Windows 11 Beta Build Gets a Modern AutoPlay Redesign and Better Recovery

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Beta Preview Build 26220.9343, bringing a redesigned AutoPlay interface built with WinUI.

The update also improves desktop background settings and adds recovery features that can reconnect to saved Wi-Fi networks and reinstall Windows through the cloud.

Windows 11 gets a modernized AutoPlay experience

Microsoft has rebuilt the AutoPlay dialog using WinUI, giving it an interface that better matches other parts of Windows 11.

The new AutoPlay experience now supports dark mode and responds better to text scaling and different display configurations.

Microsoft has also changed how AutoPlay notifications work. Windows now docks these notifications in Notification Center, making them easier to find after connecting a device.

Existing AutoPlay actions remain available for phones, cameras, removable drives, and other supported devices.

Microsoft previously tested the redesigned interface in Windows 11 Experimental Build 26340.9233.

Desktop background settings get several improvements

Build 26220.9343 also improves Settings > Personalization > Background and fixes several issues affecting desktop wallpapers.

Windows 11 now supports DIB image files as desktop backgrounds. Microsoft has also increased the resolution of background previews and improved how previews appear on portrait-oriented displays.

Desktop slideshow transitions should work more reliably on newly created accounts, while Windows should handle rapid wallpaper changes without running into as many problems.

Slideshow backgrounds can also work across multiple desktops without automatically switching back to Picture mode.

Microsoft fixed another issue that caused wallpapers on some Insider PCs to turn black after every reboot.

Windows Recovery can reuse saved Wi-Fi networks

Microsoft is expanding networking support inside the Windows Recovery Environment.

WinRE can now automatically reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles stored in the main Windows installation. The feature also supports eligible certificate-based Wi-Fi networks.

Previously, WinRE could automatically connect only through unauthenticated Ethernet connections or Wi-Fi networks specifically configured for the recovery environment.

Reusing existing Wi-Fi profiles should make it easier for recovery tools such as Quick Machine Recovery and Cloud rebuild to get online without requiring users to enter their wireless credentials again.

Microsoft enables the feature by default, although IT administrators can turn it off.

Cloud rebuild can reinstall Windows when the PC cannot boot

Microsoft is also introducing Cloud rebuild, a recovery option that can completely reinstall Windows 11 even when the operating system cannot start.

Unlike Reset this PC, Cloud rebuild downloads both the required Windows image and the device’s drivers directly from Windows Update.

Users do not need USB installation media or a healthy existing Windows installation to start the recovery process.

In the current preview, Insiders can access the option by opening WinRE and going to Troubleshoot > Recovery and uninstall > Cloud rebuild.

WinRE allows users to connect through either Ethernet or Wi-Fi before starting the download.

Before reinstalling Windows, Cloud rebuild shows the Windows build, edition, language, and a warning that the process can result in data loss.

Microsoft previously introduced Cloud rebuild in Experimental Windows 11 26H1 Preview Build 28120.2824, so its appearance in the Beta Channel brings the feature closer to a broader rollout.

Overall, Windows 11 Beta Build 26220.9343 introduces several useful features, with the improved recovery options standing out as the most notable addition.