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On Windows 11, as March comes to an end, it's a good time to highlight the best features and improvements Microsoft rolled out in the first three months of the year.
In Q1 2026, the company has made three quality updates available for Windows 11 (excluding Out-of-band patches), introducing new features such as the ability to resume Android apps on Windows 11, the release of the completely overhauled Windows MIDI Services, and a new network speed test.
Article continues belowChanges Microsoft shipped in the first quarter of 2026 for Windows 11
These are the most interesting improvements for existing experiences and new features that are now available on Windows 11.
Cross-device resume
During the first quarter of 2026, Microsoft expanded the Cross-Device Resume feature to more computers.
The feature lets you resume apps from your Android phone on your computer directly from the Taskbar. Currently, you can resume Spotify playback, work in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, or continue a browsing session.
The feature is available through Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turning on the "Resume" toggle switch.
And the Android phone has to be connected via the Link to Windows app and the Phone Link app, and then, in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices, you have to turn on the "Resume" feature on the mobile device.
Windows MIDI Services
Windows 11 also received MIDI improvements, including enhanced support for MIDI 0 (in-box) and 2.0, including full WinMM and WinRT MIDI 1.0 support with built‑in translation, shared MIDI ports across apps, custom port names, loopback, and app‑to‑app MIDI.
The company also made available performance improvements and bug fixes to improve the experience for musicians.
If you want to access the new MIDI improvements, Microsoft is offering the App SDK and Tool package as a separate download.
Windows Hello external sensors
Originally, the Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) feature was only supported on built-in biometric sensors. However, now, you can connect and configure virtually any external supported Windows Hello ESS fingerprint reader from the "Sign-in options" settings page.
You can do this in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and enable the "Enhanced sign-in security" option with an external supported device.
Device Info in Home
The Home page in the Settings app now includes a new "Device info" card designed to highlight the top hardware specifications, such as processor, memory, graphics, and storage.
The card also includes a link to access the "About" page.
Also, on the About page, the "Device info" section shows more hardware details, including graphics card and storage.
Quick Machine Recovery
Quick Machine Recovery isn't a new feature in 2026, but initially, it was only enabled by default in the Home edition of the operating system.
In 2026, Microsoft expanded this behavior to Windows 11 Pro, where the feature is now turned on by default as well, except on devices that are managed by an organization.
Speed network test
Windows 11 now includes a new network speed test you can access from the Taskbar.
You can access it by right-clicking the network icon in the Taskbar's System Tray or from the Wi-Fi or Cellular pages in the Quick Settings interface.
When you select the option, the web browser will open a Bing page to run a network test using your internet connection to diagnose connectivity and performance issues.
Camera new support
On the "Cameras" settings page, in the properties of a camera under the "Basic settings" section, the company has added new controls to manage the pan and tilt settings.
Sysmon native support
Sysmon (System Monitor) is not new to Windows 11, but it's been a tool you had to install manually as part of the Sysinternals suite. In 2026, Sysmon became a native feature of the operating system.
On Windows 11, Sysmon (System Monitor) is an advanced tool for network administrators to enhance the standard logging capabilities. While default Windows Event Logs might tell you a process started, Sysmon tells you exactly what that process did, where it came from, and who it talked to.
And you can now install it directly from the "Windows Features" page from Settings > System > Optional features > More Windows features.
After installation, you'll need to run the Sysmon -i command in PowerShell or Command Prompt.
If you have the Sysinternals version of Sysmon, you'll need to uninstall it before installing the new native version.
WebP image support for wallpapers
If you still set your desktop background images manually, you can now set WebP (.webp) images as wallpapers.
The support is available across the system, whether you use the "Set as background" option in the Taskbar or the "Background" settings page.
Final thoughts
If we look at the first few months of 2026, Microsoft didn't make big, flashy changes. However, instead focused on making Windows 11 a little more useful in everyday situations.
Features like cross-device resume, the built-in network speed test, and native Sysmon support show a clear effort to bring more tools directly into the system, so you don't have to rely as much on third-party apps. At the same time, smaller updates to things like Quick Machine Recovery, Windows Hello, and Settings help make the experience feel more complete and reliable.
None of these changes is groundbreaking on its own, but together they make the operating system easier to use. It's the kind of progress you notice over time, as everything works a little better.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
- Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
- Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know
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