Windows 11 build 22526 arrives in the Dev Channel

• Windows 11 build 22526 outs to testers with PCs in the Dev Channel.
• This flight introduces wideband speech support for Apple AirPods products.
• Build 22526 is experimenting with faster search and windowed Task View. 

Microsoft is now resuming the Windows Insider Program with the release of the Windows 11 build 22526 in the Dev Channel. The preview is a minor update that brings a small set of improvements and several fixes.

According to the official notes, build 22526 for Windows 11 tests the Task View (ALT + Tab keyboard shortcut) as a windowed feature instead of a full-screen experience.

As part of the search experience, Microsoft is now experimenting with adding more locations to the indexer to enable faster search.

In addition, Windows 11 now supports wideband speech when using Apple AirPods products (AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max) to improve audio quality for voice calls and for devices that are part of a domain, Credential Guard is now enabled by default on Windows 11.

Windows 11 build 22526 also ships with a number of fixes around File Explorer, Search, Spotlight collection, Widgets, and more. For instance, there’s a new fix to prevent the search flyout from getting stuck, the current Spotlight image set as a background will now be preserved during an upgrade, and Widgets will no longer appear temporarily empty.

As part of the known issues, Microsoft is warning problems sign-in with certain apps like the Feedback Hub. You may not be able to enter text in the search box. The Taskbar will sometimes flicker, the network icon may sometimes go missing, and on a multi-monitor setup, the explorer.exe service may crash. In the Settings app, the wireless signal strength indicators do not reflect the correct signal strength. When opening some of the setting pages, the app may crash unexpectedly and more.

Install Windows 11 build 22526

If you want to download and install the Windows 11 build 22526, you need to enroll your device in the Dev Channel using the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Update & Security” section.

Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download build 22526 from the “Windows Update” settings by clicking the Check for Updates button. However, you will need a device that meets the minimum system requirements to receive the update if you are new to the Windows Insider Program.

You can also read this guide with all the new features Microsoft has been working on for the next version of Windows 11 (22H2).