{"id":448556,"date":"2026-02-02T05:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T05:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/448556\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T05:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T05:16:14","slug":"windows-11-26h2-confirmed-for-later-this-year-as-references-spotted-on-windows-update-page","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/448556\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows 11 26H2 confirmed for later this year, as references spotted on Windows Update page"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Windows<\/a>A new Modern Run in upcoming Windows updates, including 26H2<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re currently on Windows 11 25H2 or 24H2, you\u2019ll be getting Windows 11 26H2 later this year, likely around October 2026. There\u2019s also \u201cWindows 11 26H1<\/a>,\u201d but it\u2019s only meant for new Snapdragon X2<\/a> and possibly other ARM CPUs<\/a>. Microsoft has clearly said that version 26H1 is only for new silicon\/CPUs, and version 25H2 is the latest version for now.<\/p>\n

\u201c26H1 is not a feature update for version 25H2 and only includes platform changes to support specific silicon. There is no action required from customers,\u201d Microsoft wrote<\/a> in a blog post dated November 7, 2025.<\/p>\n

\"WindowsWindows 11 26H1 spotted for Snapdragon X2 and other upcoming ARM PCs only<\/p>\n

At that point, Microsoft also confirmed \u201c25H2 remains the primary place for new features,\u201d and there were no plans to release more than one feature update in a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWindows 11 continues to have an annual feature update cadence, with releases in the second half of the calendar year,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n

This still stands true. While both Windows 11 26H1 and 26H2 are real, they\u2019re not the same thing. Version 26H1 is specifically for new Snapdragon X2 chips, as it includes platform changes (performance or scheduler optimization for new ARM chips). On the other hand, Windows 11 26H2 is for all non-ARM PCs, including existing and upcoming PCs.<\/p>\n

Windows 11 26H2 confirmed<\/p>\n

Now, on January 27, 2026, Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 Build 26300.7674, which is a significant jump in the build number and likely signals a new Windows release (not a cumulative update). In fact, Microsoft made that quite obvious by confirming<\/a> it\u2019s testing \u201cbehind-the-scenes platform changes\u201d for Windows Insiders.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re part of the Windows Insider Program and use Build 26300.7674 or newer (in the 26300 series), open the Windows Update history page. Then, go to uninstall updates, and you\u2019ll notice references to Windows 11 26H2 \u201cenablement package.\u201d I\u2019ve captured a screenshot of the page if you don\u2019t have the build installed:<\/p>\n

\"WindowsImage Courtesy: WindowsLatest.com<\/p>\n

This is the first time we\u2019re seeing references to \u201c26H2,\u201d as all support documents only mention \u201c26H1\u201d or \u201c25H2.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Windows<\/p>\n

At the moment, the Windows 11 26H2 reference does not show up in Settings > System > About or Winver (via Windows Run). But that will likely change as newer builds roll out.<\/p>\n

Also, the Windows Update page describes Build 26300.7674 as an \u201cenablement\u201d package for Windows 11 26H2. An enablement package usually means it\u2019ll be a minor release, but it\u2019s probably still too early to decide. Also, an enablement package release does not necessarily mean Windows won\u2019t get new features in 2026.<\/p>\n

For example, Windows 11 25H2 was also an enablement package update for version 24H2, but last year, Microsoft still shipped some major changes, including new colorful battery icons<\/a>, a new Start menu<\/a>, and, of course, Copilot-related improvements<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2026 is going to be a big year for Windows 11
\nCopilot inside File Explorer<\/p>\n

One of the most notable and probably controversial changes could be Copilot in File Explorer.<\/p>\n

As Windows Latest previously reported<\/a>, Microsoft is testing \u201cCopilot\u201d chat inside File Explorer. Right now, File Explorer has \u201cAsk Copilot\u201d in the context menu, which only sends your files or images to Copilot.<\/p>\n

\"CopilotThis image is only for representation purposes, not an actual UI<\/p>\n

When Copilot rolls out inside File Explorer, you\u2019ll be able to interact with Microsoft\u2019s AI in the side pane, similar to how you can preview files. That means Copilot will appear on the right side, and you\u2019ll be able to switch between Details, Preview, and Copilot panes. However, the feature is going to be optional, so if you don\u2019t like it, you don\u2019t have to use it.<\/p>\n

Copilot on the taskbar<\/p>\n

The second biggest change is a new Windows Search experience powered by Copilot, called \u201cAsk Copilot.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already tested Ask Copilot in preview builds<\/a>, and it\u2019s actually better than the existing Windows Search UI. While it\u2019s based on the same Windows Search index, it\u2019s less cluttered and feels smoother.<\/p>\n

\"Taskbar<\/p>\n

Ask Copilot on the taskbar is also going to be an optional feature, and it won\u2019t be turned on by default.<\/p>\n

When you turn it on, Copilot replaces the Windows Search UI.<\/p>\n

Agenda View is coming to the Windows 11 notifications center<\/p>\n

\"Calendar<\/p>\n

Windows 10\u2019s Agenda view is being added back to the notifications center, and it\u2019ll include Copilot integration, but the overall experience will be more or less the same. You\u2019ll be able to directly view Outlook agendas in the Windows 11 notifications center.<\/p>\n

\"AgendaAgenda in the Notification panel uses WebView2 even though it is a part of the OS itself<\/p>\n

However, unlike Windows 10\u2019s Agenda View, Windows 11\u2019s implementation is going to be WebView2-based<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That does not necessarily mean a bad experience, but Windows Latest confirmed that Agenda View, when used or opened, adds another 100MB of memory usage, as Windows starts Edge\/Web-related processes.<\/p>\n

Modern Run Dialog<\/p>\n

\"Windows<\/p>\n

Windows 11 is also testing a new optional modern Windows Run<\/a> that replaces the legacy Run when you specifically turn on \u201cModern Run\u201d in Settings > Advanced.<\/p>\n

The new modern Run uses WinUI and matches the look and feel of Windows 11, thanks to the Mica effect.<\/p>\n

\"Legacy<\/p>\n

But we don\u2019t think the modern Run is only about a new interface, since Microsoft might plan to add new features. This is quite obvious given the fact that the feature is part of Advanced Settings (for developers) and is optional.<\/p>\n

\"Enable<\/p>\n

Other changes coming to Windows 11 include the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE), support for .webp as desktop backgrounds<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new Modern Run in upcoming Windows updates, including 26H2 If you\u2019re currently on Windows 11 25H2 or…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":448557,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,48,61],"class_list":["post-448556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}