Microsoft has released Windows 11 version 26H2, build number 26300.9278, to the Release Preview Channel for Windows Insiders. According to TechPowerUp, this release is one of the more boring updates in terms of new features, focusing instead on resetting Microsoft's support cycles rather than introducing major overhauls. The main benefit for users upgrading will be an extension of the support cycle as they move to 26H2.
Since late 2024, Microsoft has rolled out support and updates across every OS branch using enablement packages (eKBs), which activate features rather than leaving them dormant in the kernel. For devices already running Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2, a simple eKB will be needed to upgrade to 26H2. However, for older versions like 22H2 and 23H2, which are on a different servicing branch, Windows 11 26H2 will arrive as a full feature update.
Alongside the 26H2 release, Microsoft also released the KB5120996 update for Windows 11 26H1, a version built specifically for Windows-on-Arm devices such as the Snapdragon X2 Elite and NVIDIA RTX Spark. This update brings the 26H1 branch the same features included in the KB5120998 update for 24H2 and 25H2, including taskbar position customization, Start menu customization, and general improvements.
Separately, Microsoft has begun rolling out the KB5120998 feature update for Windows 11, which introduces significant visual changes. The update adds long-awaited expanded taskbar customization, letting users position the taskbar at the top, left, or right of the display in addition to the traditional bottom placement, along with a smaller taskbar mode that reduces icon and taskbar size for devices with limited screen space. The Start menu now offers small, medium, and large size options, and the Recommended section has been renamed "Recent."
Windows Search has also been refreshed visually and functionally, with a less cluttered search home and clearer indicators showing whether a result comes from an app, setting, file, web result, or the Microsoft Store. Users can disable web and Store suggestions, and Windows can now automatically index frequently used folders. File Explorer Home is designed to launch faster, its Recommended section now supports touch scrolling, and Microsoft has updated progress indicators for startup, sign-in, restart, shutdown, and update installation, alongside reliability improvements for virtual desktop switching and display settings. TechPowerUp notes that KB5120998 is being distributed in phases, so some systems may receive the changes gradually depending on the system and region.