Microsoft releases first test version of Windows 11, version 26H1 - but its changes may disappoint you
Microsoft released the 2025 feature update for its Windows 11 operating system less than two months ago. The new version of Windows 11 did not really impress with many new features or major changes, with the majority remaining in testing or the usual slow rollout to stable systems.
Rumors about Windows 11, version 26H1 emerged recently, mostly from inspections of pre-release code. A release of a --- supposedly -- feature update in the first half of the year would be a major change in Windows 11's release schedule. In fact, this never happened for Windows 11 before.
Veteran Windows users may get flashbacks to the early days of Windows 10 releases, when Microsoft decided to go with two feature updates each year. This put a lot of strain on IT departments and home users alike. Many decided to install only the feature update of the second half to keep their sanity.
Windows 11, version 26H1 confirmed
Microsoft confirmed the existence of Windows 11, version 26H1 just a few days ago when it released a new build to the Windows 11 Insider Preview Canary Channel. However, Microsoft added several remarks to the release in order to explain what it is doing.
The details:
- Windows 11, version 26H1 is not a feature update for Windows 11, version 25H2.
- Windows 11 continues to have an annual feature update cadence.
- The update is only for Windows 11 devices with "specific silicon".
In other words, Microsoft is introducing this non-feature update to add support for certain chips. While Microsoft does not mention which, the leaks suggested that Microsoft was targeting Snapdragon X2 Elite processors specifically with that release.
Microsoft notes that this build "should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows" and that "features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders.
All in all, this new build should not affect the majority of Windows users -- testers or stable -- in any way. The bulk continues to rely on AMD or Intel silicon, which appears to not be targeted by Microsoft with this new Windows 11, version 26H1 release.
As for what is changed in the new build: not much. Microsoft lists just a few corrections of issues, but no major changes or new features. Going forward, Microsoft is likely going to improve compatibility and support for the chips that it plans to better support with this release.
Now You: Do you run Windows 11 on your PCs? Or do you stick to an earlier version of Windows or an entirely different operating system? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
If Microsoft did nothing but focus on fixing bugs – no new features – no reinventing things for the thousandth time – they’d be busy for at least a couple of years. There are some bugs that go back over a decade.
They need to stop dumbing down the OS, take out the advertising, AI and telemetry and let us customize our experience. None of that is going to happen, so please just fix bugs.
Windows is not stable, secure or privacy focused and hasn’t been for many, many years
Just my 2 cents worth.
I would prefer they would focus on stability over adding anymore features. As much as I dislike Windows I dislike much of the Linux distributions I have tried out even more. After Mac OS Tahoe I am not sure I could go back to a Mac. Just want these operating system to just let themselves mature and stop trying to reinvent them.
After adding AI to Windows, it feels like the OS is feature-complete at this point, I can’t imagine what else can they add in a future version, say Windows 12.
I imagine it will be even more AI-oriented with AI being more heavily integrated into the OS where at some point it will be able to do all your work for you, you can tell it “log into my Hunter on Turtle WoW and do some quests to gain one level” and it will do it while at the same time you either do something else on the PC, be outside, do some house chores or sleep. But such things defeat the purpose of using a computer.
The only other thing I can imagine being done is changing the UI of the OS once again. Maybe things will go once again full circle with Glass UI similar to Vista, seeing as how Apple did it now, I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft decides to do it too.
But overall, I’m no longer excited about Windows anymore. I think if you are a power user who wants things set in a very specific way with the freedom to customize the OS the way you want, Windows will be even less of a viable option for that as the tendency is to make it more like those immutable Linux distros where any changes you make get reset.
When did a Microsoft release not disappoint?