Windows 11 Insider Beta Preview Build 26220.9343 and Experimental Preview Build 26340.9354 released
Cloud rebuild recovery, new 26H2 and 26H1 channels, and a host of accessibility updates land in the latest Insider previews.
Microsoft is rolling out a massive wave of Insider Preview builds today, hitting five channels with updates ranging from a major Cloud rebuild recovery feature to Emoji 17.0 and two brand-new Windows 11 channels for 26H2 and 26H1.
If you're keeping score, that's two new channels landing alongside the familiar Beta stream. The Experimental channel for Windows 11 26H2 is now on build 26340.9354, while the Experimental channel for Windows 11 26H1 is at 28120.2912. The Beta channel for 26H1 is at 28020.2904, and the usual Beta channel for 25H2 is at 26220.9343. There's also a Future Platforms build at 29661.1000 for those who like living on the edge.
Cloud rebuild lands in WinRE
The headline feature for the Beta channel is Cloud rebuild, a recovery option that lets you reinstall Windows even when the OS won't boot. You'll find it under Troubleshoot => Recovery and uninstall => Cloud rebuild in the Windows Recovery Environment.
Microsoft says the feature downloads both the target Windows image and device drivers from Windows Update. That means you don't need a USB stick or a custom image to restore the PC to a clean state. The system should be ready to network the moment Windows lands, rather than hunting for a floppy disk full of drivers from a previous era.
WinRE gets a networking upgrade to support this. It can now auto-reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles saved in the main OS, including certificate-based networks. Before this change, WinRE could only connect to wired Ethernet or unauthenticated Wi-Fi. WPA2/3 networks required manual password entry. This change removes that friction for recovery workflows.
This is a welcome move for home users and IT admins alike. The ability to perform a full OS reinstall remotely without physical media simplifies things considerably.
Accessibility gets a major push
The Experimental channel 26H2 build brings two accessibility updates that target specific pain points.
Magnifier now supports per-display zoom across extended monitors. Each screen maintains its own zoom level. You can have your writing display at 300% while keeping the reference screen at 150%. The magnified view no longer spills from one display into the next. Per-monitor zoom is enabled by default.
You can lock one monitor's view while moving your cursor to another display using Ctrl + Windows key + K. This is useful for drafting based on reference material on a second screen. The locked screen remains fully interactive. Release the lock with Ctrl + Alt + P or clear all locks with Windows key + Esc.
Narrator gains math reading and navigation support. Math equations in Microsoft 365 apps like Word and PowerPoint are now read aloud in a structured way. Fractions are announced with numerator and denominator relationships rather than symbol by symbol.
A dedicated math navigation mode triggers with Narrator key + Alt + N. You can step through equations using arrow keys to inspect individual components like fractions, exponents, and roots. Press Esc to exit. This targets STEM students and professionals who are blind or have low vision.
Resume and small features
The Resume feature gets a nudge in the 26H2 Experimental build. The cross-device capability lets you continue webpages from your phone on your PC. The previous version forced you to install the phone's browser to resume a session. Now the hovercard offers two options: open the page in your PC's default browser or install the originating browser for a native experience.
Emoji 17.0 lands in both Beta and Experimental channels. New additions include the distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature. Existing emojis like the saluting face, face with peeking eye, goose, lotus, and kissing cat also receive design refinements for cross-platform consistency.
The Ebrima font now supports two newly encoded African writing systems: Garay and Beria Erfe. Ebrima is Microsoft's first font to support both scripts.
Sound settings in the Experimental channel gain several upgrades. Volume sliders now display real-time audio activity levels during playback. Hardware acceleration toggles appear for compatible devices. Exclusive mode configuration moves into Advanced device properties in Settings. Adaptive communication sound level controls are configurable directly in Settings as well.
A new Assisted Setup option appears at the end of OOBE in the Experimental channel. Windows guides you through installing apps, personalizing the device, and getting updated. It's entirely optional. You can skip it to go straight to the desktop.
The AutoPlay dialog gets a WinUI rebuild with full dark mode support and responsive design. Restarting rollout for enhanced taskbar preview animations brings smoother transitions between app groups.
Microsoft is temporarily pulling back the modernized Print Management experience while it refines the UI based on Insider feedback. The existing Print Management tools remain untouched. An updated version is planned for a future build.
Bug fixes and rough edges
There are some issues to watch for in this release. Mouse cursor customization is not working in Beta and Experimental channels. Desktop background customization also fails to persist after reboot in those same channels. A SYSTEM SERVICE EXCEPTION bug check can occur when launching or closing certain apps in the Experimental build.
UAC dialogs are not appearing with Admin Protection enabled in Experimental. Mouse cursor movement is reversed on portrait monitors in the Experimental 26H1 and Future Platforms builds. Zoom does not work on touchpads in some apps in the Beta 26H1 build.
Gamers should note that Easy Anti-Cheat failures with error 0xc000007b are being investigated in the Experimental 26H1 build. Windows Update error 0xc000007b is also showing up in the Future Platforms build.
Enterprise and Future Platforms
Enterprise watchers should note that IAKerb is enabled by default for Windows client in the Future Platforms build. This Kerberos extension allows authentication when a direct connection to a domain controller is unavailable. It's part of Microsoft's push to reduce NTLM dependency.
Cloud rebuild is also an IT admin-friendly recovery option for remote device management scenarios.
The price of entry for these builds remains free for most users with genuine Windows licenses, though the hardware requirements for 26H2 and 26H1 may still require TPM 2.0 and supported processors. Keep in mind that Insider builds are pre-release software and may contain bugs.
For more information, visit the linked release notes below:
Windows 11 Insider Beta Preview Build 26220.9343 - Windows Insider Program
Release notes for Windows 11 Insider Beta Preview Build 26220.9343
Windows 11 Insider Beta Preview Build 26220.9343 - Windows Insider Program
Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9354 - Windows Insider Program
Release notes for Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9354
Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9354 - Windows Insider Program
Windows 11 Insider Beta (26H1) Preview Build 28020.2904 - Windows Insider Program
Release notes for Windows 11 Insider Beta (26H1) Preview Build 28020.2904
Windows 11 Insider Beta (26H1) Preview Build 28020.2904 - Windows Insider Program
Windows 11 Insider Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28120.2912 - Windows Insider Program
Release notes for Windows 11 Insider Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28120.2912
Windows 11 Insider Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28120.2912 - Windows Insider Program
Windows 11 Insider Experimental (Future Platforms) Preview Build 29661.1000 - Windows Insider Program
Release notes for Windows 11 Insider Experimental (Future Platforms) Preview Build 29661.1000
