Another small servicing update for #WindowsInsiders in the Canary Channel – Build 25387.1200 is now available. This update does not include new content and is designed to test our servicing pipeline. ^JH

Have a great weekend!

Reminder: no blog post for the 25387 builds. pic.twitter.com/OHjFYUTRfx

— Windows Insider Program (@windowsinsider) June 9, 2023

If you’re into testing servicing pipelines, go ahead and download and install this latest Canary Channel build, 25387.1200.

The channel includes one new feature (for 22631.1835), the addition of new natural voices in Chinese and Spanish (Spain and Mexico), and a change adding a new toggle in Settings > Network & Internet > Cellular to control whether or not to use cellular when Wi-Fi is available but poor.

You can learn more about this build and the Beta Channel over at the Windows Insider blog post.

New WinUI powered File Explorer Home and Address Bar

With this latest Dev Channel build, Microsoft is furthering the modernization of File Explorer, this time by adding a carousel display for Recommended files if users are logged in to their Azure Active Directory accounts, with file thumbnail support coming soon. In addition, Quick Access folders, Favorites, and Recent are also getting an updated WinUI based experience.

We are also introducing a modernized address bar and search box to File Explorer. The new address bar intelligently recognizes local vs. cloud folders with built-in status. For OneDrive users, you’ll notice the address bar now contains your OneDrive sync status and quota flyout.

As is common with Windows Insider builds, not all Dev Channel Insiders will see these updates right away, as “we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.”

Dynamic Lighting

With this build, Microsoft is beginning to adopt the open HID LampArray standard for native control of lighting devices.

By adopting an open standard, and by working with our OEM and ODM partners,  Microsoft seeks to improve the RGB device and software ecosystem for users by increasing interoperability of devices and apps. Included are APIs for Windows apps to control devices from the background and foreground, as well as a page in Windows Settings for users to customize how their devices behave.

A number of device manufacturers are partnering with Microsoft on Dynamic Lighting, you can check out the blog post for a list.

Changes and improvements

Included with this build are a couble of changes/improvements, including the rollout of a feature that will detect if you’re not interacting with notification toasts and prompt you to to turn them off if you’re not, and the inclusion of Emoji 15 designs.

As usual, there are a number of fixes and known issues, be sure to check out the blog post for all the details.

Build 25381 was released last Friday, and included a change to SMB signing for Enterprise editions of Windows 11 in the Canary Channel.

Currently, SMB signing is off by default for all except connections to SYSVOL and NETLOGON shares, but this will change, as “part of a campaign to improve the security of Windows and Windows Server for the modern landscape.” Administrators will have to change 3rd party SMB servers to support SMB singing, although Microsoft apparently offers a workaround while at the same time discouraging it:

Do not disable SMB signing in Windows or use SMB1 to work around this behavior (SMB1 supports signing but does not enforce it). An SMB device that does not support signing allows interception and relay attacks from malicious parties.

SMB signing can reduce the performance of SMB copy operations. You can mitigate this with more physical CPU cores or virtual CPUs as well as newer, faster CPUs.

In addition, Canary Channel build 25381 includes a single item under “Changes and Improvements:”

• If a camera streaming issue is detected such as a camera failing to start or a closed camera shutter, a pop-up dialog will appear with the recommendation to launch the automated Get Help troubleshooter to resolve the issue.

You can learn a little more about SMB signing and the Windows Insider Canary Channel by checking out the Windows Insider blog post.

Dev Channel 23471

23471 comes with one big new feature, “Add Phone Photos in File Explorer Gallery”

In this build in the File Explorer Gallery command bar you should see a new entry, “Add Phone Photos.” Clicking on this button will lead you to a QR Code /URL to get started. The feature, using the OneDrive sync client, needs the latest OneDrive Insider Program version of the sync client to work, here’s how to access:

To join the OneDrive Insider Program, open OneDrive settings by bringing up the OneDrive flyout from the system tray; from there, navigate to the About page and turn on the toggle for the OneDrive Insider Program.

Also in this build is the inclusion of Narrator natural voices for Spanish (Spain and Mexico), an updated network flyout on the Lock Screen to be more Windows 11-like, and some more changes and improvements for the File Explorer:

• We are beginning to roll out the ability to tear out and merge tabs in File Explorer. This feature is beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see it right away.
• Gallery in File Explorer, which began rolling out with Build 23435, is now available for all Insiders in the Dev Channel.

There are a number of fixes and known issues as well, be sure to check out the Windows Insider blog post for all the latest.

Beta Channel 22621/22631.1830

Build 22631.1830 comes with one change:

• We added WPA3 support to the Phone Link instant hotspot feature for more secure connections to a phone’s hotspot. Also made fixes to respect metered connection settings, reduce duplicate profiles, and show the phone’s display name in the network list.

Be sure to check out the Blog post for more on the Beta Channel.

Included in these new builds are a number of new fixes for both varieties, including one new item:

• New! This update provides the full amount of storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displays the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.

Be sure and check out the Windows Insider blog post for all the details.

Along with these Beta Channel builds, Microsoft has released the second Canary Channel build this week, this time it’s 25375. This build includes one new feature, support for Microsoft Endpoint DLP on Windows on Arm (Arm64):

You can now extend Microsoft Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies and actions to endpoints running Windows on Arm (Arm64) which allows you to detect and protect sensitive data in files part of your digital ecosystem. This enables you to introduce policy controls for scenarios such as when an information worker using a Windows endpoint powered by Arm chipset from accessing sensitive files and trying an egress action such as copying to a USB, or copy to clipboard, notepad, etc.

You can learn more about the Canary Channel on the Windows Insider blog post, be sure to check it out.

It’s a build chock full of new features, let’s check out the highlights:

Dev Drive

Dev Drive, the “new form of storage volume available to improve performance for key developer workloads,” build on ReFS (the Resilient File System) comes to the Dev Channel. Here’s how to set it up:

To setup a Dev Drive, you can create one in free space on an existing drive or create a VHD/VHDX. This is done via Settings app under System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes, or via the command-line. A Dev Drive must be at least 50GB or higher in size and we recommend having 8GB or higher RAM on your device.

Performance mode, a new capability of Microsoft Defender Antivirus, is designed for Dev Drive to minimize impact on developer workloads.

Backup and Restore improvements

Backup and restore has been updated with these improvements:

• Windows Backup app – we’re introducing this new app to quickly get your current PC backed up and ready to move to a new PC.
• App pins – your Store apps from your prior PC will be pinned where you left them, both on taskbar and in the Start menu.
• Settings – Settings from your previous device will restore to your new PC to help you get back into the flow as quickly as possible.

New text authoring in voice access

User can now say “correct” to fix a piece of text or the last dictated text, or say “click [number]” to select an option from a list, “spell that” or “spell out.”

New natural Chinese voices in Narrator

These new Narrator voices can be downloaded only once and be used offline.

There are a number of changes and fixes, too, so be sure to check out the Windows Insider Blog post for all the details.

What’s Fresh in Windows Insider build 25370:

1. Support for vTPM in Hyper-V on Windows on Arm (Arm64) builds:
   If you’ve updated your host operating system to the latest flighted build (Build 25370 and above), you can now upgrade guest Windows on Arm virtual machines to Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. The system will detect the TPM 2.0 requirement seamlessly.

Changes and Improvements:

[Networking]

• Added support for bridging adapters via the command line using netsh.
• Passpoint Wi-Fi networks now offer enhanced connection performance and display a URL in Quick Settings. This URL provides users with information about the venue or event.
• Incorporated WPA3 support into the Phone Link instant hotspot feature, ensuring more secure connections to a phone’s hotspot. Additionally, we’ve resolved issues related to respecting metered connection settings, reducing duplicate profiles, and displaying the phone’s display name in the network list.

[Settings]

Under Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings, we’ve included links to advanced properties for network adapters and internet properties.

For Developers:

If you’re a developer, you can download the latest Windows Insider SDK at aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk.

The SDK NuGet packages are now available for flighting at NuGet Gallery | WindowsSDK. These packages offer:

• .NET TFM packages for use in .NET apps (described at ms/windowsinsidersdk)
• C++ packages for Win32 headers and libs per architecture
• BuildTools package, which includes essential tools like MakeAppx.exe, MakePri.exe, and SignTool.exe

These NuGet packages grant you more precise access to the SDK and better integration in CI/CD pipelines. SDK flights are now published for both the Canary and Dev Channels, so make sure to choose the appropriate version for your Insider Channel.

When targeting new APIs, remember to employ adaptive code to ensure your app runs seamlessly on all customer machines, especially when building against the Dev Channel SDK. It’s a recommend feature detection over OS version checks, as OS version checks can be unreliable and may not function as expected in all scenarios.

The Canary Channel is where you can catch an early glimpse of platform changes that require a longer lead time before being released to customers. This includes significant modifications to the Windows kernel, new APIs, and more. It’s important to note that builds in the Canary Channel should not be associated with any specific Windows release. Some changes are experimented with in this channel may never make it to the final release, while others could be incorporated in future Windows versions once they’re polished and ready.

Insider Builds in the Canary Channel are freshly produced and offered to Insiders soon after completion. This means that there may be significant issues that could hinder your PC’s functionality or, in rare cases, necessitate a Windows 11 reinstallation.

Here’s what’s new:

• Package verification for apps on WSA: Android apps are scanned using anti-virus software installed on Windows prior to app installation.
• Ability for users to configure how much memory to assign to Android
• Android apps will be launched when a user opens the supported app link from any app (Android AppLink support)
• Linux kernel updated to 5.15.94
• WSA reliability and performance improvements

If you’re on a Windows Insider channel and using Windows Subsystem for Android, or if you want to try it out, you can check it out now.