Windows 11 Release Preview 26H1 Brings Faster Performance and Smarter Search

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Release Preview Build 28000.2333 for users testing the upcoming Windows 11 26H1 update. The build introduces improvements across accessibility, performance, AI hardware monitoring, camera functionality, Windows Hello, personalization, and search.

As with many recent Insider releases, Microsoft is rolling out these features gradually, meaning not every tester will receive all changes immediately.

Magnifier Gets Accessibility and Protected Content Improvements

One of the biggest accessibility upgrades in this release focuses on Magnifier.

Users who rely on screen readers will now receive clearer and more consistent announcements when using Magnifier. The feature can now provide spoken feedback for key actions, including adjusting zoom levels, changing Magnifier views, toggling color inversion, and turning Magnifier on or off.

Microsoft has also added support for magnifying permitted protected content, expanding compatibility in scenarios where content protection previously limited accessibility features.

Lens mode should feel smoother as well, with Microsoft improving movement responsiveness while navigating the screen.

Task Manager Adds New NPU Monitoring Features

Build 28000.2333 introduces new visibility into Neural Processing Unit (NPU) activity. Users can now customize Task Manager by adding several NPU-focused columns to the Processes, Users, and Details tabs.

These include metrics for NPU utilization, engine activity, dedicated memory consumption, and shared memory usage, providing a more detailed view of AI workload performance.

Neural engines integrated into GPUs now appear directly on the Performance page, making it easier to monitor AI workloads and hardware acceleration.

Microsoft also added a new Isolation column on the Processes and Details pages. This column identifies applications running inside an AppContainer environment.

Users can enable these columns by right-clicking any column header and selecting the desired entries.

The company also fixed an issue where virtual machines could report unusually high CPU speeds after resuming from hibernation.

Multi-App Camera Support Expands

Windows 11’s Multi-App Camera feature is officially gaining additional functionality, after the feature was first spotted in KB5089573 last month.

The feature allows multiple applications to access a camera stream simultaneously, making it easier to support accessibility tools, streaming software, and collaboration apps that need concurrent camera access.

Microsoft also introduced a Basic Camera mode designed for troubleshooting camera-related issues or improving stability when advanced functionality is not required.

Enterprise administrators can manage both Multi-App Camera mode and Basic Camera mode through Group Policy settings.

Windows Setup Finally Allows Custom User Folder Names

During Windows installation, users can now choose a custom name for their user folder instead of relying on the automatically generated folder structure traditionally created during setup.

The change gives users more control over account organization and file paths from the start.

The feature was previously reported when Microsoft began testing the ability to choose a custom name for their user folder during setup.

Performance Improvements Target Core Windows Experiences

Microsoft says Build 28000.2333 accelerates application launches and improves responsiveness throughout the operating system.

Several core shell components should feel faster, including the Start menu, Windows Search, and Action Center.

The improvements appear related to Microsoft’s ongoing work around the Low Latency Profile introduced in recent Windows 11 updates.

Personalization Becomes More Reliable

Automatic accent color selection should now more accurately match the colors found in the active wallpaper.

Microsoft also improved wallpaper reliability by preserving wallpapers more consistently after upgrades, preventing unwanted switches to solid-color backgrounds, and improving support for high-resolution wallpapers.

These changes aim to deliver a more consistent desktop appearance across updates and restarts.

Windows Hello Receives Performance and Reliability Fixes

Microsoft optimized the Windows Biometric Service to improve performance after systems resume from Modern Standby.

The company also addressed issues involving missing secure enrollment metadata and unexpected authentication blocks associated with Enhanced Sign-in Security.

Sign-in behavior has become more consistent as well.

When face recognition or fingerprint authentication is available, Windows will continue using those methods as the default sign-in option even if another authentication method was used previously.

Microsoft also refined PIN behavior. If users choose a PIN three consecutive times, Windows will continue using the PIN until another authentication method is manually selected.

Windows Search Gets Smarter

Windows Search can now find and prioritize files using as few as two characters, helping users locate documents and content faster, even when entering very short search terms.

The improvement should make file discovery more responsive while reducing the need to type full file names or longer keywords.

Windows 11 Insider Release Preview Build 28000.2333 delivers meaningful improvements across accessibility, AI hardware monitoring, camera sharing, sign-in reliability, personalization, and system performance.

Because the features are rolling out gradually, Insider testers may see them appear over time rather than immediately after installing the update.