- Windows 11 build 26220.9343 is rolling out to Beta channel testers with a redesigned WinUI-based AutoPlay experience.
- Cloud Rebuild lets users reinstall Windows 11 directly from WinRE using a fresh image and drivers downloaded through Windows Update.
- WinRE can now reuse eligible saved Wi-Fi profiles, making internet-based recovery easier when Ethernet isn’t available.
- The build also includes File Explorer, wallpaper, Magnifier, Camera Roll Backup, Emoji 17.0, and accessibility improvements, while temporarily removing modern Print Management.
Microsoft has released the Windows 11 Insider Preview Quality Update (26220.9343) for version 25H2 via the Beta channel in the Windows Insider Program. This flight introduces new features and improvements as part of the Windows K2 initiative.
According to the official notes, Windows 11 build 26220.9343 rolls out a modernized AutoPlay dialog, wallpaper improvements, a new emoji, and a visual update to Magnifier.
File Explorer gets fixes for the address bar, renaming, keyboard navigation, and Home section state. In addition, WinRE gains automatic Wi-Fi profile support, while Cloud Rebuild offers a new way to reinstall Windows 11 from the recovery environment.
Microsoft is also improving Camera Roll Backup, African writing system support, and other experiences while temporarily pulling the modernized Print Management from the operating system.
What’s new on Windows 11 update 26220.9343 (Beta)
These are the new features and improvements rolling out in the Beta channel:
Modernized AutoPlay experience
Microsoft is also giving AutoPlay a much-needed visual refresh in this flight.
The dialog that appears when you connect a phone, camera, removable drive, or other device has been rebuilt with WinUI, bringing the design more in line with the rest of Windows 11 while retaining the familiar AutoPlay actions.
It now supports dark mode, responds better to text scaling and display settings, and moves notifications to the notification center for easier access.
Personalization gets a much-needed polish
Microsoft is making the Personalization > Background experience more reliable, while also fixing several frustrating wallpaper issues. The page should now behave better when changing wallpapers quickly, and previews get higher resolution and improved handling for portrait-oriented monitors.
The update also adds DIB image support for desktop backgrounds and improves slideshow transitions, particularly on newly created accounts. Slideshow wallpapers can now work across multiple desktops without unexpectedly switching back to Picture.
And for anyone who saw their wallpaper mysteriously turn black after every reboot in the previous flight, Microsoft has fixed that issue too.
File Explorer gets a handful of welcome fixes
Microsoft is tightening up File Explorer with several small but meaningful improvements. The address bar now handles paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks, such as C:\\Users\\user and "C:\\Users\\user", while its suggestion dropdown now reliably closes after selecting an item.
The rename experience also gets some attention. Text should no longer be repeatedly selected while renaming items, and names changed only by letter case now update immediately in folder views across both local and cloud storage.
Microsoft has also improved keyboard navigation for context menus in flyouts.
Finally, File Explorer Home now remembers which sections you expanded or collapsed, so you can return without setting everything up again.
WinRE with Wi-Fi support
Getting a computer back up and running should not require fighting with Wi-Fi first. Microsoft is improving Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) with a new networking capability that can automatically reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles already saved in Windows, including supported certificate-based Wi-Fi networks.
Previously, WinRE could automatically connect only to wired, unauthenticated Ethernet or separately preconfigured Wi-Fi networks. For other WPA2/WPA3 networks, users had to connect manually by entering the password.
The new capability, enabled by default, allows WinRE to use saved Wi-Fi profile information when recovery needs an internet connection. This can help devices connect automatically during scenarios such as Quick Machine Recovery or cloud rebuilds, without requiring users or network administrators to configure Wi-Fi credentials separately in WinRE.
Cloud Rebuild recovery feature
Microsoft is testing a new Cloud Rebuild recovery option designed to help users restore a computer to a clean, known-good state, even when the operating system can no longer boot.
Unlike the existing Reset this PC feature, Cloud Rebuild performs a full operating system reinstall by downloading a fresh image of Windows 11 and the required device drivers directly from Windows Update. This means users can recover a device without needing a bootable USB drive, a custom recovery image, or access to the currently installed desktop environment.
The idea is to make recovery more reliable by ensuring the device returns with the correct Windows version, edition, language, and hardware drivers already in place.
In this preview, users can try Cloud Rebuild from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) by navigating to Troubleshoot > Cloud Rebuild.
Before starting the process, the computer must connect to the internet directly from WinRE via a wired Ethernet connection or Wi-Fi. Users can then review the target Windows build, edition, and language before confirming the data-loss warning to begin the rebuild process.
Cloud Rebuild is still under development, but it represents another step toward making recovery tools more capable, especially in situations where traditional repair options fail, or the system cannot start successfully.
Magnifier gets a visual refresh
The Magnifier is getting a small but welcome visual makeover. The software giant is refreshing the tool’s toolbar with updated icons that better match the operating system’s current design language, along with refined spacing and padding for a cleaner, more polished layout.
The important part is that nothing changes about how Magnifier works. Your existing views, zoom controls, keyboard shortcuts, and Read Aloud feature will continue to behave exactly as before. It’s a visual upgrade, not a feature overhaul, so you get a more modern interface without having to relearn the tool.
Camera Roll Backup gets easier to find
This update is making Camera Roll Backup easier to discover with new entry points on the Settings > Home and Accounts pages. From either location, you can quickly set up the feature to automatically back up photos and videos from your mobile device to OneDrive, giving you a simpler way to keep your memories backed up without digging through settings.
Windows 11 gets new Emoji 17.0 characters
Windows 11 is expanding its emoji collection with support for Emoji 17.0, bringing several new characters to the built-in emoji picker. The additions include distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature, among others.
You can try the new emoji by pressing the “Windows key + Period (.)” keyboard shortcut to open the emoji panel and selecting them from the picker.
Microsoft is also making a handful of existing emoji look more consistent across platforms. The refreshed designs include the saluting face, face with peeking eye, goose, lotus, and kissing cat emoji, giving some familiar characters a subtle visual cleanup.
Fonts expand support for African writing systems
Windows 11 is expanding support for African writing systems with Ebrima, Microsoft’s first font to support both Garay and Beria Erfe. Garay was added to Unicode 16.0 in September 2024, while Beria Erfe arrived with Unicode 17.0 in September 2025.
The company is also refining Adlam, with updated glyph designs that follow the current Unicode standard and improve consistency.
Print Management goes back to the workshop
Microsoft is temporarily pulling the modernized Print Management experience from Windows Insider builds while it refines the design based on feedback.
The existing Print Management tools remain available and unaffected, with the updated experience expected to return in a future build after additional improvements.
Microsoft is working on fixes for an issue causing mouse cursor customization to not work correctly and another issue preventing desktop background customization from persisting after a reboot.
Download Windows 11 update 26220.9343
To download and install these Windows 11 builds, enroll your Devices in the Beta channel through the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Update & Security” section. Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download the build from the “Windows Update” settings by turning on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option and clicking the “Check for Updates” button.
Alternatively, you can also download the ISO files from the Windows Insider Preview Downloads page. Specific preview builds are available for a limited time only.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 23 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
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