Windows 11 Unleashes Redesigned Context Menu, New Emojis, and Accessibility Boosts in Latest Insider Builds
REDMOND, WA – August 17, 2026 – Microsoft has rolled out a significant update for its Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview program, introducing a long-awaited redesigned context menu and a host of other enhancements. Builds 26340.9212 (25H2) and 28120.2738 (26H1) bring a fresh user experience, improved stability, and expanded functionality to Insiders, hinting at the future direction of the popular operating system.
The most prominent feature arriving in build 26340.9212 for the 25H2 channel is the revamped context menu within File Explorer. This redesign aims to deliver a faster, cleaner, and more customizable right-click experience. Microsoft states its goal is to reduce top-level clutter, ensure commonly used actions remain easily accessible, and empower users with greater control over menu content through a new Settings interface. This iterative refinement process, fueled by Insider feedback, promises a more responsive, predictable, and personalized interaction.
Beyond the aesthetics, the context menu also addresses a practical issue: an unexpected thick band that appeared across image previews in File Explorer in previous builds has been resolved.
In a move towards greater accessibility and user control, both experimental builds see the removal of the legacy Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) tool and the experimental Drag Tray feature. While WMIC’s deprecation marks a continued shift towards modern management tools, the removal of Drag Tray, based on Insider feedback, suggests Microsoft is rethinking its approach to this functionality and plans to introduce a more refined replacement in a future update.
Enhanced User Experience and Personalization:
Users can look forward to a wave of new features and improvements across various aspects of Windows 11:
- Emoji 17.0 Support: A vibrant addition to communication, this build introduces support for Emoji 17.0, featuring new expressions like the "distorted face," "fight cloud," and "hairy creature." Existing emojis such as the saluting face and kissing cat have also received subtle design adjustments for improved platform consistency. Accessing these new emojis is as simple as pressing
Windows key + Period (.). - Streamlined Camera Roll Backup: Setting up automatic photo and video backups from mobile devices to OneDrive is now more intuitive. New entry points within the Settings > Home and Accounts pages simplify the process, ensuring precious memories are securely stored.
- Revamped "Get Started" App: The "Get Started" application receives a significant overhaul with new pages designed to help users personalize their devices and discover new features. These new pages, which may vary depending on the device, include dedicated sections for app installation, site pinning, and personalized themes, making the initial setup and exploration experience more engaging.
- Magnifier’s Modern Makeover: The Magnifier tool, crucial for accessibility, gets a visual refresh. Its toolbar now boasts updated icons aligning with Windows 11’s modern design language, along with refined spacing and padding for a cleaner, more consistent layout. Crucially, its core functionality, including zoom controls, keyboard shortcuts, and Read Aloud, remains unchanged.
- Improved Personalization Options: Desktop background experiences are receiving a variety of improvements. These include enhanced reliability for the Personalization > Background page, support for DIB image files as backgrounds, and more reliable slideshow transitions. Users with portrait mode monitors will also notice improved desktop background preview displays, and slideshow wallpapers are now supported across multiple desktops without automatically reverting to a single picture.
Under the Hood Improvements:
Beyond the user-facing features, Microsoft has also focused on stability and performance:
- Input Reliability: Issues affecting third-party keyboard input methods, including certain Chinese IMEs, have been addressed, ensuring their status windows display correctly. Reliability for Japanese IME typing has also been improved, reducing potential hangs and deadlocks.
- Start Menu Adjustments: The personalized Start menu is undergoing further refinement, with Microsoft adjusting its rollout to Insiders. Some users may temporarily see this feature disappear as adjustments are made, but it can be re-enabled through feature flags.
- Run Dialog Enhancements: Insiders using the modern Run dialog will experience improved first launch reliability and adjusted verbosity for screen reader users.
- Bug Fixes: Several critical bugs have been squashed, including a crash in
xtajit64.dllaffecting certain apps on Arm64 PCs and a Settings crash related to the Date & Time page. Build 28120.2738 also fixes a Settings crash when interacting with System > Notifications and an issue impacting Magnifier launching.
Known Issues:
A notable known issue for Insiders in both builds is a compatibility problem with the popular game PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. Due to this issue, Windows Insiders may be prevented from launching the game. Microsoft has implemented a safeguard to avoid stability problems and is actively collaborating with the game developer for a fix. Further details and a resolution timeline will be shared as they become available.
Insiders can find the comprehensive release notes and full update history for build 26340.9212 here, and for build 28120.2738 here. These updates underscore Microsoft’s continuous efforts to evolve and refine the Windows 11 experience, bringing innovative features and crucial stability improvements to its enthusiastic Insider community.
