In this article, we will talk about the latest Windows 11 25H2 Insider Preview Build for the Dev Channel, which is the Build 26220.6682.
Windows 11 25H2
Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel will see the versioning updated under Settings > System > About (and winver) to version 25H2. This denotes that Windows 11, version 25H2 will be this year’s annual feature update. As mentioned here, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year. For more information, see this blog post here.
New Click to Do Features for Copilot+ PCs
Click to Do for Copilot+ PCs is getting a New Copilot prompt box, New visual animations for the right edge gesture, New and popular action tags, alongside with an improved Summarize action.
New Start Menu Features
- Microsoft is trying out a small change in the Recommended section of the Start menu where we will show examples of prompts that you can try using in the Copilot app such as creating an image with Copilot.
- Also the Remember All Pins Option in Start Menu has been removed, and now the Start Menu just remembers how you used the Start Menu the last time.
New Emoji 16 Released
The Emoji 16.0 release introduces a small but thoughtfully curated set of new emojis—one from each major category—designed to resonate across cultures and contexts. Each emoji carries timeless symbolism and practical versatility. With this build, you will see these new emoji available in the emoji panel.
New Gaming Improvement
Microsoft have made some improvements for using Xbox game controllers for gaming on Windows 11. Short pressing the Xbox button opens Game Bar. A new change we’re introducing is when you long press the Xbox button, it will open Task View. Pressing and holding the Xbox button continues to turn off the game controller.
New Narrator Improvements
Microsoft made several improvements to ensure Narrator delivers smoother, more reliable experience when working with documents in Word. These updates focus on making reading, writing, and editing more natural and efficient.
New Windows Setup Section
Microsoft is introducing a simple reminder that appears as a SCOOBE screen (Second Chance Out of Box Experience) to let you know your Microsoft subscription needs attention (for example, if a renewal payment didn’t go through). In just a few clicks, you can review and update your payment method and keep your subscription benefits uninterrupted.
New Magnifier Feature Discoverability Dialog
Like voice access and Narrator, Magnifier is getting a feature discoverability dialog. Currently only mentions the Ctrl + Alt + – keyboard shortcut for toggling between 1x zoom and the current zoom level.
New Perform Speed Test Option in the Taskbar
We are now able to do an Internet Speed Test, directly from the System Tray, by right-clicking the Network Icon.
New Drag Tray Option
You can now also move files to another location in your system, by using the Drag Tray.
New Settings Features
New Advanced Settings Page
After being temporarily disabled, Advanced Settings is rolling out again to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels. However, we have temporarily removed the long path and virtual workspaces options to address some issues.
New Keyboard Settings Page
Microsoft is also adding a New Keyboard Settings Page, that will have some of the options that were moved from the Old Control Panel.
New Touchpad Settings
Haptic touchpad settings are also being updated. Click force/sensitivity will have a dropdown instead of a slider, and there are now separate toggles and sliders for haptic click and haptic signals.
New Mobile Devices Settings Page
The Mobile Devices Settings Page has also been changed and now it won’t open in a different window, but in a different Settings Section.
New Privacy & Security Settings Page
The Privacy & Security Settings Page has been improved with New Headings and also certain Pages have been rearranged.
New Microsoft Store App Update
Microsoft Store’s AI Hub is getting a new addition: Microsoft 365 Copilot Agents! Clicking on the agent cards will directly launch Microsoft 365 Copilot where you can explore the deeper capabilities of each agent. These include the Prompt, Writing, Idea, Career and Learning coaches as well as Analyst and Researcher. The cards will be shown to users with the Microsoft 365 Copilot app installed and are subject to availability based on subscription tier.
Launching apps provided and updated by publishers: In previous months, we rolled out the capability to update apps that are provided and updated by publishers. Starting with this Microsoft Store update, you’ll be able to launch these types of apps directly from the product page or from the downloads page if the app supports it.
Fixes in this Build
General
- Fixed an issue causing some PCs to bugcheck (green screen) while hibernating after the latest flights. This may have made it look like hibernation had shut down your PC. This issue is believed to also be the cause of some Insiders finding that shutdown had hung and would sit on a black screen with a fan noise.
- This update addresses an issue that affects audio in apps using the Network Device Interface (NDI). Audio stutters when Display Capture is on in OBS Studio Application. This could occur after installing the latest updates.
Taskbar and System Tray
- Did some work to help improve reliability of taskbar hiding and unhiding when the setting “automatically hide the taskbar” is enabled. As part of this work, the animation may be smoother for you now. As a reminder – if an app has an alert (the orange highlight on the app icon) then the taskbar will show.
- Fixed a couple issues which could lead to you not being able to interact with apps or the desktop in the area directly above the taskbar.
File Explorer
- Fixed an issue for some users, where the Shared section in File Explorer Home might be visible even if there was no content to display.
- Fixed an issue which was Fixed an issue where File Explorer was unexpectedly not showing thumbnails for video files containing certain EXIF metadata.
- Fixed an issue where interacting with the context menu in File Explorer could lead to the body of File Explorer becoming unresponsive to clicks.
- Fixed an issue which could lead to certain apps hanging when launching the Open or Save Dialog.
Lock and Login Screens
- Fixed an issue which could cause the lock screen to crash when interacting with the power button in the latest builds.
Start Menu
- Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Start menu to dismiss if you tried to use WIN + Shift + S to take a screenshot of it.
- Fixed an issue impacting Start menu reliability in the latest builds.
- Fixed an issue which was causing Start menu to randomly scroll back up to the top sometimes.
Windows Sandbox
- Fixed an issue for Windows Sandbox users which could lead to the vmmemCmFirstBoot process consuming large amounts of CPU after login, causing your PC to potentially become unresponsive.
Search
- We did some work to help reduce instances where search may get stuck in a loading state.
Settings
- Fixed an issue which could lead to Settings crashing when interacting with Settings > System > Optional Features.
Voice Access
- Fixed an issue which could result in Voice Access not working, showing error 9001.
Windows Hello
- Fixed an issue where booting into safe mode wasn’t working, with a message saying “Something happened and your PIN isn’t available” for some people.
- Fixed an issue where Windows Hello Pin setup might fail with error 0x80090010 on Entra-domain joined devices that had installed the latest updates.
Other
- If the ability to move the hardware indicators disappeared for you after the last flight, it should be back now.
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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