Windows 11 Insider Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28020.1873

Release date: 24 April 2026

As a reminder, these release notes apply to those who are in the Canary 28000 series Channel. As we begin the transition to the updated Windows Insider Program, all new build release notes will be labeled under the new channel names, even though Insiders in the Canary 28000 series Channel may not yet find themselves having transitioned to Experimental (26H1). See the Windows Insider Blog for more details.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out*

  • This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

[Xbox Mode]

  • Xbox full screen experience is now Xbox mode

  • We’ve added an improved first run experience when entering Xbox mode

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Gaming and Xbox > Gaming Full Screen Experience.

[Touch Keyboard Experience for Voice Typing]

  • We’re updating the experience when you use voice typing with the touch keyboard to make it feel more streamlined and intuitive. The new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key, helping you stay focused on what you’re doing without extra visual distractions. 

Before the update:

Screenshot that shows the dictation overlay appearing when the dictation key is pressed.

After the update:

Screenshot that shows dictation animations on the key, without an overlay.

FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Input and Language > Voice Typing (Windows key plus H). 

[Storage]

  • Improved the performance when navigating to see storage on large volumes via Settings > System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes.

  • Updated Settings > System > Storage, so rather than seeing a UAC prompt immediately when you go to the page, you’ll only see it when going to view temporary files.

[Network]

  • Fixed issue causing Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage to show large unrealistic values in recent Insider builds.

[Other]

  • Improved performance of launching startup apps after boot (apps which display under Settings > Apps > Startup).

Reminder for Windows Insiders in the Canary 28000 Series Channel (Soon transitioning to Experimental (26H1))

  • These builds can be unstable and may be released with limited documentation.

  • The builds we release 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 get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up 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 ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.

  • The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.

  • Some features may show up in the Dev and Beta Channels first before showing up in the Canary Channel.

  • For Windows Insiders who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your PC over time once they are ready.

  • Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.

  • To get off the Canary Channel, a clean install of Windows 11 will be required.

  • Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

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