Dev Channel Archives

Winsage

July 2, 2025

You can use 1Password passkeys directly in Windows 11 soon

Microsoft is testing a deeper integration of 1Password’s passkey feature within Windows 11, marking a shift towards a passwordless future. Passkeys enhance security by combining possession (like a smartphone) and biometric identifiers (like face or fingerprint). To enable the integration, users must install the 1Password Beta and navigate to Settings > Passkeys > Advanced options, requiring verification through Windows Hello. This feature is currently available in the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5670 (KB5060838) within the Dev Channel.

Winsage

June 29, 2025

Microsoft Announces Windows 11 Version 25H2

Microsoft has confirmed that the next version of its operating system is Windows 11 version 25H2, which became available to the Windows Insider community and is planned for broader availability in the second half of 2025. The support lifecycle for Enterprise and Education editions will be 36 months, while Pro editions will have a 24-month lifecycle. Windows 11 version 25H2 transitions from version 24H2 with build 26200.5670, maintaining a synchronized approach across all supported versions. It is built on the same codebase as 24H2, ensuring no new compatibility issues arise. New features will debut in 25H2 and will be rolled out to 24H2 through monthly cumulative updates, initially in a disabled state.

Winsage

June 28, 2025

Microsoft is testing tighter integration with 1Password’s passkeys in Windows.

Microsoft is integrating 1Password’s passkeys within the Windows ecosystem to enhance user experience. This feature is currently in the testing phase and is available to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who install the beta version of 1Password.

Winsage

June 28, 2025

Microsoft finally reveals that Windows 11 25H2 will release soon, and Insiders already have it

Microsoft has confirmed the upcoming Windows 11 25H2 update, which is currently in testing phases as indicated by the transition of the build name to 25H2 in the Dev version. The update will include enhancements such as improved integration of 1Password for a smoother passwordless login experience. Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel will see their version updated to 25H2 in the system settings. Microsoft plans to maintain its annual feature update schedule for the second half of the year. However, the promotion for the 25H2 update has been more subdued compared to the previous 24H2 release, possibly due to concerns about overwhelming users with new features while they are still waiting for the 24H2 rollout.

Winsage

June 27, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5670 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5670 (KB5060838) has been released to the Dev Channel. Key updates include: - Passwordless Improvements: Integration with 1Password for passkey management, allowing users to sign in using Windows Hello after enabling the plugin credential manager. - Versioning Update: The build updates the versioning to 25H2, marking it as this year's annual feature update. - Voice Access: Support for Japanese is temporarily disabled due to bugs. - Settings Update: The new default browser will be pinned to the Taskbar and Start menu unless opted out. - File Explorer Fixes: Issues causing crashes and thumbnail disappearances have been resolved. - Start Menu Fixes: Duplicate entries and animation inconsistencies have been corrected. - Input Fixes: A significant crash affecting typing capabilities has been addressed. - General Fixes: Resolved an issue with the boot sound and fixed a memory leak related to the lock screen slideshow. - Known Issues: Users may experience rollback errors during updates, touch navigation issues in the Start menu, and bugs with Xbox Controllers via Bluetooth. - Reminders: Updates are rolled out gradually, and features may evolve or be removed based on feedback.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

Windows 11 gets a fresh new Start menu and it’s one of the most useful changes to the UI in yonks

Windows 11 has received an update to the Start menu that enhances customization and accessibility for users in the Insider Program. This update allows users to create a scrollable list of applications and categorize them according to personal preferences, improving access to frequently used apps. Users can now switch between Category, Grid, or List views directly from the Start menu, simplifying the customization process. The update also expands scrolling capability, reducing the need for multiple clicks to access additional recommendations and promoting a more organized workspace. Users interested in this functionality can join the Windows Insider Program to select their update channel.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

Windows 11’s indicators for volume and brightness can soon be moved out of the way

The latest test build of Windows 11 allows users to reposition hardware indicators, such as volume and screen brightness, from the bottom-center of the screen to the top-left and top-center. The top-right position is not available to avoid interference with application management buttons. Additionally, Microsoft is introducing a new Recall homepage that provides easy access to frequently used applications and websites, showcasing recent activity and top-used content. This feature includes a navigation bar on the left side for transitioning between the new homepage and the existing Timeline feature. These enhancements are currently being tested with Windows Insiders.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5661 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5661 (KB5060838) has been released to the Dev Channel, introducing new features, improvements, and fixes. Key updates include: - A new personalized homepage for Recall, featuring recent snapshots and a list of top apps and websites. - A new setting allowing users to reposition hardware indicators for brightness, volume, airplane mode, and virtual desktops on the screen. - A Boolean option in the Configure Start Pins policy for administrators to apply Start menu pins just once. - AI actions in File Explorer are being reintroduced after a temporary removal. - Recent flights now display the selected country or region during device setup under Settings > Time & language > Language & region. Fixes include resolving input functionality issues, fixing explorer.exe crashes for users with the Italian display language, addressing performance issues in File Explorer, and correcting sorting issues in Windows Update history. Known issues include touch navigation problems in the new Start menu, issues with Xbox Controllers via Bluetooth, and delays in intelligent text actions in Click to Do on certain PCs. Users may also experience a two-step process to access the latest flight in the Dev Channel and potential rollback errors during installation.

Winsage

June 23, 2025

Microsoft Issues New Insider Builds to Dev and Beta Channels

A new update is available for Windows 11 users in the Insider Program’s Dev and Beta channels. Dev channel users can install cumulative update KB5060838 to upgrade to Windows 11 version 24H2 build 26200.5661, while Beta channel users can install KB5060836 to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 build 26120.4452. Both updates introduce two significant features: a revamped home page experience in Recall for Copilot+ PCs, showcasing recent snapshots and top apps, and improvements to hardware indicators, allowing users to reposition them from the lower-right corner to the top-left or top center of the screen through the Settings app.

Winsage

June 23, 2025

Introducing Mu language model and how it enabled the agent in Windows Settings

Mu is a small language model designed to run locally on Copilot+ PCs, specifically optimized for Neural Processing Units (NPUs). It is a 330M encoder-decoder model that translates natural language queries into actionable settings function calls, enhancing user experience. Mu achieved approximately 47% lower first-token latency and 4.7× higher decoding speed compared to a decoder-only model on a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU. The model incorporates advanced techniques such as Dual LayerNorm, Rotary Positional Embeddings, and Grouped-Query Attention to improve performance while maintaining a compact size. It was trained using A100 GPUs on Azure, pre-training on hundreds of billions of educational tokens and fine-tuning on tasks like SQUAD, CodeXGlue, and the Windows Settings agent. Mu's quantization techniques converted model weights from floating-point to integer representations, optimizing performance on edge devices. The Settings agent was fine-tuned with a dataset of 3.6 million samples to achieve response times under 500 milliseconds, effectively managing user queries related to Windows settings.