How-To

Microsoft Resumes Insider Builds to Canary Channel with Build 26241

By Brian Burgess

Published June 20, 2024

Just a day after announcing a pause of Canary Build releases, Microsoft resumes flights with Build 26241 with new features.

Shortly after announcing it would temporarily pause releases to the Canary Channel, Microsoft has resumed flights with the release of build 26241 for Insiders.

This new Windows Insider release follows the previous Canary Channel release, Build 26236. It is available today and includes a modest number of new features that you can test out.

Remember that while you can test out new features before other people as an Insider in the Canary Channel, the releases also include bugs and known issues. Ensure you install these versions on a spare PC or in a virtual machine. With that said, let’s look at what you can expect in this new build.

You can grab Insider Build 26241 by going to Settings > Windows Update.

General Changes and Improvements in Build 26241

Microsoft notes that this release includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the Windows 11 experience. If you have noticed inconsistencies in the previous build, check if they have been resolved.

File Explorer also gets additional functionality. You can drag and drop files with your mouse between breadcrumbs, now available on the address bar.

Fixes Included in Build 26241

Icons flashing on the taskbar should now be easier to see. This release updates the app icon flashing experience.

File Explorer also gets some fixes that improve the experience. The update makes it easier to see when files or folders are selected by including a thin border around the selected area. An underlying problem that caused File Explorer to crash when selecting Home should now work.

Notifications also get a fix. The company notes: “We’ve updated the underlying logic for when we suggest turning off notifications for certain apps, so that it requires a longer period of time without engaging with notifications from that app in order to trigger.”

Known Issues in This Build

As previously mentioned, there are known issues with Insider builds, including this one. Some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels get stuck on Build 26040 or 23620.

This is an ongoing problem, and if you have experienced it, Microsoft suggests doing a clean install with the latest ISO and opting back into the appropriate Insider Channel.

You may also experience a problem with colors in the Performance section of Task Manager don’t display correctly while in Dark Mode.

Moving Forward with Windows 11

This release in the Canary channel contains only a few new features, but the company continues to release new versions. It’s also worth mentioning that there are no notes about the controversial Recall feature. For the complete details of Build 26241, check out Microsoft’s blog post.