Microsoft is now rolling out the Windows 11 build 26120.3380 as the KB5053660 update in the Dev and Beta Channels of the Windows Insider Program. This is a small update with visual improvements for File Explorer, Start menu, Taskbar, and Settings app.
According to the company’s official changes, the KB5053660 update brings the new “Recommended” section to the Home page of File Explorer. The Start menu now promotes Snap groups with apps you’ll likely snap together, and Windows Search in the Taskbar gets improvements for users in the European Economic Area.
The development team is also working on a new toast notification to remind you that the account needs a secondary email or recovery phone. The Taskbar now includes a dedicated button to access the emoji panel, and the About page in the Settings app gets an update to show key tech specifications in the form of cards at the top of the app, among other things.
In addition, this flight rolls out a number of fixes for File Explorer, Settings, and other areas.
Windows 11 build 26120.3380 (Dev and Beta)
These are the changes rolling out in the latest preview of Windows 11 in the Dev and Beta Channels.
Start menu with snap group
Similar to build 22635.5025 (Beta) for version 23H2, build 26120.3380 (Dev and Beta) for version 24H2 introduces the ability to show a “snap group” with the two apps you’re most likely to snap together in the “Recommended” section of the Start menu.
File Explorer with recommendations
Windows 11 update KB5053660 is also bringing the “Recommended” tab to the “Home” page on File Explorer.
The “Recommended” tab shows recent files from your computer or the cloud, recent downloads, and images recently added to the Gallery as a carousel with thumbnail previews.
This feature is available for devices using a personal Microsoft account. Users with work or school accounts will also have access to this feature, but they will get more recommendations.
Devices in the European Economic Area won’t get this feature. However, the company will make this feature available for those users in the future.
When you have this section enabled, File Explorer won’t show the “Quick Access” folders, but you can disable this feature with these instructions.
Microsoft is also adding text scaling support through the “Text size” settings in the Settings app for Open and Save and Wizard dialogs in the File Explorer.
Taskbar with emoji button and more
Microsoft is working on a new entry point to access the Emoji panel from the System Tray in the Taskbar. The option appears on the “Taskbar” settings page, and when enabled, you will notice a new icon in the System Tray, depending on the option.
For example, the “Always” option will keep the Emoji button persistent in the System Tray. On the other hand, the “While typing” option will only make the button available when using a text field or when working with a word processing or note-taking application.
As part of the notification system, you will now receive a toast notification to remind you that your account may need a secondary email address or phone number for recovery. The notification will only appear on devices using a Microsoft account and if the information is missing.
In addition, the company notes that it has also improved support for web search providers for users in the European Economic Area to make sure that users can find the feature.
Furthermore, Microsoft is making it easier for developers to build dynamic widgets with web content.
Settings app with Top Cards
On the About page for the Settings app, Microsoft is now working on a card view at the top of the page to show some of the key hardware specifications, such as storage, graphics card, installed memory, and processor details.
Live Captions for AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs
In this release, Windows 11 is bringing real-time translation for Copilot+ PCs using AMD and Intel processors.
The feature works in Chinese (Simplified), Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, English, Spanish, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovene, and Swedish.
Other fixes and improvements
The KB5053660 update fixes several bugs for devices enrolled in the Dev and Beta Channels:
- Windowing: Fixed an issue where the Snap Bar at the top of the screen unexpectedly showed corners on the side closest to the screen.
- Input: Fixed a ctfmon.exe crash, which could impact the ability to type.
- Settings app: Resolved crashes in Settings related to adding color profiles, signing into Microsoft Accounts (MSAs), and corrected the name display format for Japanese users in the Accounts section.
- Other: Resolved a PDC_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT Blue Screen of Death during sleep resumption and fixed a windows.storage.dll issue that caused app crashes when opening files.
Finally, the company also notes a few known issues for Recall, Click to Do, Windows Search, Task Manager, and File Explorer.
Installation process
To download and install this Windows 11 build, enroll your device in the Dev or Beta Channel through the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Update & Security” section. Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download the build from the “Windows Update” settings by turning on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option and clicking the “Check for Updates” button.
Microsoft recently announced that devices in the Dev and Beta Channels are now receiving the same previews from version 24H2 development but as an optional install for those devices in the Beta Channel. However, the company is also making available the preview build 22635.5025 in the Beta Channel for users still in the 23H2 development.