Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 Insider Preview build 28000 to the Canary Channel, and with it a new version label: Windows 11, version 26H1. The label change matters less than it sounds. This isn’t the next consumer feature update. It’s a platform release aimed at lighting up specific upcoming processors, with no action required from existing Windows 11 users on 25H2.
Windows 11 26H1 is a silicon enablement release, not a feature update
The company is explicit: 26H1 “is not a feature update for version 25H2” and “only includes platform changes to support specific silicon.” Feature development stays centered on 25H2. Windows 11 remains on an annual feature update cadence, with major updates landing in the second half of the calendar year. In the Insider Program, Canary will continue to carry early platform work while new user-facing experiences arrive first in Dev and Beta.
Read that as a separation of concerns: 26H1 advances the under-the-hood platform to enable next-gen chips, while the features you’ll see and use continue to ride on the mainstream 25H2 base.
Build 28000: what’s in it
Build 28000 is a modest flight focused on quality rather than new functionality. Microsoft calls out a “small set of general improvements and fixes,” including:
- Live captions no longer crash in scenarios seen in the previous flight.
- The credentials dialog is accessible again when signing in to Outlook.
There are also a couple of issues to watch:
- Start menu (new design): the view may unexpectedly scroll to the top.
- Power and Battery: some devices may not sleep or shut down correctly on recent Canary builds.
Note: Canary builds represent very early platform changes and aren’t tied to a specific Windows release. Features may change, be removed, or never ship beyond Insiders.
Key build facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Channel | Windows Insider — Canary |
| Build | 28000 |
| Version label | Windows 11, version 26H1 |
| Focus | Platform changes to support specific silicon (no feature update for 25H2) |
| Notable fixes | Live captions stability; Outlook sign-in credentials window accessibility |
| Known issues | Start menu scroll resets; sleep/shutdown reliability |
Who should install this build
This flight targets testers on the Canary Channel validating platform work and new hardware paths. If you’re on a production PC or you’re primarily interested in new Windows features, stay on or move to builds based on 25H2 instead. As Microsoft puts it, “There is no action required from customers.”
How to confirm you’re seeing the 26H1 label
You can check the version label in Settings or with the classic About dialog:
- Open Settings > System > About, or launch it directly here: open the About page.
- Run
winverto see the version string in a dialog.
On build 28000 in Canary, the version string reads “Windows 11, version 26H1.”
Why 26H1 exists
This release is about hardware readiness. Microsoft hasn’t named the chips it’s targeting, but the intent is clear: bring up support for new silicon that current 25H2-based systems don’t require. Expect the work to surface first on next‑generation Arm PCs; existing Windows 11 devices aren’t affected by this version label change and won’t see a 26H1 feature upgrade path.
Internally, 26H1 aligns with a newer Windows platform wave than the one underpinning 24H2/25H2, which allows Microsoft to integrate low-level changes for upcoming processors without disrupting the mainstream feature track.
What happens next
Canary will continue to receive early platform updates under the 26H1 label. Dev and Beta remain the first stops for user-facing features that will eventually flow to 25H2-based builds. For most people, the notable milestone to watch is the next annual feature update in the second half of the year.
If you’re testing on Canary, keep an eye on Start behavior, power states, and any app sign-in dialogs, and be ready to file feedback. Everyone else can safely sit this one out.
