Windows 11 26H1 Experimental Build Brings Mobile Device Enhancements and GIPHY GIFs

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Experimental 26H1 Preview Build 28120.2374 for users enrolled in the Experimental 26H1 channel. While this build is exclusive to the Experimental channel, it contains the same changes that were recently rolled out to Beta 26H1 testers.

The update focuses on a handful of quality improvements, bug fixes, and feature enhancements. As with many Insider releases, Microsoft says some of the new features are being introduced gradually, so they may not appear on every eligible device immediately.

Mobile Device Settings Receive New Management Options

One of the biggest improvements in this build targets the Mobile Devices experience in Windows 11. Microsoft continues expanding the integration between Windows PCs and smartphones through the dedicated Mobile Devices page.

From there, Windows users can:

• Add and manage supported mobile devices.
• Configure a phone to work as a connected camera.
• Control access to a mobile device’s files from File Explorer.

The changes continue Microsoft’s effort to make Windows and mobile devices work together more seamlessly without requiring additional applications.

Microsoft Adds Remote Recovery Management Support

Microsoft has also introduced a new remote recovery management plug-in.

The plug-in extends Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) management capabilities for Mobile Device Management (MDM) providers. The addition should give IT administrators more flexibility when managing recovery features across enterprise-managed Windows devices.

Emoji Panel Now Uses GIPHY for GIFs

Another notable change affects the Windows emoji panel.

When users press Windows key + period, the GIF section now pulls content from GIPHY instead of Tenor.

Microsoft says the switch provides a smoother GIF browsing and sharing experience. The change follows the deprecation of the Tenor API, requiring Windows to move to a different GIF provider.

Gradual Rollout Continues

Like many recent Insider builds, Microsoft is gradually rolling out several of the new features. This means not every Insider will receive all changes immediately after installing the update.

This Experimental release follows several other Insider updates announced by Microsoft. The company has also released another Experimental preview that introduces the ability to change the Windows 11 taskbar size, alongside Windows 11 Beta Build 26220.8754, which includes additional fixes and improvements for Insider testers.

Users enrolled in the Experimental 26H1 channel can install Build 28120.2374 through Windows Update by checking for the latest Insider Preview updates.