When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Windows Insiders are encouraged to mark their calendars for weekly checks on new builds, as Microsoft has just introduced four Insider builds, each packed with noteworthy changes and enhancements. The improvements span various aspects, including the Touchpad and Touch Keyboard experiences, alongside a new upgrade path tailored for educational users. The specific changes available will vary depending on the Insider Channel, but all are deserving of attention.
As part of a broader transformation, Microsoft is revamping the Windows Insider Program. Currently, Beta Channel Insiders have yet to transition to the new Beta experience. Those who were previously in the Dev Channel and are now part of the Experimental Channel will receive Build 26300.8376, while Insiders from the Canary 28000 series Channel will also transition to Experimental, receiving Build 28020.2075. Insiders from the Canary 29500 series Channel will be updated to Build 29585.1000. Once the transition concludes, navigating and switching between channels will become more user-friendly, although users should still consult release notes to understand their specific builds and features.
Beta Preview Build 26220.8370
Free upgrade path to Windows 11 Pro Education for K-12
For Windows Insiders within K–12 educational settings, a seamless upgrade path from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro Education edition is now available at no additional cost. This allows educational institutions to purchase Windows 11 Home devices, upgrade them to Windows 11 Pro Education, and effectively manage these devices within school systems.
Please note: This upgrade is one-way only. Reverting to Windows Home is not supported without a clean OS reinstall.
Experimental Preview Build 26300.8376
Touchpad
New gesturing functionalities are being added to precision touchpads within Settings. These features are expected to be broadly accessible across applications, although WinUI3-based UIs will require updated WinAppSDK versions for full functionality.
- Scroll / zoom speed: Control the baseline speed for these gestures.
- Automatic scrolling: Scrolling continues indefinitely without lifting fingers, activated by bringing fingers near the edge of the touchpad or applying pressure (hardware support required).
- Accelerated scrolling: Repeated scrolling increases speed, enabling quick navigation through lengthy documents.
- Single-finger scrolling: Perform vertical scrolling with a single finger from either side of the touchpad.
File Explorer
Several updates have been made to enhance the reliability, readability, and overall usability of File Explorer:
- Address Bar improvements
- The address bar now accommodates paths with double backslashes and quotation marks, enhancing compatibility with various inputs.
- Improved reliability of the Address Bar suggestion dropdown, ensuring it consistently closes after an item is selected.
- More readable file size formatting
- File sizes in the Details view now display using appropriate units (KB, MB, GB), making them easier to comprehend at a glance.
- Refinements to the rename experience
- Resolved an issue where text would be repeatedly selected while renaming items in folder views.
- Fixed an issue where updated names (case-only changes) were not immediately reflected in folder views across local and cloud storage.
- Enhanced keyboard navigation of the File Explorer context menu in flyouts.
EDU
Windows Insiders in this channel can also upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for K-12 from Windows 11 Home at no additional cost.
Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28020.2075
Input
- Improved reliability of typing when utilizing the ADLaM keyboard.
- Enhanced performance of opening clipboard history.
Fonts
Improvements have been made to fonts, including updates to the Leelawadee UI font family for Thai, Lao, Khmer, and Lontara scripts, enhancing glyph sequencing, positioning, and rendering for these languages.
Experimental (Future Platforms) Preview Build 29585.1000
Touch Keyboard Experience for Voice Typing
- The voice typing experience with the touch keyboard has been streamlined and made more intuitive. The new design eliminates the previous full-screen overlay, displaying voice typing animations directly on the dictation key, allowing users to maintain focus without unnecessary visual distractions.
Windows 11’s best new features
The recent updates delivered to Windows Insiders are a collection of welcome enhancements, each catering to different user needs. Educators and school administrators will particularly appreciate the free upgrade path to Windows 11 Pro Education edition, facilitating the acquisition of Windows 11 Home devices and their subsequent upgrade.
Among the changes, the new gesture functionality in Windows 11 stands out. The ability to control scroll and zoom speeds through Windows Settings promises to save time, while automatic scrolling simplifies the process of scanning webpages. For professionals who frequently sift through articles, these enhancements are invaluable.
Additionally, the improved file size display in File Explorer—showing sizes in more relatable units—adds to the overall user experience. Instead of deciphering a file size of 4,215,577 KB, users can now see it represented in GB, making it far more comprehensible.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
