Get the latest info on new preview builds of Windows 11 as they roll out to Windows Insiders. Now updated for Insider Preview Build 25252 for the Dev Channel and Insider Preview Builds 22621.1020 and 22623.1020 for the Beta Channel, all released on Nov. 28, 2022.
The Windows 11 2022 Update has been released but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out public preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and even help shape — upcoming features.
The Windows Insider program is divided into three channels:
The Dev Channel is where new features are introduced for initial testing, regardless of which Windows release they’ll eventually end up in. This channel is best for technical users and developers and builds in it may be unstable and buggy.
In the Beta Channel, you’ll get more polished features that will be deployed in the next major Windows release. This channel is best for early adopters, and Microsoft says your feedback in this channel will have the most impact.
The Release Preview Channel typically doesn’t see action until shortly before a new feature update is rolled out. It’s meant for final testing of an upcoming release and is best for those who want the most stable builds.
The Beta and Release Preview Channels also receive bug-fix builds for the currently shipping version of Windows 11.
Not everyone can participate in the Windows 11 Insider program, because the new operating system has more stringent system requirements than Windows 10. If your PC fails to meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, you cannot join the Windows 11 Insider Program. (See "How to check if your PC can run Windows 11.")
Below you'll find information about all the Windows 11 preview builds that have been released. For each build, we've included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what's in the build, and a link to Microsoft's announcement about it.
Note: If you're looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not previews for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25252
Release date: November 28, 2022
Released to: Dev Channel
This build adds a VPN status icon into the system tray when connected to a recognized VPN profile. The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including multiple explorer.exe crashes that impacted system tray performance, another that caused folders in Start menu to not open on the first try, and another that could put your PC to sleep although it was configured to not sleep.
The build has 21 known issues, including one in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing, another in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1020 and 22623.1020
Release date: November 28, 2022
Released to: Beta Channel
These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get Build 22623.1020, which has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive Build 22621.1020, which has only bug fixes.
In Build 22623.1020, there is support for new Braille displays and new Braille input and output languages in Narrator.
There are several bug fixes for 22623.1020, including for one that crashed explorer.exe in safe mode, another that caused certain third-party app icons in the system tray to be unresponsive, and another in which the Delete key didn’t work in the search box.
A number of bugs were fixed in both Build 22621.1020 and 22623.1020, including one in which the Settings app failed to open a page under the Accounts category, and another that caused File Explorer to stop working when you closed context menus and menu items.
Both builds have ten known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture
(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.1020 and 22623.1020.)
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25247
Release date: November 18, 2022
Released to: Dev Channel
This build lets you access Windows Studio effects directly from Quick Settings on the taskbar, for devices that have a supported Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The build also begins the rollout of Energy Recommendations under Settings > System > Power & Battery > Energy Recommendations. Following the recommendations may improve the energy efficiency of your PC and reduce your carbon footprint.
In addition, Task Manager lets you use process filtering, letting you filter the binary name, PID or publisher name. The Settings app now has new visuals on the Accounts page to provide a visual overview of your cloud storage usage across Microsoft products.
The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that didn’t allow you to input text using the touch keyboard/PIN entry keyboard on the login screen, another that caused the NVIDIA icon in the system tray to show empty notifications, and several that led to multiple explorer.exe crashes that harmed taskbar performance.
The build has 15 known issues, including one in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing, another in which the taskbar is sometimes cropped in half when using the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.898
Release date: November 17, 2022
Released to: Release Preview Channel
In this build, Microsoft OneDrive subscribers will get storage alerts on the Systems page in the Settings app when they are close to their storage limits. The full amount of storage capacity from all of someone’s OneDrive subscriptions will also be displayed.
The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that stopped modern applications from opening, another that affected transparency in layered windows when you were in High Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode, and another that caused File Explorer to stop working when you closed context menus and menu items.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.891 and 22623.891
Release date: November 10, 2022
Released to: Beta Channel
These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.891 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.891 update that has only bug fixes.
In Build 22623.891, the Task Manager gets several improvements, including filtering processes using the binary name, PID, or publisher name. You can now also use your preferred theme in Task Manager regardless of the active Windows theme.
There are several bug fixes for 22623.891, including for a bug that caused the do not disturb icon to disappear while in do not disturb mode, and multiple issues that caused explorer.exe crashes, impacting the performance of the taskbar.
A number of bugs were fixed in both Build 22621.891 and 22623.891, including one in which File Explorer failed to localize folders, and another that affected the Windows Firewall service when the Override block rules option was turned on.
Both builds have 10 known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.885 and 22623.885
Release date: November 7, 2022
Released to: Beta Channel
These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.885 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.885 update that has fewer features and bug fixes.
In Build 22623.885,Windows Studio effects can now be accessed directly from Quick Settings on the taskbar, for devices that have a supported Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The build also has several minor changes, including support for the use of clipboard history (Windows key + V) on password fields.
In both 22623.885 and 22621.885, you can now expand the size of your widgets board.
There are several bug fixes for 22623.885, including several related to the taskbar and system tray. The performance of deleting files via File Explorer when emptying the recycle bin or using Shift + Delete has been improved when there are a large number of files being deleted at once.
In both 22623.885 and 22621.885, an issue in which modern applications couldn’t open has been fixed.
Both builds have four known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25236
Release date: November 2, 2022
Released to: Dev Channel
This build fixes a variety of bugs, including issues related to the taskbar that were impacting explorer.exe reliability, and another in which natural voices such as Guy or Jenny were not speaking in Narrator.
The build has 13 known issues, including one in which the taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.875 and 22623.875
Release date: October 27, 2022
Released to: Beta Channel
These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.875 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.875 update that has only bug fixes.
In Build 22623.875, the tablet-optimized taskbar that began rolling out with Build 22623.730 is now available.
There are several bug fixes for both 22623.875 and 22621.875, including one that affected transparency in layered windows. This occurs when you are in High-Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode.
Both builds have four known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25231
Release date: October 27, 2022
Released to: Dev Channel
This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that prevented some users from using FIDO to unlock a PC if it was connected to an external display with the laptop lid closed, and another in which certain network cameras were not being added when selected under Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras.
The build has 14 known issues, including one in which the taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.870 and 22623.870
Release date: October 20, 2022
Released to: Beta Channel
These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get the Build 22623.870 update that has new features and bug fixes. The other group will receive the Build 22621.870 update, which has only some new bug fixes.
In Build 22623.870, Task Manager has been added to the context menu when right-clicking on the taskbar. It also has a new Narrator braille driver solution that automatically changes Braille drivers when switching between Narrator and third-party screen readers.
Build 22623.870 also has a number of bug fixes, including one that improves how touch gestures and their animations with the tablet-optimized taskbar work with the touch keyboard, and another that fixes an issue which caused explorer.exe to crash when dragging icons in the system tray,
There are several bug fixes for both 22623.870 and 22621.870, including one that caused vertical and horizontal line artifacts to appear on the screen, and another that did not allow the Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) Application Proxy connector to retrieve a Kerberos ticket on behalf of the user. The error message was, “The handle specified is invalid (0x80090301).
Both builds have four known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which the tablet-optimized taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.754
Release date: October 19, 2022
Released to: Release Preview Channel
This build includes a variety of small improvements, including new choices for biometric data for Windows Hello Face and Fingerprint, new settings for your Microsoft account, and the addition of Task Manager to the context menu when you right-click the taskbar.
It fixes a variety of bugs, including one that slowed down the Windows Search Service, and another that affected the Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) Application Proxy connector, in which it cannot retrieve a Kerberos ticket on behalf of the user. The error message was, “The handle specified is invalid (0x80090301).”
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25227
Release date: October 19, 2022
Released to: Dev Channel
This build includes improvements for update management for IT administrators by making a variety of changes to the Update Stack Orchestrator. It also introduces some very small changes to the Start menu, widgets, Settings, voice typing, and input.
It fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused explorer.exe to crash while switching between apps on the tablet-optimized taskbar, and another in which dragging content across an open Start menu folder could cause a crash.
The build has seven known issues, including one in which the taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet postures, and another in which various UI elements in apps are disappearing and reappearing.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.1163
Release date: October 18, 2022
Released to: Release Preview Channel
The build improves Windows search results and performance, and adds Task Manager to the context menu when you right-click the taskbar. It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which in Microsoft Direct3D 9 games the graphics hardware stopped working if the hardware did not have a native Direct3D 9 driver.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.746 and 22623.746
Release date: October 13, 2022
Released to: Beta Channel
These updates are being released to two groups in the Beta Channel. One group will get Build 22623.746 with new features. The other group will receive Build 22621.746 with the new features turned off by default.
Those who get Build 22623.746 will get preliminary support to rearrange System Tray icons. System Tray updates are still rolling out and are not available to all Insiders yet. If your PC does not have these changes, your System Tray experience will remain the same as before.
A number of bugs have been fixed only in Build 22623.746, including one for the tablet-optimized taskbar, in which the gesture to slide the Start menu open from the bottom of the screen using touch might have stopped following your finger.
In both Build 22621.746 and Build 22623.746, the ms-appinstaller Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) has been enabled to work for the DesktopAppInstaller.
Both builds have five known issues, including one in which the tablet-optimized taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture, and another in which dragging the system tray icons may cause explorer.exe to crash.
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