Hello Windows Insiders, today marks the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28020.1362 to the Canary Channel (KB 5073095).
What’s new in Build 28020.1362
Changes and Improvements Gradually Rolling Out
[Gaming]
- The full screen experience (FSE) is now accessible on a wider range of Windows 11 handheld devices, following its initial launch on the ASUS ROG Ally and ROG Ally X. This feature provides a console-style interface through the Xbox app, enhancing handheld gaming by minimizing distractions and optimizing performance. To activate FSE, navigate to Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience and set Xbox as your home app. You can access FSE via Task View or Game Bar, or configure your device to launch in full screen mode upon startup.
- Feedback: We encourage you to share your insights in the Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Gaming and Xbox > Gaming Handhelds.
[Click to Do]
Updates are being rolled out for Copilot+ PCs:
- The Click to Do context menu has been redesigned for a more streamlined experience, allowing easier access to frequently used actions such as Copy, Save, Share, and Open.
- When large images or tables appear on your screen, the context menu will automatically pop up, facilitating quicker access to necessary actions.
[Agent in Settings]
Enhancements for the agent in Settings on Copilot+ PCs include:
- New experiences designed to simplify the modification of settings in both search and recommended settings.
- Recommended Settings: This feature now allows for quicker changes by displaying an inline agent action for recently modified settings.
- Search: The search flyout now displays more available results, enabling users to quickly modify settings. If certain settings cannot be adjusted further, a dialog will explain why and offer options for modification.
[Studio Effects]
Expanding Windows Studio Effects to additional cameras:
- We are enhancing the Windows Studio Effects experience, previously limited to integrated laptop cameras, to support a broader range of hardware. On compatible Copilot+ PCs, users can now utilize AI-powered camera enhancements with alternative cameras, such as USB webcams or built-in rear cameras.
- To begin, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras and select your preferred camera from the list. Open the advanced camera options menu to find the new “Use Windows Studio Effects” toggle. Once enabled, adjustments can be made directly from the camera settings page or the quick settings menu in the taskbar.
- For further details on Windows Studio Effects and device prerequisites, please refer to Windows Studio Effects – Microsoft Support.
[Drag Tray]
For Insiders utilizing the Drag Tray feature:
- Drag Tray now supports multi-file sharing, intelligently surfaces relevant apps, and enables seamless file movement to selected folders.
- Users can now toggle Drag Tray on/off from Settings > System > Nearby sharing.
[File Explorer]
- Dark Mode: Enhancements have been made to the dark mode experience in File Explorer, particularly for key actions like copy, move, and delete dialogs. Users will now see a consistent dark mode experience across:
- The default and expanded states for copy, move, and delete dialogs
- Progress bars and chart views
- Dialogs for confirming actions such as skip, override, and file selection
- Multiple confirmation and error dialogs
Additional File Explorer improvements include:
- For Insiders with Copilot+ PCs, the File Explorer Search Box placeholder text has been updated to highlight the improved Windows Search experience introduced earlier this year.
- Hovering over a file in File Explorer Home now reveals quick action commands such as Open file location and Ask Copilot, a feature now supported for work and school accounts (Entra ID). Please note, this feature is not available in the European Economic Area.
[Mobile Device Settings]
- Users can now manage mobile devices directly from Settings on their Windows PC by navigating to “Mobile Devices” under the Bluetooth & Devices section. This page allows for viewing, adding, and managing features such as using a device as a connected camera or accessing its files in File Explorer.
[Desktop Spotlight]
- A new feature is being tested that adds “Learn more about this background” and “Next desktop background” to the context menu when right-clicking on the desktop, provided Windows Spotlight is selected as the desktop background.
[Input]
- More keyboard settings are being transitioned from Control Panel to Settings. This includes the character repeat delay/rate now being found under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Keyboard, and the cursor blink rate under Settings > Accessibility > Text cursor.
- Performance enhancements have been made for keyboard backlighting on supported HID-compliant keyboards, ensuring clear visibility in low-light environments while conserving power.
- The AltGr layer is now enabled for the Arabic 101 keyboard layout, allowing access to additional symbols. The Saudi Riyal currency symbol (AltGr+S) is the first new symbol mapped to this layout, also available on the touch keyboard’s symbols page and the expressive input panels currency tab.
- Pens that support haptic feedback will now provide tactile responses during specific interactions with the system UI, such as vibrations when hovering over the close button or during window snapping and resizing.
[Game Pass]
- This build includes updates to Game Pass plan references in Settings, reflecting the latest branding and benefits.
[OneDrive]
- The new OneDrive icon is being rolled out in Accounts and Homepages within Settings.
[Recovery]
- Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) will now perform a one-time scan on PCs with the settings quick machine recovery and automatically check for solutions enabled. If an immediate fix is unavailable, QMR will guide users to the best recovery options to restore their PC.
[Advanced Settings]
- Virtual Workspaces can now be activated in Advanced Settings, allowing users to enable or disable virtual environments such as Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox. Access Virtual Workspaces via Settings > Systems > Advanced.
Fixes gradually being rolled out
[File Explorer]
- Resolved an issue where File Explorer might unexpectedly fail to display thumbnails for video files containing specific EXIF metadata.
- Fixed a problem where an outdated white toolbar could occasionally appear in File Explorer.
- Addressed an issue where the app icon next to the Open option might appear generic instead of showing the default app for that file type.
- Corrected a situation where opening a folder from another app could reset custom views back to default settings.
- Fixed an issue where the File Explorer window body might not respond to mouse clicks after invoking the context menu.
- Resolved a problem where extracting very large archive folders (1.5GB+) could fail with a “Catastrophic Error” (error code 0x8000FFFF).
- Addressed an issue that could cause File Explorer to become unresponsive when opening Home.
[Settings]
- Fixed an issue where Settings might become unresponsive when navigating to the Network & Internet section.
- Resolved a problem where the search bar in Settings could overlap with the minimum and maximum buttons in the title bar.
- Corrected an issue where the processor name in Settings > System > About might be truncated.
[Taskbar]
- Fixed an issue where the taskbar’s auto-hide setting might unexpectedly deactivate after displaying a message about a hidden toolbar.
- Resolved a problem where Voice access was not functioning correctly when interacting with the taskbar.
- Addressed an issue where taskbar icons could automatically scale down despite sufficient space.
- Fixed a problem where hovering over an app icon and selecting the window preview could dismiss the preview without bringing the window to the foreground.
[Start menu]
- For Insiders with the new Start menu, the Windows Search panel now matches the new Start menu size, creating a smoother transition during searches.
[Internet]
- Implemented underlying improvements to address issues that could lead to a lack of internet connectivity after resuming from disconnected standby. Please report any ongoing issues under Network and Internet in the Feedback Hub.
[Display and graphics]
- Enhanced performance when apps query monitors for their full list of supported modes, reducing momentary stutters on high-resolution monitors.
- Fixed an issue affecting brightness sliders on All-in-one PCs, which could revert unexpectedly.
- Resolved a problem where certain games displayed messages about unsupported graphics cards despite using supported hardware.
- Addressed an issue where apps and browsers might show partially unresponsive content when other maximized or full-screen apps were updating in the background.
- Fixed a rendering issue affecting text in multiline text boxes within certain applications.
[Login and Lock screens]
- Made improvements to enhance the performance of loading the taskbar after unlocking from sleep, addressing rendering issues with the password field and other sign-in screen contents.
- Fixed a slow sign-in issue for new accounts.
- Resolved a memory leak issue that could occur when the lock screen was set to slideshow mode.
[Narrator]
- Fixed an issue where Narrator could take abrupt pauses during continuous reading in Word documents.
[Windows Update]
- Resolved an underlying issue that could prevent “Update and shutdown” from properly shutting down the PC after updates.
- Fixed an issue that caused some Insiders to encounter error 0x8007042B when attempting to upgrade to Canary from recent Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2-based builds.
[Task Manager]
- Fixed an issue where Task Manager could open as expected but remain running in the background if closed, leading to an increase in processes and unexpected appearances on boot.
[Other]
- Resolved an issue where certain apps might become unresponsive during the launch of the Open or Save Dialog.
- Fixed a problem where interacting with the desktop could inadvertently invoke Task View.
[Paint App update rolling out to Canary & Dev Channels]
- With Paint version 11.2511.281.0, we are introducing a collapsible toolbar feature. To use this, open Paint and click the chevron icon at the bottom-right of the ribbon to enable Automatically hide toolbar. Once collapsed, you can use the Show toolbar button to bring it back for tool switching. To hide it again, click the Hide toolbar button or anywhere outside the toolbar. To revert to the default view, click the chevron icon and select Always show toolbar.
Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel
- The builds released to the Canary Channel represent the latest platform changes early in the development cycle and should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows. Features and experiences included in these builds may never be released as we explore different concepts and gather feedback. Features may evolve, be removed, or replaced and may not be available beyond Windows Insiders. Some features may appear in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
- Many features in the Canary Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and gradually expanding as we monitor feedback.
- Some features may debut in the Dev and Beta Channels before appearing in the Canary Channel.
- Features in active development may not be fully localized initially, with localization occurring over time as features are finalized. Please report any localization issues via the Feedback Hub.
- To exit the Canary Channel, a clean installation of Windows 11 will be required. Insiders cannot switch to a channel receiving builds with lower build numbers without performing a clean installation due to technical setup requirements.
- For a comprehensive overview of which build is in which Insider channel, please visit Flight Hub.
Thanks,
Windows Insider Program Team
*Functionality will vary by device and market; text actions will be available across markets in select character sets. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs.
