- Windows 11 builds 26200.8457 and 26100.8457 (KB5089549) are available as the May 2026 Security Update for versions 25H2 and 24H2.
- Xbox mode arrives on PCs, offering a full-screen, console-like gaming experience with reduced background activity.
- File Explorer gets performance boosts and various new improvements.
- New haptic feedback support expands tactile interactions for compatible devices.
- Taskbar gains AI agent monitoring, starting with Microsoft 365 Copilot integration.
- The update KB5087420 (build 22631.7079) is also rolling out for version 23H2 with small fixes and improvements.
Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 builds 26200.8457 and 26100.8457 (KB5089549) in the Stable Channel as the security update that includes changes coming in May 2026. The rollout will be available starting May 12, 2026, and the company usually starts the deployment at 1PM Eastern Time.
According to the official changelog, the 2026-05 Security Update (KB5089549) (Build 26200.8457) begins the rollout of the Xbox mode for PCs. File Explorer receives a bunch of improvements, gets a new “Preview anyway” button for downloaded files, and more.
Update KB5089549 also ships with new feel haptic feedback effects on compatible input devices, Voice Typing on the touch keyboard now looks simpler and more intuitive, and adds a new Arabic 101 Legacy keyboard layout.
In addition, this Windows 11 release renames Drag Tray to Drop Tray and adds a new agent monitor for the Taskbar. Furthermore, the update for the month of May will bring improvements to the Windows Driver Policy, enhanced security and performance for batch files, and the ability to use the format command to format volumes up to 2TB with FAT32.
Microsoft is also pushing a bunch of fixes and improvements regarding the Microsoft Store, fonts, audio, Windows Hello, Delivery Optimization, Kiosk mode, and more. If you want to keep up with every Windows release, including Insider Preview builds and cumulative updates, the Windows Build Tracker has the full timeline.
- What’s new on Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 update KB5089549
- What’s new on Windows 11 23H2 KB5087420
- Windows 11 May 2026 Patch Tuesday – Manual installation process
- Windows 11 May 2026 Patch Tuesday – Update history
- Pureinfotech’s Take
What’s new on Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 update KB5089549
Microsoft is currently rolling out these improvements and fixes as part of the May 2026 Security Update for Windows 11 24H2 and version 25H2.
Xbox mode new feature
Xbox mode is now rolling out to regular PCs running Windows 11 in select markets, bringing a console-style experience to laptops, desktops, and tablets.
The feature has been designed around the Xbox app interface, and this full-screen mode prioritizes your games while reducing background activity and distractions. It’s built for a more relaxed, controller-first experience, letting you jump in and play without the usual desktop clutter.
You can enable Xbox mode from Settings > Gaming > Xbox mode by turning on the “Enable Xbox mode” toggle switch.
File Explorer new preview anyway and more
As part of this update, File Explorer is gaining several enhancements. For example, Microsoft is expanding built-in support for additional archive formats, including UU, CPIO, XAR, and NuGet packages (.nupkg), making it easier to access more compressed file types directly in File Explorer.
In folders such as Downloads and Documents, File Explorer will now respect your existing “View” and “Sort” preferences when apps open these locations directly, helping maintain a consistent browsing experience.
This update also addresses a visual issue in which a brief white flash may appear when opening the “This PC” page or resizing the “Details” pane in dark mode.
Finally, reliability has been improved behind the scenes, reducing issues where explorer.exe processes would continue running after closing the File Explorer windows.
Haptic feedback effects
Windows 11 build 26200.8457 is expanding support for haptic feedback, bringing more tactile interactions to compatible devices. You can now feel subtle vibrations when performing actions like aligning objects in PowerPoint or snapping and resizing windows, adding a more responsive, physical layer to everyday tasks.
These haptic signals can be customized or turned off from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse, Touchpad, or Pen > Haptic signals settings. The experience is currently supported on devices such as the Surface Slim Pen 2, ASUS Pen 3.0, and MSI Pen 2, all of which have haptic feedback.
Microsoft is also opening the door for broader support, with additional devices expected to gain compatibility through future updates from hardware partners. This could include select mice, such as the Logitech MX Master 4, as manufacturers roll out firmware and driver updates.
Voice Typing changes
Voice Typing on the touch keyboard is getting a cleaner, more streamlined design. Instead of taking over the screen, the experience now stays compact, with animations appearing directly on the dictation key. This change keeps the interface out of the way, making it easier to stay focused while speaking without unnecessary visual interruptions.
Also, Voice Typing is getting more consistent, with the Fluid Dictation setting now properly persisting across sessions.
Keyboard layouts
The update coming in May is also adding a new Arabic 101 Legacy keyboard layout, giving users the option to return to the previous typing experience before recent AltGr changes.
In addition, keyboard navigation in the emoji panel using “Windows key + Period” has been improved for better responsiveness.
Finally, typing reliability has been improved for ADLaM keyboard users, addressing issues that could affect input accuracy and overall usability.
Input improvements
The software giant is making several under-the-hood improvements to input and typing experiences on Windows 11. Setting up custom tools for devices like the Surface Dial under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Wheel is now more reliable, reducing issues when configuring or saving preferences.
Drop Tray changes
The feature previously known as Drag Tray has been renamed to Drop Tray, and it now ships with some changes. For example, the settings have also been relocated, moving from Nearby sharing to Settings > System > Multitasking, aligning it more closely with other window and workspace controls.
In addition, Drop Tray now uses a smaller peek view. This refinement helps reduce accidental activation when working near the top of the screen and makes it easier to dismiss it when it appears, resulting in a smoother, less disruptive multitasking experience.
Taskbar new AI agents
The May 2026 update for Windows 11 introduces a new way to monitor your agents from the Taskbar, providing real-time visibility into background AI agent activity across both first-party and third-party apps.
With this update, you can monitor supported agents directly from the Taskbar without opening the full app. The first integration comes with the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, where the Researcher agent can now show live progress while it generates reports. When it’s working, the operating system surfaces status updates on the Taskbar so you can quickly check what’s happening at a glance.
Hovering over the Microsoft 365 Copilot icon reveals more detailed, real-time progress, and once the report is complete, the system delivers a notification. From there, you can jump straight back into the app to review and use the results.
For developers, Microsoft is exposing this capability through the Windows.UI.Shell.Tasks API, enabling deeper integration of agent-based workflows into the Taskbar experience.
Enterprise State Roaming (ESR)
Windows 11 is expanding support for Enterprise State Roaming (ESR), making it easier for organizations to manage user data and settings across devices.
Starting with this update, ESR can now be configured through Windows Backup for Organizations policies, streamlining deployment and reducing setup complexity for network administrators. This change simplifies how enterprise environments maintain consistency across managed Windows devices, improving both scalability and administration efficiency.
Debloat policy changes for Microsoft apps
The development team is also introducing a more flexible way for organizations to control preinstalled apps through an updated policy that removes Microsoft Store packages.
The change is intended for administrators of the Enterprise and Education editions, who can extend the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy with a dynamic list. This allows additional MSIX and APPX apps to be removed by specifying their app package family names through Group Policy.
The update gives organizations granular control over default apps beyond the standard list, making device customization more scalable in managed environments. However, the dynamic list is not yet available in the Intune Settings Catalog, meaning validation must currently be handled through Group Policy or custom OMA-URI configurations.
Windows Driver Policy update
Windows 11 is also tightening driver security with a major update to how the Windows kernel handles third-party drivers.
The change removes default trust for cross-signed drivers, shifting enforcement toward more secure validation. Going forward, only drivers signed through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and a curated list of trusted legacy drivers will be permitted by default.
Before enforcement is enabled, the operating system runs a compatibility audit for at least 100 hours of active use and three system reboots, ensuring stability across real-world scenarios. Once enforcement is active, some previously accepted cross-signed drivers may be blocked if they do not meet the updated trust requirements.
This update is part of a broader push to strengthen the Windows driver ecosystem and reduce kernel-level risk exposure.
Windows Protected Print Mode indicator icon
This rollout updates printer settings to display a new icon on printers that support Windows Protected Print Mode.
Batch files with better security and performance
The update KB5089549 ships a new security and performance control for batch file and Command Prompt script execution, aimed at reducing runtime manipulation risks.
Administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors can now enable a hardened processing mode for batch files. When it’s active, this mode prevents batch files from being modified while they are executing, helping protect against tampering during runtime.
The setting can be enabled via the Registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor by adding the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse DWORD value and setting it to 1. A value of 0 keeps it disabled.
Alternatively, policy authors can enforce the same behavior using the LockBatchFilesWhenInUse application manifest control, as defined in the Application Control for Business schema.
Storage with 2TB formatting support for FAT32
In this security update for Windows 11, the command-line tool for formatting FAT32 volumes now allows you to format volumes up to 2TB, up from the previous 32GB limit.
Also, there are performance improvements while on the “Disks & Volumes” settings page.
Other changes
The company has also released security fixes and improvements for the operating system:
- Microsoft Store: Reduces unexpected errors when downloading and installing apps, specifically addressing error codes 0x80070057, 0x80240008, and 0x80073d28.
- Fonts: Improves the Leelawadee UI font family for Thai, Lao, Khmer, and Lontara scripts, enhancing glyph sequencing, positioning, and rendering.
- Audio: Improves 3rd‑party driver compatibility with midisrv.exe.
- Taskbar: Improves reliability when loading the system tray area of the taskbar.
- Windows Hello: Improves Windows Hello Face reliability and enhances persistence of Windows Hello Fingerprint across upgrades.
- Delivery Optimization: Improves memory usage to reduce the likelihood of unexpectedly high memory consumption.
- Display and graphics: Improves persistence and availability of color profile options for supported monitors.
- Kiosk mode: Simplifies configuration of allowed packaged apps in kiosk setups when Microsoft Edge is one of the allowed apps.
- General Performance: Improves the performance of launching startup apps after boot.
- General Reliability: Introduces underlying changes that improve explorer.exe reliability, including during login, when interacting with taskbar flyouts and Task View, when unpinning items from File Explorer’s Quick Access, and more.
- Authentication: Improved Kerberos authentication in Remote Desktop sessions using Remote Credential Guard, addressing error 0xc000009a.
- Remote Desktop: Fixed an issue where the Remote Desktop Connection security warning dialog could render incorrectly in multi‑monitor setups with different scaling after installing the April 2026 (KB5083769) update.
- Windows Security: Improved event logging for CVE‑2024‑30098 by adding the affected app’s name, making it easier to identify smart card–dependent apps that may require updates following recent security changes.
Furthermore, this update continues the rollout of the 2023 Secure Boot certificates for devices with the 2011 certificates expiring in June 2026. You can also apply the Secure Boot certificates manually with these instructions.
What’s new on Windows 11 23H2 update KB5087420
The company has also released security fixes and improvements for Windows 11 23H2, as part of the update.
- Secure Boot: System updates now include improved device-targeting data to expand support for automatically delivering new Secure Boot certificates through a gradual, controlled rollout.
- Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA): Microsoft updated mobile operator profiles to improve carrier settings support on supported devices.
- Daylight saving time (DST): This update adds support for the 2023 DST changes in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
- Enterprise State Roaming (ESR): Network administrators can now manage ESR through Windows Backup for Organizations policies, simplifying device setup and configuration management.
- Microsoft Defender SmartScreen: The SmartScreen feature can now send file hashes for unsigned files from the shell to improve application reputation checks using newer security models.
- Remote Desktop: Fixed an issue that caused the Remote Desktop Connection security warning dialog to render incorrectly in multi-monitor setups with different display scaling settings after installing the April 2026 security update.
Microsoft is looking into a BitLocker issue affecting a small number of enterprise-managed devices using a specific Group Policy configuration with PCR7 validation enabled.
After installing the update, affected systems may prompt users to enter the BitLocker recovery key during the first restart. The company says the recovery prompt should appear only once and recommends that network administrators review and adjust their BitLocker policies before deploying the update. A permanent fix is planned for a future update.
Also, this version of the operating system won’t receive any new features, as this release has reached the end of support.
Windows 11 May 2026 Patch Tuesday – Manual installation process
Since there’s always a chance of problems during and after applying a quality update, it’s recommended to prepare your computer by creating a restore point and a full backup before proceeding with the installation.
To download and install this Windows 11 update, open the “Windows Update” settings, turn on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle switch, and click the “Check for Updates” button.
The update will download and install automatically. However, you can also apply it manually by downloading the update KB5089549 from the Update Catalog website. You can use this download link to get the update (KB5087420) for version 23H2.
If your computer has issues after installing this package, follow these instructions to uninstall the May 2026 update. If you’re unable to uninstall the update, follow these steps to recover your device.
Windows 11 May 2026 Patch Tuesday – Update history
- Initial Release – Release Preview Channel:
- Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.8106 release date: April 17, 2026. Official notes.
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.8106 release date: April 17, 2026. (same).
- Second Release – Optional Install (Stable Channel):
- Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.8328 release date: April 30, 2026. Official notes.
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.8328 release date: April 30, 2026. (same).
- Final Release – Patch Tuesday (Stable Channel):
- Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.8457 release date: May 12, 2026. Official notes.
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.8457 release date: May 12, 2026. (same).
- Windows 11 23H2 build 22631.7079 release date: May 12, 2026. Official notes.
Pureinfotech’s Take
This is a feature-heavy preview update, but it’s not the kind you rush to install.
KB5089549 is doing two things at once. On the surface, it introduces features such as Xbox mode, File Explorer improvements, and Taskbar AI monitoring. Under the hood, it quietly tightens security, refines performance, and lays the groundwork for future integrations such as agent-based workflows and stricter driver policies.
The key detail most people miss is that this is a Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) update. That means even if you install it, you may not get everything immediately.
From a practical standpoint:
- The Xbox mode is interesting but niche. It’s clearly aimed at controller-first users and casual gaming setups, not traditional desktop workflows.
- The File Explorer changes are the most meaningful improvement for everyday users. Faster performance and consistent folder settings solve long-standing annoyances.
- The Taskbar AI agent monitoring is more about where the operating system is heading than something useful today.
- The driver policy and batch file security changes are the most important updates here, but they matter primarily for administrators and advanced users.
Overall, this update is less about immediate impact and more about platform direction. Microsoft is pushing Windows 11 further into AI integration, tighter security enforcement, and hybrid desktop-console experiences.
Do you plan to use the new Xbox mode on your PC?
Voting closes: May 15, 2026 1:00 pm
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 22 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.
You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].
