Every once in a while, Microsoft rolls out a Windows update that feels less like a simple patch and more like a quiet shift in the philosophy of the operating system. Build 26220.7262, released to the Dev and Beta Channels, is one such update. It may appear modest at first glance, but the deeper you explore, the more you notice a growing theme: the operating system is slowly preparing itself for a more autonomous, AI-driven future.
This build introduces experimental features, redesigned system areas, enhanced accessibility tools, and notable behind-the-scenes changes that shape how users will interact with their PCs in the coming months. Although Microsoft has not announced exactly when these improvements will reach general users, the update provides a clear window into the direction Windows is moving toward.
In this article, we’ll walk through each of these major additions step by step, exploring how they work, what they change, and what you should know before enabling them. Think of this as a relaxed, thoughtful guide — one where each section gently introduces the next, helping you understand the entire update without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
The Arrival of Agentic AI: A New Chapter for Windows Automation
Whenever we talk about Windows updates, there is usually a predictable set of improvements — bug fixes, interface polishing, tweaks to existing tools. But this time, Microsoft is taking a bold step into a different territory: Agentic AI.
Instead of simply answering questions, this AI is meant to do things. It can organize your files, automate tasks, schedule appointments, manage notifications, and interact with apps on your behalf — all in the background, almost like a digital assistant that finally behaves like one.
Before diving into how to enable or use it, let’s take a moment to understand why this feature is such a big deal.
A gentle shift from text AI to action AI
Until now, Windows’ AI features largely focused on generating summaries, offering suggestions, and transforming content. With the introduction of Agentic AI, the system begins stepping into automation — actually performing tasks that previously required manual effort.
Imagine asking your computer to organize a messy folder, rename files, create an event, or schedule an online appointment — and the system handles it quietly in the background. That’s the goal Microsoft is hinting at here.
Enabling Agentic AI
This feature is disabled by default, which is a thoughtful decision by Microsoft because the feature is experimental and may not behave consistently. To turn it on:
You open Settings → System → AI components, where you will notice a new toggle labeled Experimental Agentic Features. Once enabled, Windows warns you that these tasks run in a separate Windows session, isolated for safety. This is intended to ensure that the agent can’t interact with sensitive areas without proper permissions.
An evolving concept
Even though the feature exists, it is not fully active yet. At this stage, only apps with Agentic capabilities — such as certain forms of Copilot or Edge automation — can use these new background powers. In the future, Microsoft plans to give each AI agent its own contained environment with defined permissions.
Right now, Copilot in Edge offers a glimpse of what’s coming. It can book a restaurant, fill forms, schedule appointments, and even assist while shopping. These examples might feel small today, but they signal a major direction change: Windows is moving from a passive assistant to an active helper.
Should you enable it today?
If you appreciate experimenting with new features and understand the possibility of misbehavior, you can enable Agentic AI. But if you prefer stability, it might be wiser to wait. Even Microsoft admits that the feature is still being tuned.
A Redesigned “Click to Do” Experience: Smoother and More Familiar
As part of the same update, Microsoft has refreshed the Click To Do actions menu. This menu — which appears when hovering over actionable items like files or images — has undergone a visual and functional improvement.
A naturally flowing interface
The new menu now resembles the modern File Explorer context menu. Instead of feeling like an experimental sidebar, it blends more cohesively with Windows 11’s design language. Options such as copy, save, share, and open now appear inline, reducing the number of clicks needed to access common actions.
This update may seem subtle, but when you use these elements hundreds of times a week, even the smallest refinements enhance the experience.
Smarter prompts and deeper Copilot integration
Microsoft is also expanding how Copilot appears inside this menu. Depending on the item you select, Windows will offer contextual Copilot prompts — for example, summarizing text, extracting information, or suggesting follow-up actions.
However, there’s one temporary setback:
The image object select feature within Click To Do has been disabled for now. Microsoft states this is temporary while they refine the experience, so it should return in future builds.
A clearer tutorial experience
Learning new features can feel intimidating, especially when the interface evolves quietly in the background. To help with this, Microsoft has added a new “start tutorial” button inside the Click To Do settings area, making it easier for new users to understand how the feature works.
Virtual Workspaces Page: Advanced Features Finally Reach the Settings App
The next major improvement arrives in the Settings → Advanced section. For years, Windows hid many important virtualization tools inside the old “Turn Windows features on or off” menu — a place that felt outdated and buried.
With this update, Microsoft introduces the Virtual Workspaces page, which brings these tools into the modern Settings app.
Why this matters
Placing virtualization tools inside the main Settings app accomplishes two important goals:
- It makes them easier to find
- It presents them in a cleaner, more organized way
Instead of navigating deep into legacy dialog boxes, users now see a properly structured page with toggles for:
- Windows Sandbox
- Hyper-V components
- Virtual Machine Platform
- Windows Hypervisor Platform
- Gutter Host
- Containers
It mirrors the traditional Windows Features menu but feels modern, readable, and intuitive — something long overdue.
A more cohesive environment
These virtualization tools serve everything from developer workflows to security testing, and by organizing them within the main OS UI, Microsoft bridges the gap between advanced users and everyday users who may want to experiment with Windows Sandbox or platform virtualization for the first time.
Accessibility Boosts: New HD Voices for Magnifier and Narrator
Accessibility improvements often don’t make headlines, but they significantly change the experience for those who rely on them every day. In this build, Microsoft introduces high-definition voices powered by the latest on-device Speech models from Azure.
These voices are available for Magnifier and Narrator, bringing richer clarity and more natural speech patterns.
Why these new HD voices matter
The older voices in Narrator and Magnifier sometimes sounded robotic or flat. The new models use generative AI to adjust pacing, intonation, and emphasis, making the reading experience smoother and more human.
For anyone who spends long hours listening to text read aloud — whether due to visual impairment or simply as part of their workflow — the difference is immense.
Trying the new voices
To enable the HD voices:
You go to Accessibility → Magnifier (or Narrator), then scroll to Add Natural Voices. The new voices are clearly labeled with an HD tag. Once installed, they provide noticeably improved quality.
These HD models are fully processed on-device, which means they don’t rely on cloud connectivity after installation.
Haptic Feedback for Digital Pens: A Subtle but Meaningful Upgrade
Microsoft is also extending haptic feedback support to digital pens, giving stylus users gentle tactile responses when interacting with system elements.
A more sensory Windows experience
This feedback appears when hovering over close buttons, resizing windows, or snapping elements around the screen. It’s not a dramatic physical vibration — more like a slight tap — mimicking the feel of interacting with a real surface.
For artists, note-takers, or stylus-heavy users, this adds a new dimension to the Windows interface, grounding digital interaction in something that feels more physical.
Smaller Changes Worth Noting: Quiet Tweaks Across the System
While the major features tend to attract attention, Microsoft also introduced several smaller changes and paused a few others.
Administrator Protection rollback
Microsoft is temporarily pausing the rollout of the Administrator Protection feature, which was designed to block malicious elevation requests. It will return after refinements.
Internet Explorer component changes
Microsoft is also pausing parts of the AI Actions inside Internet Explorer mode, likely for stability improvement.
File Explorer folder behavior
The new behavior where newly opened folders launched in a new tab instead of a new window has been temporarily paused.
Simplified Share menu
The Share options in the context menu now consolidate into a single entry point instead of multiple scattered ones.
Each of these adjustments shows how Microsoft is still fine-tuning the user experience, sometimes rolling back changes to polish them further.
Final Thoughts: A Windows Update Focused on the Future
Windows 11 build 26220.7262 may seem like a routine Dev/Beta update, but when we take a closer look, a deeper narrative emerges — one where Microsoft prepares the OS for an age of automation, natural AI interactions, enhanced accessibility, and smoother user interfaces.
Agentic AI stands out as the star of this update, hinting at a future where Windows becomes more than an operating system — it becomes a quiet partner that helps with tasks instead of waiting for instructions. At the same time, improved UI experiences, newly organized virtualization features, and upgraded accessibility voices show that Microsoft hasn’t forgotten the value of polish and refinement.
As with most Dev Channel builds, these features are still evolving. Some may change before public release; others may expand significantly. But this update paints a clear direction: Windows 11 is steadily becoming an OS shaped around personalization, automation, and thoughtful design.
And while the future may bring even more ambitious features, this build is a meaningful step in that journey.
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