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Windows 11 is constantly evolving, and new updates are released on a monthly basis, with occasional bigger updates every few months. If you don't want to wait for new features to become available to everyone, the Windows Insider Program lets you test all these features weeks and months in advance.

At any given moment, there's something Windows Insiders can try that most other users don't have yet. For example, Microsoft released the Windows 11 2022 update, or version 22H2. Recently, Microsoft released Windows 11 23H2 as well. But Windows Insiders got to try all those features for months before they were widely available.

However, it can be hard to keep track of all the new updates. If you're curious about the future of Windows, we've rounded up all the Windows 11 features currently available in preview, so you can glance at what's coming or decide if you should become a Windows Insider yourself. However, if you're considering that, check out our guide to the Windows Insider Program channels first. With that out of the way, let's get into what you can try right now.

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Desktop environment

Copilot changes

Windows Copilot in Windows 11

Copilot in Windows is a relatively recent addition to the OS, and it's always getting improvements. Right now, Insiders have access to a few changes. Most notably, in the Canary and Dev channels, Microsoft is adding support for new commands in Copilot to control Windows settings. For example, you can ask it for available wireless networks or to empty the recycle bin. There are a total of 16 new actions, in addition to the 13 existing ones. On top of that, Copilot can now work with Power Automate Desktop so you can run automated tasks even more easily.

In Windows 11 Dev Channel Build 23601 and Windows 11 Canary Channel Build 26010, Microsoft is adding the ability to "undock" Copilot from the sidebar. Just click the new unlock icon in the top right, and you can drag it anywhere you want, above or below apps.

In Windows 11 Dev Channel build 23615, Microsoft is trying out the option to open Copilot automatically when Windows Starts, but only on widescreen devices. This setting option can be found under Settings > Personalization > Copilot.

Starting with build 26052 in the Dev and Canary channels, Copilot also has more contextual capabilities when copying text. When you do, the Copilot icon on the taskbar will change to indicate that there are actions that can be taken with the copied text, such as sending it to the Copilot chat, summarizing, or explaining it. Additionally, this build also adds the ability to drag images straight into the Copilot icon to send it to the chat, so you don't have to open the sidebar first. Note: This feature has been suspended as of build 26062.

Screenshot of the Copilot icon after the user has copied text on Windows 11 with a menu showing options of what to do with said text

Widgets improvements

New settings options for widgets in Windows 11

In the Beta, Canary, and Dev channels, Microsoft is rolling out a change for the Widgets experience. You now have more ways to customize what you see on the widgets board. A setting will make it so you can only see just widgets, and another setting will make it easier to personalize and discover things on your widgets feed. You'll also be able to select the account you want to use for Microsoft Start, which means you're no longer limited to the account you use to sign into Windows.

Additionally, Microsoft is working on a specific My Widgets view that allows you to swap between a view that includes the news feed and one that doesn't. However, this feature has been suspended as of build 26062.

There's also a smaller change where the Widgets icon may now show a notification counter for multiple breaking news or notifications you may have missed. You can then see a summary of the notifications by opening the Widgets board. This is available in the Canary and Dev channels.

Screenshot of Windows 11 Widgets missed notifications

Quick Settings changes

Quick settings area in Windows 11
Source: Microsoft

In Windows 11 Canary Channel build 25967, Microsoft is testing a change to the Quick Settings that appear when you press Windows Key and A. Some Windows Insiders will see a scrollable list of icons in the Quick Settings area. Microsoft is evaluating different layouts and their effectiveness, so as part of this change, some Insiders will no longer have to edit the list, but rather scroll through the quick actions and rearrange them that way.

Start menu improvements

Microsoft has been testing richer file previews in the Recommended section of the start menu. For Azure Active Directory (now Microsoft Entra ID) users, these previews can include a thumbnail for supported files, while other users will see information about recent activity on a file and other information. This is now in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels.

Build 23619 in the Dev channel also added a new feature for the Start menu in Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise editions signed in with Microsoft Entra ID. Now, the Start menu Recommended section can show upcoming Teams meetings, so you can quickly join them without having to go to your calendar or open the app yourself. This is also in the Beta channel now.

Screenshot of a Windows 11 Start menu with a Teams meeting in the Recommended section

Another welcome change available to Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels is a new folder under the Recommended section containing your recently installed apps. This should save some space in this section compared to the current implementation where each recent app is shown separately.

Screenshot of a folder in the Windows 11 Start menu recommended section showing recently added apps

Starting with build 23451, Microsoft is testing a change where you may see recommended websites in the Start menu based on your browsing history. Something similar was in testing before, but it was mostly based on popular websites in your region. With this change, suggestions should be more relevant to your usual browsing habits.

Windows Protected Print Mode

Starting in Windows 11 Canary Channel build 2601, Microsoft is rolling out Windows Protected Print Mode. This new mode lets your PC exclusively print using the Windows modern print stack, which is designed to work with Mopria certified printers only. Microsoft says that this means you'll no longer have to depend on third-party software installers to get additional security benefits.

Design tweaks

Microsoft has made some small visual tweaks to parts of Windows 11. This includes an updated printer icon that shows up in the system tray when something is being printed, and more recently, an updated energy saver icon shown on desktop PCs, which no longer includes a battery icon.

Comparison of the energy saver icons on Windows 11 desktops and laptops

Additionally, Microsoft is testing a new icon for Task Manager, available in both the Canary and Dev channels.

Task manager icon

There's yet another, smaller change in the taskbar and Task View. When viewing a preview of a File Explorer window with multiple tabs, you'll now see an indicator of how many tabs there are in the title of the preview. Finally, the text shown when using a low-power charger with your laptop has been tweaked.

Snap Layouts suggestions

Microsoft is testing new suggestions for Snap Layouts. In addition to offering different layouts, this feature can now also suggest additional apps to fill the rest of the slots in a layout instantly. This is available starting with build 23511 in the Dev channel. It's also now available in the Beta and Release Preview channels, though it's still a gradual rollout.

Screenshot of Snap layout suggestions in Windows 11

Privacy protection

Windows apps prvacy prompt

Additionally, starting with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25977 in the Canary Channel Microsoft is testing changes to Windows Location. There are new controls to help you manage which apps can access the list of Wi-Fi networks around you to determine your location. You'll be able to view these by going to Settings > Privacy & security > Location. Windows will also prompt you whenever an app asks to access your location or Wi-Fi information, as seen above.

Lock screen

richer-weather-lock-screen

Starting with build 23471 in the Dev channel, Microsoft has redesigned the network flyout on the lock screen, bringing it closer to its look on the desktop and the rest of the Windows 11 UI. This is also now available in the Beta channel starting with build 22631.1906.

In Windows 11 Beta channel build 22635.3061 and Windows 11 Dev channel build 23612, Microsoft is rolling out a richer weather experience on the lock screen. You'll get more dynamic weather updates whenever you hover over the weather experience. Tapping or clicking the card will open the full forecast on MSN Weather.

Screen casting improvements

Screencasting improvements in Windows 11

In Windows 11 Dev Channel build 23601 and Windows 11 Beta channel build 22635.2915, Microsoft is improving the discoverability of screen casting. When doing multitasking activities on your PC, such as switching between windows or using Snap Assist, Windows will provide the suggestion to cast via a notification toast. Microsoft also updated the cast flyout in Quick Settings with additional support in case you have trouble discovering nearby displays, fixing connections, and more.

Windows Ink improvements

System menu showing Windows Ink capabilities

Microsoft is testing changes to Windows Ink, allowing users to write with a pen directly over text fields rather than using a dedicated handwriting panel. This is currently available only for users using English (United States) as their system language. The experience can be managed in the Settings app under Bluetooth & devices > Pen & Windows Ink with an option called Shell handwriting.

HDR background support

For users with HDR-capable monitors, it's now possible to use HDR images as the desktop background, meaning you can see images with much higher dynamic range on screens that support it, preserving more detail in both shadows and highlights. HDR images are supported in the JXR format, and this feature is available in the Dev and Beta channels.

Sharing improvements

Windows 11 Beta channel build 22635.2850 comes with a change to Windows Share. It now supports sharing with WhatsApp under the Share using section. This will also let you install the app if you don't use it.

Other than that, with Nearby Sharing, in Windows 11 Dev Channel build 23545 and Windows 11 Beta channel build 22635.2915, Microsoft is adding the ability to quickly give your device a more friendly name to identify sharing to and from with nearby share under Settings > System > Nearby sharing. In build 26040 in the Canary channel, Microsoft has also significantly improved the performance of nearby sharing with computers on the same network. Additionally, turning on Nearby Share will automatically turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi if they're not already. All of these enhancements have also made it to the Release Preview channel.

Finally, in Windows 11 Dev Channel build 23615 and Windows 11 Beta Channel build 22635.3061, Microsoft tweaked the share experience for Edge and other browsers that invoke the Windows Share Window. It now supports sharing URLs directly to WhatsApp, Gmail, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. This is also now in the Canary channel.

See your phone's photos on your desktop

Screenshot of a Windows 11 notification displaying a photo taken on an Android phone

Starting with Windows 11 build 23619 in the Dev Channel, Microsoft is testing a new capability that shows new photos taken with your Android phone as a notification on your desktop, so you can easily edit and share them on your PC. This feature works independently from the Phone Link app, which is also a new thing. You can now manage your phone's connection to your PC with a new page in the Settings app. This is now in the Beta channel as well.

Screenshot of a WIndows 11 dialog allowing users to manage connected mobile devices

This change is also available in the latest Canary channel builds.

Windows 365

Microsoft shipped several updates for Windows 365 in the Windows 11 Dev Channel, starting with build 23601 and also in Windows 11 Beta channel build 22635.2915. There's now a dedicated mode for Windows 365 boot, where you can now boot to your Windows 365 Cloud PC from your designated company-owned device. You will be able to seamlessly log in to your Windows 365 Cloud PC from the Windows 11 login screen using password-less authentication methods. In shared mode, organizations can now customize the login page to include their company branding from Intune. Other Windows 365 changes can be seen below:

  • Fail fast mechanism for Windows 365 Boot: You no longer need to wait for the sign-in process to complete only to find out Windows 365 Boot failed due to network issues or incomplete setup
  • Manage local PC settings through Windows 365 Boot: It's now easier for you to access and manage sound, display, and other device-specific settings on your local PC directly from your Cloud PC under Windows 365 Boot.
  • Improved disconnect experience for Windows 365 Switch: You can now disconnect from Cloud PC directly from your local PC. This can be done by going to Local PC > Task view > Right-click on the Cloud PC button > Disconnect.
  • Desktop indicators to differentiate between Cloud PC and local PC for Windows 365 Switch: You will now see the terms “Cloud PC” and “Local PC” on the desktop indicator when you switch between your respective PCs.
  • Gracefully handling increased connection time for Windows 365 Switch to Frontline Cloud PC: You will now see updates regarding the Cloud PC connection status and the connection timeout indicator while waiting on the connection screen

These are also available in the Release Preview channel now.

File Explorer improvements

With build 26040 in the Canary channel, Microsoft has added new options for compressing multiple files, including compressing to 7z and TAR files directly form the context menu in File Explorer. There's also anew compression wizard with even more options, such as the compression method and level.

Screenshot of Windows 11 compression wizard

Starting with build 26058 in the Dev and Canary channels, Microsoft is also adding labels to the top row of icons in the File Explorer context menu to make them easier to identify at a glance.

Screenshot of Windows 11 file explorer context menu with labels

Settings app

Better Microsoft account management

Microsoft is working on making your account information page more useful. You can now see information about perpetual Office 2019 or 2021 licenses linked to your account. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can also now see an option to install your Office apps directly on the Accounts page without having to navigate to the Microsoft account page manually.

Network & internet

In the Canary channel, the summary page for Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections in the Settings app now shows gateway information directly. This change is available in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels. Also, in these channels, you now have a link to view more network adapter options.

Starting in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25977 in the Canary Channel, you also can show a QR code to share network information with others. You'll see this when looking at your Wi-Fi password under Wi-Fi properties. This is also now available in the Dev channel.

Likewise, with build 26052, it's now possible to use the Camera app to scan QR codes for Wi-Fi networks, making it easier to join a Wi-Fi network.

Screenshot of the WIndows 11 camera app giving the user the optioon to connect to a Wi-Fi network using a QR code

New animations

Microsoft has added a new visual flourish to the Settings app by animating icons on the side menu. When you switch to a different category in the side menu, you'll see a brief animation play for the section you're switching to, making the interface feel a bit more alive.

Currently, these animated icons are only available to Windows Insiders in the Canary channel, starting with build 25197, and only select users may see them.

Dynamic refresh rate support for external monitors

Dynamic refresh rate is one of the features that debuted with Windows 11, specifically with the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8. However, it's only ever been available to built-in displays on select devices. Now, if you have an external monitor with a refresh rate of 120Hz or higher, you can also use a dynamic refresh rate. This change is currently only available in the Canary channel starting with build 25206.

Design improvementsScreenshot of the redesigned Graphics page in the Windows 11 Settings app

A small tweak recently made to the Settings app is refreshing the Graphics settings page under System > Display > Graphics. This page now has an updated look that aligns better with the Windows 11 design language. This is currently exclusive to the Canary channel.

Similar improvements have been made to the lists in the Apps > Startup and Apps > Advanced app Settings > App execution aliases pages to modernize the overall look and feel and improve usability. These design updates are now available in the Dev and Beta channels.

Color Management improvements

Comparison of the old and new color management pages in Windows 11

Starting with build 25309 in the Canary channel, Microsoft started enabling the ability to use Auto Color Management on almost any monitor. This allows your computer to ensure colors are displayed consistently across different monitors, especially for panels that support 10-bit color and have a color gamut wider than sRGB. This feature is also now available for Insiders in the Dev channel with build 23506.

With build 26052, Microsoft has also introduced a new color management app, which includes the new auto color management option and other settings that were previously only available through Control Panel.

New settings for power controls

For Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels, you can now find settings related to your physical power controls (such as the power button and the lid on a laptop) in the Settings app under System > Power. You can choose whether to shut down or put the computer to sleep based on your interactions. Previously, these options were only available in the classic Control Panel.

Choose a preferred Windows Hello camera

For Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels, it's now possible to select your preferred webcam to use for Windows Hello facial recognition when multiple ones are available. You can find this option in the Settings app, under Accounts > Sign-in options.

Redesigned page for wheel settings

For the Surface Dial or other wheel-like devices that have on-screen controls, Microsoft has revamped the Wheel settings page (under Bluetooth & devices). The new page aligns more closely with Windows 11 design principles. This is available in the Dev and Beta channels.

Screenshot of the new wheel settings page in Windows 11 build 25330

Easier HDR settings on battery

Starting with build 25346 in the Canary channel, it's now easier to choose whether HDR features should be turned off when a laptop is running on battery power. These features are displayed directly on the HDR settings page under the general HDR settings.

Reinstall Windows through Windows Update

Screenshot of Windows 11 Settings app showing the option to fix problems using Windows Update

Starting with build 25905 in the Canary channel, Microsoft has added an option to fix problems with your PC using Windows Update. Essentially, this downloads and reinstalls your version of Windows without deleting any of your apps or files. This means you may no longer have to reset your PC to fix issues you may be having. You can find this under System > Recovery.

Improvements for Bluetooth devices

With Windows 11 build 26052, Microsoft has made some tweaks to the Bluetooth devices page in the Settings app. Now, each device has an expandable menu where you can see the battery life and connection information for each device (such as both sides of a pair of wireless earbuds). Additionally, Bluetooth audio devices now have a link to the audio properties page directly available so you can easily change audio settings.

Windows 11 Settings Bluetooth devices
Source: Microsoft

New energy saver feature in Settings

A screenshot of energy saver in the Windows 11 quick settings app

Microsoft is introducing a new Energy Saver feature in the Settings app. This is a way to extend battery life and reduce energy consumption in Windows 11 while also trading off system performance. You'll be able to access this with a toggle in the Quick Settings in System Tray. Energy saver will be available when PCs are plugged in, including desktop PCs.

Miscellaneous Settings changes

There are a few smaller changes being tested in the Settings app:

  • It's now possible to join a Bluetooth Personal Area network from the Bluetooth & devices > Devices page. This is available in the Dev and Beta channels.
  • You can now set whether a cellular connection should be used when Wi-Fi is available but has poor quality using the Settings > Network & Internet > Cellular page. This is available in the Dev and Beta channels.
  • When Windows detects you may be in a different time zone but isn't completely sure, it will now send a notification that can't be dismissed so you can confirm whether your time zone is correct before changing it.
  • In the Canary channel, Microsoft has made it so that if you enable dynamic refresh rate and battery saver, Windows will automatically use the lower refresh rate available until the battery saver is disabled.
  • There's a new presence sensing feature called Adaptive dimming, which dims the screen when you look away from it and turns the brightness back up when you face the screen again. This feature is available under System > Power & battery > Presence sensing. This is currently in the Dev and Beta channel.
  • In the Canary channel (build 25926), you can now adjust the intensity of color filters under Accessibility > Color filters so that they suit your needs the best.
  • Starting with build 26052, when scanning for Bluetooth devices, Windows 11 will now scan for all kinds of devices, but only show the most common ones by default. A show all devices button will be shown if other devices are detected.
  • The option to show the Wi-Fi password for a network has been moved to the top of the Wi-Fi properties page.
  • The UI for the Storage Spaces page (Settings > System > Storage > Storage Spaces) has been refined to be easier to understand and use.

Accessibility

Voice access improvements

In Windows 11 Beta channel build 22635.2915 and Windows 11 Dev Channel build 23612, Microsoft is testing several changes to voice access. The company is rolling out extended voice access to support other languages like French, German, and Spanish in regions like France, Canada, Spain, and Mexico. It's also rolling out multi-display support and voice shortcuts, meaning you can create custom commands for voice access.. This has now made its way to the Release Preview channel.

Narrator improvements

Microsoft has made some smaller changes to Narrator, such as increasing the verbosity level by default and improving support for Braille displays. This is currently only in the Dev channel.

In addition, in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2771 in the Beta Channel, and Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23590 in the Dev Channel, Microsoft is improving the image consumption experience with Narrator. There's a new keyboard command for navigating between images and graphics, and improved recognition of text in images.

With build 26040, Narrator can also now mention draft and resolved comments, bookmarks, or the availability of accessibility suggestion in a Word document. Narrator can also now work with Windows voice access, so users can give commands to their PC using their voice while using Narrator. Even Narrator can be controlled this way, with commands like "speak faster"or "read next line". This is available in all Windows Insider channels.

Support for Bluetooth LE Audio hearing aids

Starting in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25977 in the Canary Channel Microsoft is rolling out support for hearing aids that support Bluetooth LE audio in Windows. You'll be able to pair these to your compatible PC stream audio, and take calls. Microsoft is also planning additional features in the future for this, like controlling audio presets directly.

Screenshot of Windows 11 hearing aids settings
Source: Microsoft

With build 26052, in both the Canary and Dev channels, there are even more enhancements, including the ability to change the environment audio volume compared to the PC audio for hearing aids, and you can even change these settings separately for each side. You can also enable audio presets built into the hearing aids by the manufacturer directly from the Windows 11 Settings app.

Now mouse pointer indicator

Mouse pointer indicator in Windows 11

If you have trouble finding your mouse pointer, Microsoft is testing a new feature that draws crosshairs on your screen to show the exact position of your mouse in a more obvious way. This feature is available in build 26058 and up in the Dev and Canary channels.

Built-in apps

Some Windows 11 apps also get updates exclusively for Windows Insiders. These tend to roll out to everyone over time without requiring a full OS update, but some changes may require an update.

Notepad and Copilot

Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels can currently test an update for Notepad that adds a Copilot integration, so you can select a chunk of text and have Copilot explain it for you. You'll need to be in a region where Copilot in Windows is supported, and if you are, you just need to select text and then right-click it to see the option.

An example of the "Explain with Copilot" feature
Image Credit: Microsoft

Snipping Tool gets shapes

Another update currently available only for the Dev and Canary channels is one for Snipping Tool. This one adds some new editing capabilities to the app, with the ability to draw shapes like circles and arrows on a screenshot, making it easier to explain steps in a tutorial, for example.

Drawing shapes with the Snipping Tool
Image Credit: Microsoft

Maps, movies & TV, and WordPad are no longer installed

Starting in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25987, which is currently available in the Canary Channel, you'll see that both the Windows Maps and Movies & TV apps will no longer be installed after you clean install the operating system. This is only for clean installs and not for upgrades, and the apps will still be downloadable from the Microsoft Store.

Additionally, WordPad is also being removed from clean installations of Windows 11, and with Canary build 26040, it's also removed after an upgrade.

Steps Recorder

Starting in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23590 (Dev Channel), Steps Recorder will not receive further updates and is planned for removal in a future Windows release. Starting in this build, Steps Recorder (PSR.exe) will display a new banner notification to guide users towards alternative options​​​​​​. This change has since made it to the Beta channel, too.

Generative Erase in the Photos app

Now available to all Windows Insider channels, Microsoft is upgrading the old Spot Fix feature in the Photos app to Generative Erase. This AI-powered feature can remove unwanted distractions from a picture and replace them with a realistic representation of what should be in that space.

Windows Mixed Reality is no more

Across various Insider channels, Microsoft has started removing the Mixed Reality Portal app from Windows 11, as Windows Mixed Reality is now deprecated. In Windows 11 build 25062, however, Windows Mixed Reality headsets simply won't work, even through Steam. If you want to keep using Windows Mixed Reality until the end of the support period (November 2026), you can't update to Windows 11 version 24H2.

Miscellaneous improvements

Meanwhile, Microsoft is testing a new policy for enterprise scenarios, where companies can enable a passwordless experience for employees using Windows Hello for Business. This policy hides the ability to use the password in common authentication scenarios in Windows 11, such as unlocking the PC, accepting a UAC prompt, and more. This is available in the Dev and Beta channels.

Sudo for Windows

Linux users familiar with the sudo command can now find it in Windows 11 as well, starting with build 26052 in the Canary and Dev channels. The sudo command provides a quick and easy way to elevate a command in a command-line interface, running it as an administrator. You can customize Sudo for Windows so that it runs inline or in a new window, depending on your preference.

USB4 version 2 (80Gbps) and Wi-Fi 7 support

Recently, Windows 11 builds across multiple Insider channels have added support for USB4 version 2, or USB 80Gbps. This technology is not widely available yet, but it provides double the bandwidth of USB4, going up to 80Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth, or up to 120Gbps in a single direction in special configurations. Currently, there's no hardware that supports this feature, though the Razer Blade 18 is the first laptop to announce support for it.

Additionally, Microsoft has also added proper support for Wi-Fi 7, which has been shipping in laptops for a few months, starting with build 26062 in the Canary channel. Wi-Fi 7 promises speeds up to four time faster than Wi-Fi 6 thanks to multiple technology improvements.

Voice Clarity

Starting with build 26040 in the Canary channel, Microsoft has started bringing a feature called Voice Clarity to all Windows 11 devices, despite previously being exclusive to certain Surface models. Voice Clarity removes background noise from your microphone when you're talking, so you sound clearer to the people you may be talking to. The feature doesn't require special hardware, so it works on virtually any device, and it's always enabled for apps that use the Communications Signal Processing Mode.

With build 26052, it's also now possible to test your microphone in both normal and communications mode in the Settings app, so you can hear yourself with and without the voice clarity feature enabled.

Screenshot of the microphone settings page in Windows 11 showing the voice test section highlighted with options for either default or communications mode

A redesigned Windows setup

The Windows setup before and after
Image Credit: Microsoft

If you're performing a clean install of Windows 11, there's some big news here. For the first time in over a decade, Microsoft is redesigning the setup experience for Windows 11, ditching the look it's been using since the Windows 8 era, which also still contains many Windows Vista-like elements. The new UI isn't exactly consistent with Windows 11's design language, but it's still nice to see a change.

Typing and input improvements

With Windows 11 build 26040, Microsoft added native support for the Colemak keyboard layout, which puts the most frequently used keys in the English alphabet on the home row. You can enable Colemak on any Latin-script language. There's also a new keyboard layout for Hebrew, called Hebrew (Standard, 2018).

Improved Euphemia typeface

If you speak a language that uses the Euphemia typeface — mostly covering languages that use the Canadian Syllabic script — you'll notice an improved Euphemia typeface. Over 200 characters have been updated to be more easily readable, plus new glyphs to help it line up with the latest Unicode 14 standard. There are new characters for the Nattilik language of the Canadian arctic region in this update. This is currently only available to Windows Insiders in the Canary channel.

SMB security improvements

With Windows 11 build 25206, Microsoft enabled the SMB authentication rate limiter by default. This is a security feature that causes a delay whenever a user tries to log into an SMB server and enters the wrong credentials. Now, every failed attempt causes a 2-second delay until another authentication attempt can be made again, significantly slowing down brute force attacks to hack into an SMB server. For example, an attacker could previously have tried to submit 300 authentication attempts per second for five minutes, resulting in 90,000 submitted passwords. With this delay, entering 90,000 passwords would take over 50 hours. This is currently only available in the Canary channel.

Additionally, starting with build 25381 in the Canary channel, Microsoft has made a change so that SMB signing is required for all connections when using Windows 11 Enterprise. With build 25905, SMB signing is also required for Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 11.

Update management

In the Canary channel, Microsoft is now making it easier for IT admins to control how updates are deployed in enterprise environments. There are now group policies allowing admins to set different deadlines for installing quality (cumulative) updates and feature updates, so there's more granular control over when updates are installed. Deadlines are also calculated differently, so they're based on when the client device first detects the update.

Shared folder changes

If you're running Windows 11 Pro, build 25276 introduced a change that no longer allows guests to connect to a shared folder using guest credentials, even if the server requests them. This is to reinforce security, and it mimics the behavior on Enterprise and Education editions of Windows. This only applies to the Canary channel for now.

Automatic LSA protection enablement

Local Security Authority (LSA) protection is a security feature that protects your computer from threats by preventing unauthorized code from running in the LSA process. Starting with build 26314 in the Canary channel, Microsoft will now monitor your system to detect potential incompatibilities with LSA protection, and automatically enable it if no issues are found. You can still disable it if you run into any problems.

Camera troubleshooting notification

Starting with build 25381 in the Canary channel, Windows 11 will now let you know if there are issues with your camera's video, such as the camera being blocked by a privacy shutter or failing to start. You'll see a notification pop up to help you troubleshoot the problem. This is also available in the Dev and Beta channels now.

Arm32 UWP apps are no longer supported

While it's not a new feature, a notable change in recent builds of Windows 11 is the removal of support for Arm32 apps, which were mostly designed for Windows phones and Windows 8 devices. While most Windows on Arm devices were using Arm64, older Arm32 apps were still supported. That's no longer the case starting with Windows 11 build 25905 in the Canary channel. Other channels are unaffected by this change for now.

LAPS improvements

The Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) that was built into Windows 11 with a recent update has a new capability that allows users to terminate interactive logon sessions and any individual processes associated with them in one go. This is exclusive to the Canary channel.

More recently, build 26040 added a lot of new capabilities to Windows LAPS, too. These include a new automatic account management setting, a new password dictionary for improved readability, along with a new font that's also easier to read, and the ability to create a passphrase, with a set number of characters and words. LAPS can also now detect if there's been an image rollback that makes the local password different from the one in Active Directory, making it impossible to sign in. This new feature should make it so that the password is immediately rotated so you can keep using LAPS.

New post-OOBE experiences

In Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25987 in the Canary channel, when you need to connect to a network and there are no Wi-Fi drivers, you’ll be given the option to press an “Install Drivers” button to install drivers you have previously downloaded.

DC location will no longer use NetBIOS\WINS\mailslot-based discovery by default

With the deprecation of Windows Internet Name Service and Remote Mailslots, Microsoft is also changing the behavior of domain controller (DC) locators so that it no longer uses these features by default, though it can be re-enabled via Group Policy (BlockNetBIOSDiscovery), but this should be a temporary measure.

Instead, DC locator will now automatically download information about child domains and use that information in the discovery algorithm, and admins can also set up a DNS-to-NetBIOS-domain-name mapping to be downloaded by the DC Locator when discovering domains. These changes are only in the Canary channel.

Registry Editor can now search in a subtree

Starting with Windows 11 build 26052, it's now possible to search only in the current subtree of registry editor, making it easier to find elements you know are in a specific folder.

Microsoft Defender Application Guard is discontinued

Microsoft has removed Microsoft Defender Application Guard as a feature on demand starting with Windows 11 build 26052. The feature has been deprecated and is no longer supported.


And those are all the Windows 11 features currently in preview for Windows Insiders. New builds are constantly coming out with new features and improvements, and as these make their way to public releases, we'll keep updating this page. You can keep checking back to find more new features or keep an eye on our Windows 11 update tracker to see what's been made available to the general public.