KB5018486 is now live for Windows 11 Beta Channel Insiders

Microsoft is forever busy perfecting its products and keeps releasing updates to all Insiders and regular Windows OS users, regardless of version.

Ever since July, the tech giant began flighting two separate Windows 11 Preview builds for Insiders on the Beta channel for a staggered release.

That won’t stop today, as Microsoft has released an update with new builds 22621.875 and 22623.875 (KB5018486).

Don’t forget to also check out the best mouse settings for gaming in Windows 11, in case you installed the new OS and plan on going on a virtual adventure.

What should I know about builds 22621.875 and 22623.875?

Please remember that Windows 11 Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package.

The above-mentioned enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default.

Microsoft is using this approach for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.875

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

• Tablet-optimized taskbar which began rolling out with Build 22623.730 is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. The System Tray improvements that began rolling out with Build 22623.746 that include drag and drop is still rolling out so not all Insiders in the Beta Channel will see this right away.

[Taskbar]

• The change that adds Task Manager to the context menu when right-clicking on the taskbar is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel.

Fixes in Build 22623.875

[Taskbar]

• You can now swipe up from within the taskbar with a pen to expand the tablet-optimized taskbar.

[System Tray Updates]

• The show hidden icons panel in the system tray should no longer block context menus opened after it.

NOTE

These fixes for System Tray are still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.875 & Build 22623.875

• Enhanced the backup experience when using your Microsoft Account (MSA). Some devices might notice visual treatments for this enhancement. This is available to a small audience initially and deploys more broadly in the months that follow.
• Fixed an issue that might affect some types of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) connections. These connections might have handshake failures. For developers, the affected connections are likely to send multiple frames followed by a partial frame with a size of less than 5 bytes within a single input buffer. If the connection fails, your app will receive the error, SEC_E_ILLEGAL_MESSAGE.
• Stopped the start of daylight saving time in Jordan at the end of October 2022. The Jordan time zone will permanently shift to the UTC + 3 time zone.
• Fixed an issue that affects transparency in layered windows. This occurs when you are in High-Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode.

Known issues

[General]

• Looking into reports that audio stopped working for some Insiders in recent Beta Channel builds.

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

• The taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture.
• The taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.
• When using the bottom right edge gesture to see Quick Settings, the taskbar sometimes stays stuck in the expanded state, instead of dismissing to collapsed state.

What can I do if I can’t install KB5018486?

1. Press Win+ I to access Settings.
2. Select the System category and click on Troubleshoot.
3. Press the Other troubleshooters button.
4. Press the Run button next to Windows Update.

Don’t forget to report any other issues you might come across, in order for Microsoft to address and improve the overall OS experience for us all.

This is everything you can expect if you are a Windows 11 Beta Channel Insider. Leave a comment below if you found any issues since installing this cumulative update.