Earlier this month, a new report emerged about Microsoft working on Windows 11 version 26H1 as the launchpad for the next-generation Windows on ARM devices powered by the latest Snapdragon X2 processors. The report came from a reliable, albeit unofficial source, and now, it looks like we have the first seemingly official confirmation of Microsoft"s plans to release Windows 11 version 26H1.
A Known Issue Rollback that was deployed for Windows 10 KB5066791 to address problems with the incorrect "End of support" message in Windows Update mentions Windows 11 version 26H1 in its code:
"SUPPORTED_Windows_11_0_26H1_Only" Windows 11, version 26H1"
So far, details about Windows 11 version 26H1 remain scarce. While there is now a confirmation in Microsoft"s code, we do not know much about what the update will bring. Version 26H1 will be the first H1 update for Windows 11 (Windows 11 ditched H1 updates in favor of one release per year), but your PC will most likely not get it. The update is supposed to be an exclusive release for Snapdragon X2 devices, similar to how Microsoft initially launched Windows 11 version 24H2 on Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X processors.
Windows 11 version 26H1 is supposed to bring new AI-powered features and other changes for "regular" computers. However, those changes will only make their way to the stable Windows 11 release with version 26H2, which is expected in the second half of next year as a full OS update (versions 24H2 and 25H2 use the same codebase).
Microsoft recently announced that the Dev Channel of the Insider program will soon move to higher-number builds, and Insiders who do not want to risk using less stable software should consider downgrading to Beta while the window is open. It could be that Microsoft is getting ready to test 26H1 builds in the Dev Channel ahead of the 26H1 launch in the first half of 2026.
Via Deskmodder