Windows 11 26H1 pulls in features from 25H2, but you won’t get it just yet
Microsoft’s next Windows 11 version folds in unfinished features from 25H2 while quietly preparing the OS for a new generation of Arm-powered PCs.
Microsoft is testing Windows 11 26H1 with the Insider Preview Build 28000, which brings many of the useful features we’ve seen in the Dev, Beta, and stable versions of previous builds. Even though the version contains some additions, it’s not one of the usual Windows feature updates (via PCWorld).
For instance, there’s a more consistent dark mode for the File Explorer. All the dialogues in the interface, including those for copy, move, replace, errors, and progress bar, now completely match the theme.
Minor feature tweaks, major groundwork for Windows on Arm
The Explorer start area gets new hover options, including “Open File Location” or “Ask Copilot,” depending on the region the user is in. There’s a redesigned Settings search experience that offers better recommendations when searching within the Windows settings.
Windows 11 26H1 makes it easier to drag and share files within File Explorer (and across other apps), features a refreshed Mobile Devices settings page in the Settings app for managing connected smartphones, and an enhanced Xbox Full-Screen Experience that offers a more console-like immersive experience.
Finally, Windows Studio Effects now supports external USB webcams; you can activate the feature in the Settings section.
While these are minor changes, the primary purpose of Windows 11 26H1 is to prepare the operating system for a new generation of Windows-on-Arm devices powered by the Snapdragon X2 and X2 Elite chipsets (initially exclusive to these chips). It’s based on a new Windows platform codenamed “Bromine.”
The first PCs with Windows 11 26H1 will be available in spring (a few months from now). However, other PCs based on Intel or AMD chips will stick with Windows 11 25H2 for now and might get the next major consumer update in fall 2026. Going forward, Microsoft will conduct all the feature development on 25H2.
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I finally found AI smart glasses that offer a true glimpse of the future
Is your impatience to taste the future strong enough to pay north of a thousand dollars? If so, you’ll love the RayNeo X3 Pro smart glasses.
Over the past couple of years, I have tried my fair share of smart glasses. And in that span, the industry matured dramatically. What started as Bluetooth-enabled glasses, which merely served as glorified speakers, has now reached a stage where they are equipped with screens.
Screens are the differentiating factor. On the one hand, we have brands such as Xreal and Viture that fit two display units that offer a massive canvas for work and play. Then we have labels like Even Realities and Meta, which are offering glasses with an indivisible display.
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You can finally uninstall Microsoft Copilot on Windows 11, but there’s a catch
There is an off switch, but not for everyone
Microsoft is finally letting some users remove Copilot from Windows, but the fine print makes it clear this is not the clean break many people were hoping for. After pushing Copilot deep into Windows 11, Microsoft has introduced a new option in a recent Windows 11 Insider Preview build that allows Copilot to be fully uninstalled.
The catch is that it only works in very specific situations, and most regular users will not qualify. Until now, Copilot could be disabled or hidden, but it could not be completely removed. That changes with a new Group Policy setting called RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp, which appears in the latest Insider builds on the Developer and Beta channels.
