Microsoft has signaled that the next Windows 11 update will arrive later this year as the next major annual release, and PCMag has already been testing it through the Insider program. It’s shaping up to be one of Windows 11’s most meaningful updates in years, largely because it reflects long-standing user feedback. For the first time in a while, it really feels like Microsoft is paying closer attention to what PC users want.
As PCMag reports, on June 19, Microsoft made it official: Windows 11’s next annual update is called version 26H2. (It’s actually already available to Windows Insiders.) Below is a sneak peek at all the upgrades Windows 11 is getting, from a movable taskbar to a Widgets experience that doesn’t bombard you with news headlines. You can run the Insider builds yourself, if you like, and Microsoft recently made the Insider program much better.
Listening to User Feedback
After Microsoft Build in San Francisco earlier this month, it’s clear that Microsoft is listening to people’s feedback, and that the company is focused foremost on polishing Windows 11 and making it a more configurable, less annoying operating system. That message also came across during Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote at Build, where he proudly demonstrated a Windows 11 desktop with a “calm” experience and a movable taskbar.
Microsoft is talking about craft, performance, and polish in Windows 11’s 26H2 update. File Explorer is getting lots of bug fixes and updates to improve its stability. I was told that Microsoft is working to reduce memory consumption so Windows 11 runs better with less RAM. Microsoft employees told me they still had work to do, and what’s available right now is just a start.
PCMag asked Microsoft executives about Windows 12, but they’re not interested in transforming Windows right now. The future of Windows may be agentic AI, but Microsoft isn’t even talking about Copilot+ PCs. Instead, they say improving Windows 11 is the focus. The company doesn’t want to drop support for existing hardware, as it did with Windows 11, which left many Windows 10 PCs behind.
Microsoft hasn’t announced a release date for Windows 11’s 26H2 update, but the company will likely release it around October 2026, in keeping with the operating system’s usual annual update cycle. Microsoft is delivering this update as an enablement package, which means it should install at about the same speed as a typical monthly Windows update when it arrives on your PC.
Microsoft Will Finally Let You Remove Bing From the Start Menu
Windows 11’s 26H2 update is getting an upgraded Start menu that Microsoft says will be faster. New options in the Settings app will also let you turn off Bing web search results. You can now even turn off Microsoft Store app search results, if you like.
Windows 11 already lets you turn off Bing search results in your Start menu, but you have to edit your registry to do so. Windows 11’s next update will make this available to everyone in just a few clicks.
Edge Just Fired the Latest Salvo in the Browser Wars
Microsoft Edge will soon let you sign into the Edge browser and sync data with a Google account. Currently, Edge requires a Microsoft account to sync data. This should simplify the process of switching from Google Chrome to Microsoft Edge. After all, Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world, and the browser wars are getting interesting.
Yes, the browser wars! Desktop web browsers are still battling for users. Firefox is currently undergoing a redesign dubbed “Project Nova,” and it just got new widgets on its home page. Meanwhile, Vivaldi has been staking out a position as the biggest alternative browser refusing to integrate AI features. PCMag spoke to Vivaldi’s co-founder and CEO, and he discussed his aim to “keep browsing human.” Brave also just released a $60 web browser, Brave Origin, that removes features like the browser’s infamous cryptocurrency wallet.
So far, Google Chrome has proven to be consistently the fastest browser. But speeds are often pretty close, and a browser’s features might be more important than a few points on a benchmark. Chrome is finally dropping support for the popular uBlock Origin ad blocker, which may encourage many people to switch.
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