Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8553 - Windows Insider Program (original) (raw)

Release date: 29 May 2026

As a reminder, these release notes apply to those who are in the Experimental channel, formerly known as the Dev Channel. As we begin the transition to the new Windows Insider Program, all new build release notes will be labeled under the new channel names, even though Insiders in the Dev Channel may not yet find themselves having transitioned to Experimental. See the Windows Insider Blog for more details.

Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out

[Start menu]

This update brings a number of improvements for the Start menu as first outlined in the Making Taskbar and Start more personal Insider blog. This includes:

• Renamed "Recommended" section to "Recent" in Start and Settings page
• Section-level toggles to independently show or hide Pinned, Recommended, and All.
• Choose between a small and large Start menu, in addition to "Automatic (default)" setting option that's already available today
• The option to hide your name and profile picture in Start
• Redesigned Start menu settings page

Screenshot showing new start menu customization options.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Start

[Search]

• Search by Substring: Files with compound names or content (e.g., MeetingNotesApril, ProjectStatusReport) are now easily discoverable by typing “april” or “status”.

[Taskbar]

• Fixed a few small visual polish issues when using the taskbar in alternate positions. Thanks Insiders that have been sharing feedback so far!
• You can now use a touch swipe to invoke the taskbar when using alternate taskbar positions.

Known Issues

[Reset PC]

• [Fixed] Resetting your PC may get stuck when using "Reset this PC." To complete the reset successfully, choose the cloud download option (Cloud PBR) instead of local.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel

• Updates are based on Windows 11, version 25H2 via an enablement package (Build 26300.8553).
• Many features are rolled out using Controlled 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.
• For Windows Insiders who want to be the first to try new features, see the available list of features to toggle on at the Feature flags page under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program.
• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.
• 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.
• 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, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.