In early August, Insiders didn't get off to a good start with previews, as the company didn't release any Windows 11 builds in the main testing channels, including Experimental and Beta, for more than 15 days. However, on August 17, Microsoft made five preview builds available across different channels and testing versions, with new features and changes.
In this latest wave of previews, the company began public testing of a new fully customizable context menu. It also rolled out improvements for the background image experience, Magnifier, Camera Roll, and Get Started app.
Also, the company announced that starting with this wave of updates, the operating system will no longer ship the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) and the Drag Tray feature.
In the Experimental track, we've seen builds 29648, 28120.2738, and 26340.9212, while in the Beta channel, the company announced 28020.2731 and 26220.9202.
In this recap, I'll highlight the latest and most noteworthy changes available through the Windows Insider Program.
Biggest improvements from the Windows Insider Program in August 2026
In this recap, I'll highlight the latest and most noteworthy changes available through the Windows Insider Program since my last roundup.
Redesigned context menu
So far in August, perhaps the biggest change is the redesigned context menu, which is now fully customizable, simpler, and faster.
The new design reduces the clutter as we have never seen in the menu while keeping common actions easy to access. When you right-click a file or folder to invoke the menu, you'll notice a new "App extensions" submenu that now houses those extra entry points from applications you have installed on your computer.
Also, there's a new "Customize menu" option that opens the new Context menu page in Settings > Personalization.
Under the "File actions" section, you can choose the options that you want to appear in the main context menu, such as "Send to," Print, Create shortcut, Copy as path, and Rotate image.
One thing to point out here is that the "Send to" and Print options are new to the modern menu design.
When you open the "App extensions" section, you can decide whether this submenu appears in the main menu. Also, you can choose which extensions from apps appear in the main menu.
Microsoft notes that it understands that many people have accumulated years of muscle memory from Windows 10. As a result, the new menu adds options to make it easier for those users by letting them arrange primary actions (such as cut and paste) vertically, instead of in the new horizontal view.
Also, you can place the "Properties" option at the bottom of the list, like in older versions of Windows.
Finally, it's also possible to restore the "Show more options" entry, or you can continue accessing the classic menu using the "Shift + Right-click" shortcut.
The new context menu options are available on build 26340.9212 for version 26H2 in the Experimental channel.
Personalization improvements
On Windows 11 build 26340.9212, the company is also polishing the desktop background experience with several fixes and improvements.
For example, on Settings > Personalization > Background, the page should now be more reliable, previews now render at higher resolution and display better on portrait monitors, and desktop slideshow transitions are more dependable, including on newly created accounts.
The system can now also improve the process of changing wallpaper quickly, use Device-Independent Bitmap (DIB) image files as backgrounds, and keep slideshow wallpapers enabled across multiple desktops instead of automatically switching back to Picture.
Camera Roll backup
Also, on build 26340.9212, Microsoft is making it easier to protect your pictures by adding new entry points in Settings > Home and Accounts that let you set up Camera Roll backup, which automatically backs up photos and videos from your mobile device to OneDrive.
Magnifier interface update
Magnifier is getting a cleaner look without changing how the accessibility tool works.
Microsoft has refreshed the toolbar icons to better match the operating system's visual design and refined the spacing and padding for a more polished layout.
This update is currently available only in version 26H2, starting with the release of build 26340.9212.
Windows Recovery Environment changes
Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is getting a useful networking upgrade that can automatically reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles saved in the operating system, including supported certificate-based networks.
In the past, this recovery mode could automatically connect to wired unauthenticated Ethernet or separately preconfigured Wi-Fi, while other WPA2/WPA3 networks required manually entering a password.
In this update, recovery workflows such as Quick Machine Recovery or cloud rebuilds can get online without manual interaction, without having to reconfigure Wi-Fi credentials.
The behavior is enabled by default, although technical users can disable it if needed.
Windows 11 features removed
In this wave of updates across all channels, Microsoft is no longer shipping Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) and the Drag Tray feature.
In this release, the legacy Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) tool is no longer included as Microsoft continues its broader effort to phase out WMIC from the operating system, pushing users toward newer management tools.
One thing to point out about WMIC is that Microsoft isn't removing WMI. Only the "wmic.exe" command-line utility will no longer be included in the operating system. WMI remains available through PowerShell and other supported utilities.
Microsoft is also pulling the plug on the Drop Tray experience from this build after hearing feedback from users. The company says it'll continue exploring improvements in this area and plans to share more about a future replacement in a later update.
File Explorer improvements
In Windows 11 build 26220.9202 for version 25H2 (Beta), File Explorer gets a small but noticeable usability boost.
For example, the "Home" page now launches faster and feels more responsive, while the "Recommended" section supports touch scrolling, making it easier to browse files in the carousel.
Microsoft also fixed an issue that caused previews to display an unexpectedly thick band across the middle.
Windows Security app changes
Finally, the company is making small visual adjustments to Windows Security to better align the app with the other Windows 11 experiences.
On Windows 11 build 29648, testers may notice subtle differences as more changes roll out. However, after installing this update on my machine, I failed to notice anything different in the app.
On managed devices with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint enabled, information about the protection will now appear at the top of the "Virus & threat protection" page.
Windows Central's Take
Although Microsoft kept Insiders without preview builds for the first half of August, the latest updates are still worth the wait because the company is finally giving users more control over parts of the experience it previously tried to simplify. The customizable context menu is the most significant change, especially because it acknowledges that users don't necessarily want the company's preferred layout forced on them.
I'm also glad the improvements aren't limited to interface changes. The improvements to desktop backgrounds, File Explorer, and WinRE address small frustrations that can make the experience feel inconsistent over time.
I wouldn't rush to install an Insider build just for these changes, but the direction is encouraging. Microsoft is giving Windows 11 more flexibility while continuing to modernize the parts of the operating system that have fallen behind.
What are your thoughts about these latest Windows 11 changes? Let me know in the comments.
More resources
Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:
- Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
- Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know
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