Windows 11 Insider Preview 26220.7051 Adds Ask Copilot and FSE on Handhelds

Microsoft has pushed a matched preview update to the Dev and Beta Channels today — Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7051 (KB5067115) — bringing an opt‑in Ask Copilot taskbar experience, an expanded handheld Full Screen Experience (FSE) for the Xbox PC app, and a narrow, time‑limited opportunity for Dev Channel Insiders to move to Beta while the two streams are matched.

Background / Overview​

Microsoft continues to evolve the Insider release model around a shared‑servicing approach: feature code is staged inside cumulative updates and toggled on via enablement packages or server‑side flags, letting Microsoft deliver the same binaries across channels while gating features by telemetry, hardware, or account entitlements. The 26220.xxxx family represents the Windows 11, version 25H2 development track in the Dev Channel; this particular KB (KB5067115) is being offered as a recommended preview update into Beta while the two channels are temporarily aligned.
That alignment matters: it creates a short window where Dev Insiders can switch to Beta without doing a clean OS reinstall later — but only while the Dev and Beta streams remain matched. Once Dev jumps ahead to a higher build number, that window closes and channel switching will likely require a clean install of released Windows 11. Confirm the exact on‑device build and the presence of feature toggles in Settings > Windows Update before making channel decisions.

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What’s in Build 26220.7051 (KB5067115)​

At a glance, the most visible items in this preview are:

• Ask Copilot in taskbar — an opt‑in, compact Copilot entry on the taskbar that exposes text, voice, and Vision interactions while surfacing local apps, files, and settings via existing Windows Search APIs. It’s designed to blend local search results and Copilot responses in one panel and is permissioned so Copilot doesn’t automatically read files without consent.
• Full Screen Experience (FSE) for Xbox app — expands the console‑style, controller‑first Xbox full‑screen shell that debuted on ASUS ROG Xbox Ally models to additional Windows handhelds (MSI Claw reported as an early recipient). FSE minimizes background work, optimizes app switching for controller navigation, and runs the Xbox app as the device’s “home” experience.
• Platform and quality updates — ongoing reliability fixes, improvements to the Arm Prism emulator (x64 compatibility), and experimental previews such as Bluetooth LE shared audio in limited Copilot+ configurations. Expect most of these items to be gated and rolled out gradually.

These items are being rolled out under server‑side Controlled Feature Rollouts (CFR), so the visible feature set will vary by device, account, region and whether the device is a qualifying Copilot+ system.

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Deep dive: Ask Copilot in the taskbar​

What it is and how it behaves​

Ask Copilot is a compact, opt‑in taskbar pill that brings Copilot chat, Copilot Vision (attach or share a window/region), and Copilot Voice (press‑to‑talk or wake‑word where available) into a single panel above the taskbar. The UI mixes local search hits (apps, files, settings provided by Windows Search APIs) with generative Copilot suggestions so you can flow from a file result to a summarized AI response without switching apps. Microsoft explicitly describes the feature as permissioned: Copilot will only access local content when you grant session access or explicitly share a window or image.
Key behavior highlights:

• Results appear and update instantly as you type.
• Copilot Vision lets you share a region, window or image for contextual analysis.
• A wake‑word option (“Hey, Copilot”) is included as an opt‑in local detector on supported devices.
• Local content exposure is session‑based and permissioned; the surface relies on existing Windows Search APIs for local results.

How to enable Ask Copilot​

• Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
• Turn on Ask Copilot under the taskbar options.
• To control background behavior, open the Copilot app’s settings and toggle Auto start on log in as needed.

These steps match Microsoft’s published guidance for Insiders testing the new taskbar integration.

Privacy and control — what’s permitted, what’s not​

Microsoft frames Ask Copilot as permissioned and confined by design: it uses the same APIs as Windows Search to surface local hits and does not grant Copilot carte blanche access to all personal content by default. That said, features such as Copilot Vision and Click‑to‑Do will transmit selected content to Copilot processing when you choose to share, which creates networked telemetry vectors that organizations and privacy‑conscious users should evaluate. For enterprise and DLP teams, treat new selection/sharing workflows as new data exfiltration surfaces and test them in controlled pilots before widely enabling them.
Unverified claims and caution: any assertion that Copilot never transmits clipboard contents or other transient data should be treated cautiously until Microsoft publishes specific telemetry and retention documentation for each Copilot surface. Confirm behaviors on test devices and request documentation from Microsoft for compliance needs.

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Full Screen Experience (FSE) — Windows meets console on handhelds​

The idea and the mechanics​

Full Screen Experience is a console‑style shell built for Windows handheld gaming devices. When enabled, the Xbox app becomes the device’s home app and Windows adjusts system behavior to favor interactive gameplay: background processes are deferred, non‑essential tasks minimized, and navigation becomes controller‑first with large tile interfaces. This is not a separate OS — it’s Windows 11 running a specialized experience designed to feel more like a console.
How to enable FSE on supported devices:

• Go to Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience.
• Select Xbox as your home app.
• Access FSE via Task View, Game Bar, or configure the handheld to enter FSE on startup.

Devices and rollout scope​

FSE first shipped on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X; with Build 26220.7051 Microsoft expanded preview availability to additional handhelds like the MSI Claw family. OEM partners will enable FSE on qualifying hardware and may ship their own preconfigured settings to guarantee better launch behavior. Because FSE depends on OEM firmware, driver behavior and special optimizations, availability will vary across vendors and models.

Real‑world stability: early reports and caveats​

Early adopter reports show the promise and pain of the first wave: some users get a much cleaner, console‑like session; others have reported boot‑to‑desktop failures, launch inconsistencies, controller input quirks, display flicker or black‑screen handover issues when switching between desktop and FSE. Community threads indicate a bumpy early rollout that will require firmware updates, driver patches, and iterative fixes before FSE feels polished across the installed base. Expect FSE to be hardware and firmware dependent, with a non‑trivial early‑adopter troubleshooting burden.

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Channel alignment and the Dev → Beta switch window​

What changed and why it matters​

Microsoft is temporarily recommending the same 25H2‑based Dev Channel update into the Beta Channel. Practically, this means Beta Insiders can opt into the same 26220 family preview without a full rebuild, and Dev Insiders have a short opportunity to move to Beta while the channels are matched. When Dev later advances to a higher build number, the free pass closes — reverting from Dev to Beta may then require a clean install to a released build. This is a deliberate operational move to let Microsoft gather telemetry from a broader set of devices while preserving migration paths for Insiders who prefer more stability.

Practical guidance​

• If you value stability and expect to stay on 25H2 for a while, consider moving to Beta while the window is open.
• If you want the latest experimental Dev work, remain in Dev and prepare for divergence when Dev jumps ahead.
• Always confirm your device’s build via Settings > System > About or winver before making channel moves.

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Enterprise, security, and privacy implications​

For IT departments and admin teams​

This flight reinforces three operational realities:

• Gated, gradual rollouts create inconsistent feature exposure across fleets. Test devices and production devices will behave differently until features hit broad GA. Use pilot rings to validate Copilot interactions and FSE behavior.
• New UI surfaces are new data paths. Copilot Vision, Click‑to‑Do, and shared audio introduce new data flows. Evaluate Data Loss Prevention rules, update Intune/MDM policies, and ensure endpoint protection can audit or block agent-like telemetry where necessary.
• Channel switching and image management matter. If Insiders on Dev migrate to Beta today and Dev later jumps forward, recovering to Beta without a clean install may be impossible. Plan rollback strategies and document image baselines if you use Insider builds for validation.

Privacy checklist for admins and security teams​

• Review Copilot and Copilot+ privacy docs for telemetry, retention and processing details.
• Pilot Ask Copilot and Vision features on sanitized test data before enabling broadly.
• Update DLP and SIEM ingestion to capture any agent-like interactions that surface content from local files or clipboard flows.

If Microsoft’s published privacy guarantees are ambiguous for a particular Copilot surface, treat the behavior as a potential exfiltration vector until clarified.

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Known issues, stability and rollout expectations​

This build is a preview quality update and is consistent with Microsoft’s staged rollout practice: features are opt‑in and hardware‑gated, and reliability issues will appear during early testing. Community feedback already highlights several problem classes:

• FSE launch failures and boot inconsistencies on some handheld models.
• Controller input or UI rendering glitches when switching sessions or when some apps run borderless/windowed.
• Device‑specific differences in whether Copilot surfaces are visible after installing the KB — server flags and device entitlements control exposure.

If you encounter regressions, pragmatic steps include pausing Insider updates, reverting to a stable channel (if possible), or using recovery options such as OEM cloud recovery; for device fleets, wait for OEM firmware/driver updates before wider pilot expansion.

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How to test this build safely — recommended steps for Insiders and IT​

• Create a restore point and a full backup image before installing the preview.
• Use a lab or spare device rather than a daily‑driver machine for early tests.
• Install Build 26220.7051 from Settings > Windows Update (Insider Program) and verify the reported build in winver.
• Enable Ask Copilot only on test accounts and validate sharing workflows (Vision, Click‑to‑Do) against your DLP policy.
• For handhelds, update OEM drivers/firmware first and test FSE with representative games and controller configurations; log failures and firmware steps needed.

Use telemetry and manual test cases to capture regressions and feed reports through Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Ask Copilot in taskbar, and Gaming > Full screen experience where applicable.

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Strengths, tradeoffs and final assessment​

This preview illustrates Microsoft’s two‑track product strategy for 2025: deeper Copilot integration across shell surfaces and targeted tuning of Windows for device classes (handheld gaming). The visible strengths are clear:

• Productivity gains: a unified, low‑friction Copilot entry on the taskbar that supports text, voice and vision interactions could streamline common tasks and reduce context switches.
• Device‑specific UX: FSE shows a pragmatic way to adapt Windows to handheld gaming needs without fragmenting the platform; it keeps Windows open while delivering a console‑like entry point.

However, the tradeoffs and risks are meaningful:

• Fragmentation risk: CFR and hardware gating will continue to produce divergent experiences on otherwise identical devices — a headache for IT and researchers who expect deterministic behavior.
• Privacy and data governance: multimodal Copilot features add new telemetry paths; organizations will need to revalidate DLP and telemetry assumptions.
• Early stability problems: handheld FSE is promising but not yet polished; expect launch and input regressions that require OEM collaboration to resolve.

Overall, Build 26220.7051 (KB5067115) is a pragmatic, incremental preview: it surfaces interesting new Copilot and gaming experiences while relying on staged rollouts to limit risk. For Insiders, the build is worth testing in controlled pilots; for IT teams, the prudent path is measured validation and updated policies for new AI surfaces.

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Quick reference — what to check right now​

• Confirm your device’s reported build via Settings > System > About or by running winver after installing the KB.
• To try Ask Copilot: Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot. Manage Auto start in the Copilot app settings.
• To try FSE: Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience and set Xbox as home app (only on supported handhelds).
• Pause Insider updates if you rely on device stability for daily work; use a spare test device for early adoption.

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Microsoft’s matched Dev/Beta preview is an important operational signal: it accelerates testing of 25H2 across a wider device pool while preserving a short migration path for Insiders who want to stabilize on 25H2. The real verdict will be determined by two things: how quickly Microsoft and OEMs close the early FSE stability gaps, and how transparently Microsoft documents Copilot telemetry, retention and enterprise controls as Ask Copilot expands across desktop surfaces. Until then, Insiders and IT teams should test selectively, expect inconsistencies, and treat new multimodal Copilot surfaces as first‑class governance items in their security reviews.
This build is available now to enrolled Insiders; verify eligibility and feature exposure on your device before enabling features widely.

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Source: Windows Blog Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7051 (Dev & Beta Channels)