In this article, we will talk about the latest Preview Build for Windows 11 26H2 in the Dev Channel, which is the Build 26300.8346.
These 26300 series builds will contain many of the same features and improvements as the 26220 series builds that will continue to be released in the Beta Channel. Over time, Microsoft will be making behind-the-scenes platform changes in each build so they may have different known issues because of those changes. These Builds are previewing Features that will be part of Windows 11 26H2, the Big Annual Release for 2026.
New Widgets Changes
Microsoft is working to make Widgets feel less distracting and overwhelming by making the experience quiet by default.
To do this, they’re testing a new set of default settings designed to reduce unexpected alerts and visual interruptions. These changes include:
- Disabling Open on hover by default
- Turning off taskbar badging by default
- Opening to widgets experience on first launch
- Limiting taskbar alerts until you choose to open and engage with the Widgets experience
If you prefer more proactive updates, you can easily turn features like taskbar badging back on through Widgets settings.
New File Explorer Improvements
- Microsoft eliminated a grey flash on load and unexpected scrolling to the top on the Home page in certain cases.
- They’ve cleaned up the Favorites section, so OneDrive files no longer appear duplicated in some cases.
- They’ve sharpened file thumbnails in the Recommended section on the Home page so they’re crisper and easier to read.
New Run Box Design
Microsoft is rolling out a refreshed Run dialog experience designed to bring a more modern look and improved usability. This update introduces updated visuals and a cleaner interface, along with new controls that make it easier to manage the experience from within Settings. The refreshed Run dialog is currently available as an opt-in experience for Windows Insiders on the Experimental channel, where you can enable it by going to Settings > System > Advanced and turning on the new Run dialog option.
New Windows Share Improvements
- The Windows ShareSheet just got smarter for AAD users. You can now discover and install relevant apps right where you share – no need to jump to the Microsoft Store or interrupt your flow.
- Previously available only to MSA users, this experience now extends to AAD accounts, bringing greater flexibility and convenience. You’re also in control, with a simple setting to turn promotional app recommendations on or off. The result is a faster, more seamless, and user-controlled sharing experience with helpful app suggestions exactly when you need them.
New Magnifier Tool Changes
- Magnifier now gives you more control over how you zoom. You can type an exact zoom percentage directly in the magnifier toolbar to land on precisely the level you need.
- They’ve also added preset step increments (5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%, and 400%) to the Settings dropdown, so you can jump to common levels in a single click. Whether you need a subtle boost or a dramatic close-up, Magnifier adapts to how you want to zoom.
New Settings Storage Improvements
In the latest Insider builds, Microsoft updated the dialog when creating a Dev Drive to now support specifying the size in GB instead of only MB. This has also been added when changing the size of volumes under Settings > System > Storage.
New Feedback Hub App Update
This update contains a number of improvements based on user feedback, including:
- Generally improved reliability.
- More tweaks to improve general design fit and finish, accessibility, and localization.
- The Community feedback section for non-English now allows you to switch view to English if you’d prefer.
- Collection titles and Official responses now will be automatically translated in top languages.
- The file upload limit when submitting feedback is back up to 500 MB.
- Improved upvote and comment count accuracy for feedback.
Event Viewer Fix
If you were seeing a large number of APISet events in Event Viewer after the latest Insider builds, that should no longer occur after today’s flight.
Task Scheduler Fix
Task Scheduler will now persist column width adjustments in task list view across sessions.
Task Manager Fix
Fixed accuracy of CPU speed display on the Performance page of Task Manager for VMs after resume from hibernate, so it doesn’t sometimes show unexpectedly high unrealistic numbers.
New File Properties Dialog with WinUI 3
Known Issues
[WIP settings]
- Users who enable the Release Preview toggle may notice it does not allow Release Preview to be selected. If this is the case, exit out of WIP settings and come back.
[Feature flags]
- Insiders who use Feature flags to enable the new WIP experience may see the feature state incorrectly marked as current, however changing state and applying changes will work as expected.
For more information about this Build, you can check this article from the Microsoft Blog.
For a more in-depth presentation of the New Build, you can watch the video below from the youtube channel.
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