- Windows 11 build 23612 includes the new Weather widget in the Lock Screen as well as changes for Voice Access and various fixes.
- Windows 11 build 26020 rolls out changes for Voice Access, Narrator, Taskbar, Share, and printer settings. Also, this flight no longer installs the WordPad and People apps, and Steps Recorder gets a deprecation banner.
On January 3, 2024, Microsoft resumes the Windows Insider Program with two new previews, including Windows 11 build 26020 and 23612 in the Canary and Dev Channels, respectively. These previews introduce new features, changes, and fixes, but the one on the Dev Channel makes the most improvements.
According to the official changes, Windows 11 build 23612 updates the lock screen with a new weather widget, extends language and supports multi-display and custom commands for voice access. Furthermore, this flight introduces various fixes for the Start menu, File Explorer, and Widgets.
On the other hand, Windows 11 build 26020 ships with the same Voice Access changes as build 23612, natural voice previews for Windows Narrator, and tests out the new energy saver feature for devices without a battery. Microsoft also adds options to pause and resume print jobs from the Settings app. Windows Share is getting some improvements. Also, this flight no longer installs the WordPad and People apps, and the Steps Recorder will remain available. However, it will now display a banner notifying users that the app has been deprecated.
Windows 11 build 26020 new changes
These are the new features and changes rolling out with build 26020:
Voice Access
- Voice access now supports languages such as French (France), French (Canada), German, Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico). You can switch languages by opening Voice Access Settings > Language.
- You can now use Voice Access features on multiple displays. As part of the support, you can also switch to another display quickly and use the drag-and-drop feature. The company even enabled the “mouse grid” command to move the mouse pointer to a specific section on one of the monitors.
- It’s now possible to create custom voice commands. You can start by clicking the “Voice shortcuts” tab from the left panel in the Voice Access interface. (Currently only English.)
Windows Narrator
- Windows Narrator introduces natural voices preview, which allows users to listen to natural voices before downloading the voice model on the computer. The previews are available in Chinese, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Japanese, English (UK), French, Portuguese, English (India), German and Korean.
Windows apps changes
- WordPad and People apps will no longer be installed on new setups. In the feature, WordPad will be removed during an upgrade. The People app is getting replaced with the Contacts features in the new Outlook app for Windows 11.
- This flight will continue to ship the Step Recorder but will show a banner notifying users about deprecation.
Taskbar
- On devices without batteries, when turning on the new Energy Saver mode, you will notice a new icon letting you know the feature is turned on.
Printer settings
- Build 26020 introduces new pause and resume print jobs on Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Microsoft also plans to add an option to rename the printer from the “Printers & scanners” page.
Windows Share
- The Share interface will now only show the apps associated with the account. This means that if you’re signed in with a Microsoft account, you will see the free version of Teams to share content. On the other hand, if you’re signed with a Microsoft Entra ID, you will see the paid version of the Teams in the list.
- The Share interface will now include the option to share directly into WhatsApp.
- The Nearby Sharing settings page now includes the option to rename the computer instead of having to navigate to the “About” page.
Fixes for build 26020
These are the fixes that Microsoft is rolling out this preview of Windows 11:
- Fixed an issue causing Settings to crash when navigating to Power & Battery in the previous build.
- Fixed an underlying issue causing the details pane in File Explorer to take keyboard focus sometimes unexpectedly.
- Copilot will no longer rearrange or push your desktop icons when launched.
- Fixed an issue where uncombined taskbar icons were cutting off the title instead of adjusting the title length.
- Fixed an issue causing Steps Recorder not to launch in the last couple of builds.
- Fixed the issue causing a loading delay when the Microsoft Start feed is reenabled in Widgets.
- Fixed the issue causing the Widgets Board not to close and reopen automatically when enabling or disabling feeds.
Microsoft also notes some known issues with playing popular games and problems with the Widgets feature.
Windows 11 build 23612 new changes
These are the new features and changes rolling out with build 23612:
Lock Screen
- The Lock Screen includes a new weather widget with richer dynamic information and interactive updates. When clicking the widget and signing in, Microsoft Edge will open with the full forecast in MSN Weather. Microsoft is making this the default behavior on Windows 11. You can always change the settings from Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and change the “Lock screen status” setting to something other than weather or the “None” option.
Voice Access
- Voice access now supports languages such as French (France), French (Canada), German, Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico). You can switch languages by opening Voice Acess Settings > Language.
- You can now use Voice Access features on multiple displays. As part of the support, you can also switch to another display quickly and use the drag-and-drop feature. The company even enabled the “mouse grid” command to move the mouse pointer to a specific section on one of the monitors.
- It’s now possible to create custom voice commands. You can get started by clicking the “Voice shortcuts” tab from the left panel in the Voice Access interface. (Currently only English.)
Fixes for build 23612
These are the fixes that Microsoft is rolling out this preview of Windows 11:
- Start menu: Fixed an issue causing the text input indicator to appear floating when you opened Start.
- File Explorer: Fixed an issue that could cause the spacing between your desktop icons to become extremely wide and addressed an issue that could cause explorer.exe to crash when opening the context menu in File Explorer if multiple files were selected.
- Widgets: Fixed the issue causing a loading delay when the Microsoft Start feed is reenabled and addressed the issue causing the Widgets Board to not automatically close and reopen when enabling or disabling feeds.
Finally, the company notes known issues with Copilot and Widgets.
Install build 26020 and 23612
To download and install the Windows 11 build 26020 or 23612, enroll your device in the Canary or Dev 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 clicking the “Check for Updates” button.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].