subtle animated backgrounds—but note this is not the same as native video wallpaper support, which remains experimental.

IT administrators and enterprises​

• Benefits: Smaller image payloads are attractive when distributing branded wallpapers at scale using MDM or provisioning scripts.
• Risks: Canary builds are inherently unstable and are not suitable for production testing. Smart card reader-related BSODs and the File Explorer issue are explicit risks for environments that rely on said hardware and multi-window workflows.
• Practical advice: Validate WebP behavior on representative lab machines before rolling out WebP wallpapers via Intune, SCCM, or Group Policy. Confirm that your deployment tooling recognizes WebP assets correctly.

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Step-by-step: How to check and apply WebP wallpapers (validation steps)​

• Confirm your build:
• Open Settings > System > About, or run winver from the Start menu to verify the installed Windows build number is Build 28020.1495 (KB5074168) or a later insider flight carrying the feature.
• Verify feature availability:
• Open Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background.
• Use the Browse option under Picture and select a .webp file.
• Apply and observe:
• If the OS accepts and applies the .webp file like any other picture, the feature is enabled on your device.
• If the picker refuses the file, the feature may be gated by Microsoft’s Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR); try signing out/signing in, checking for pending updates, or confirming your Insider toggle is set to receive the latest builds.
• Troubleshoot:
• If Explorer UI behaves oddly after applying a WebP wallpaper (or if you hit the File Explorer jump bug), revert to a known JPG/PNG wallpaper and report the problem via Feedback Hub along with reproduction steps, system logs, and any attached minidumps if applicable.

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Best practices for power users, creators, and IT teams​

• For personal use:
• Keep a fallback JPG/PNG version of critical wallpapers until broader rollout stabilizes.
• Back up current personalization settings before installing Canary builds.
• For theme designers and creators:
• Test across a representative set of Windows versions and apps; include a non-WebP fallback in distribution packages to handle older or constrained environments.
• Consider color profile and scaling behavior for large images—WebP preserves image content quality, but OS-level scaling and color management are still handled by the same Windows subsystems as other raster formats.
• For IT admins:
• Do not deploy Canary builds in production. Use lab hardware or VMs that mirror your environment to validate behavior before introducing new file formats into mass-deployment channels.
• Confirm your MDM/profile management tooling correctly accepts WebP files as wallpaper assets. If tooling fails to accept WebP, you may need to convert assets server-side or flag a compatibility requirement in your rollout documentation.
• Monitor for smart card-related IRQL bugchecks on machines that use smart card authentication; suspend any Canary testing on those endpoints until Microsoft confirms a fix.

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The deeper operational considerations​

Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) and why you may not see the feature immediately​

Microsoft leverages server-side gatekeeping to roll out changes selectively to cohorts of Insider devices. That means seeing Build 28020.1495 installed does not guarantee the WebP wallpaper toggle will be active on your device immediately. CFR helps Microsoft monitor real-world telemetry and avoid widespread regressions, but it complicates verification for enthusiasts and IT teams.

Imaging and provisioning implications​

If your organization uses provisioning images or golden images (for example, to build reference images through MDT, SCCM, or Autopilot workflows), remember:

• Canary and Insider builds often require a clean install to switch channels; this makes Canary impractical for many imaging pipelines.
• If you intend to standardize on WebP assets, ensure your endpoint provisioning or wallpaper-sourcing jobs (Intune scripts, Group Policy scripts, or startup tasks) are updated to accept WebP and validated for performance and correctness.

Compatibility matrix and legacy tools​

Some older authoring tools and enterprise image processors may still rely on JPG/PNG assumptions. Examples include:

• Legacy print or signage software that expects specific formats and metadata.
• Older versions of image-processing libraries embedded in management tools.
• Browser-captured images that carry WebP but are consumed by legacy workflows.

Test and document compatibility before making a platform-wide change.

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Troubleshooting checklist for common scenarios​

• Wallpaper cannot be selected or applied:
• Confirm Windows build number and Insider channel.
• Verify Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background is the correct control path (not third-party wallpaper managers).
• If the file is rejected, re-save the image as JPG/PNG and try again.
• Explorer windows jump to Desktop/Home unexpectedly:
• This is a documented known issue; save work frequently and avoid heavy Explorer-driven workflows on Canary devices until a fix is deployed.
• Report reproducible steps through Feedback Hub.
• You experience IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL bugchecks:
• If your environment uses smart card readers, avoid Canary devices for authentication-critical tasks. Collect minidumps and event logs and report through Feedback Hub with hardware IDs for the reader if possible.

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Security, privacy, and performance considerations​

• Security: WebP is an image format; the primary security surface is the image decoder. Microsoft ships and maintains decoders and associated OS components in Insider builds. As always, only obtain wallpapers from trusted sources to reduce the risk of malformed files designed to exploit image parsing vulnerabilities.
• Privacy: WebP wallpapers are like other image files; if you sync backgrounds via cloud services or image galleries, standard cloud sync privacy considerations apply.
• Performance: Applying a high-resolution WebP wallpaper should have similar performance characteristics to a comparable JPG/PNG, but the precise memory and GPU texture usage depends on how Windows handles decoding and caching under the hood (undisclosed). If you manage large fleets, benchmark a set of devices to quantify any delta in decode time, memory allocations, or GPU upload times.

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Where Microsoft might go next: video wallpapers and the bigger personalization picture​

Enthusiasts have long spotted traces of video wallpaper exploration inside Windows 11 previews — native playback of short MP4 or WebM loops as desktop backgrounds. However, the current Canary release and the broader Beta/Dev builds that surfaced WebP wallpaper support do not normalize video wallpaper as a shipping feature yet. Video wallpapers introduce different challenges (power draw, GPU/CPU scheduling, and looped playback policies) and are likely to remain gated or experimental until Microsoft is confident about the performance and power characteristics across devices.
Expect Microsoft to continue incremental personalization improvements: image format modernization (WebP), UI modernization (WinUI dialogs and dark mode polish), and possible media-backed backgrounds in future flights — but those features will be guarded by CFR and surfaced gradually.

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Recommendations and a pragmatic plan for testers​

• If you are a Windows Insider and curious:
• Install the Canary build on a non-critical machine or VM. Try setting a .webp wallpaper. If it works, take note of any visual or Explorer quirks and report them to Feedback Hub.
• If you’re an enthusiast with a single daily driver:
• Prefer Beta or Dev builds for broader stability unless you have a specific need to validate Canary changes.
• If you’re an IT pro managing fleets:
• Do not use Canary builds in production. Validate WebP in a lab environment. Test MDM/GPO wallpaper deployment paths with WebP assets and keep JPG/PNG fallbacks in your asset catalog.
• If you build wallpaper packs or themes:
• Start producing WebP variants for web distribution but keep legacy PNG/JPG fallbacks for enterprise customers, older devices, or integrations that may not yet support WebP.

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Final assessment: small UX win, but test before you trust it​

KB5074168 (Build 28020.1495) is a tidy, user-facing improvement that continues the long-overdue modernization of desktop personalization workflows. Allowing WebP files as wallpapers removes a frequent annoyance for users who collect web-sourced art and reduces asset sizes for creators and distributors. However, because the change is appearing in Canary and because Microsoft uses server-side gating, the rollout will be gradual. More importantly, the build includes hardware-related fixes and a small number of risk factors — notably smart card reader-related bugchecks and an active File Explorer regression — that make this flight unsuitable for production endpoints.
If you’re excited about WebP wallpapers, treat this as an early testable capability: validate on non-production systems, keep fallbacks, and monitor official Insider channels for follow-up fixes. The underlying trend is clear: Windows personalization is catching up with web-era formats, but prudent validation and staged adoption remain essential for anyone managing multiple devices or critical authentication hardware.

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Source: Windows Report https://windowsreport.com/windows-1...s-with-webp-wallpaper-support-multiple-fixes/