Recent STEM and education apps available on Windows on Arm devices[/caption]
Recent security apps available on Windows on Arm devices[/caption]
Recent productivity apps available on Windows on Arm devices[/caption]
Recent creativity, social media and entertainment apps available on Windows on Arm devices[/caption]
The takeaway is clear: Windows on Arm is no longer defined by potential, but by a rapidly expanding ecosystem of devices with apps available across workloads that customers depend on most. As developers continue to invest in Arm-native experiences and compatibility, customers gain more choices, flexibility, and confidence in adopting the next generation of Windows devices.
As the ecosystem continues to expand, the Microsoft App Assure team is ready to assist software developers interested in bringing their apps to Windows on Arm. Through our Arm Advisory Service, we offer expert guidance, technical workshops, code samples, and an escalation path to Microsoft engineers ready to assist with software development. Reach out to us here to learn more.
Finally, don’t forget to bookmark https://worksonwoa.com/ for a comprehensive and continuously updated list of all the apps available on Windows on Arm devices.
The new AutoPlay experience, shown in dark mode.[/caption]
UI showing the new "Open apps maximized" accessibility setting in Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects.[/caption]
Thanks,
Stephen and the Windows Insider Program team
See what customers are saying about Windows 365. Learn more at aka.ms/Windows365Stories.[/caption]
Over the past five years, we’ve evolved Windows 365 in meaningful ways and introduced new offerings to meet our customers’ diverse needs:
This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document available at aka.ms/DaaSMQ2026. Note: Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service, 5 August 2026, By Stuart Downes, Todd Larivee, Sunil Kumar. Gartner and Magic Quadrant are trademarks of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates.[/caption]
IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. The Capabilities score measures vendor product, go-to-market and business execution in the short-term. The Strategy score measures alignment of vendor strategies with customer requirements in a 3-5-year timeframe. Vendor market share is represented by the size of the icons.[/caption]
“Microsoft offers a fully integrated DaaS stack where endpoint management, identity, security, and compliance serve as native prebuilt components.” Additionally, “Microsoft stands out as the only vendor to productize the agentic workspace as a distinct purchasable offering alongside the standard managed desktop. This provides a robust production foundation for IT leaders whose DaaS strategies must accommodate AI agent deployment over the next three years."
- IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Desktop as a Service 2026 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US54118526, July 2026)
Windows 365 monitoring and reporting platform (generally available in September) and a new agent for Windows 365 administrators (limited preview).[/caption]
The new right-click menu.[/caption]
Faster to open
The first thing you'll notice is that the menu opens much more quickly. For something used as often as the context menu, speed is part of good design. A lot of that comes from behind-the-scenes engineering improvements, and a good part comes from a cleaner default menu, with the full set of options just a click away in Settings.
Clutter isn't only a visual problem; it slows the menu down because every app that adds its own options can make the menu do extra work each time it opens.
Your menu, your control
Part of the broader push we’re making across Windows 11 is making the operating system calmer by default, with more personalization and control.
Each person uses the context menu in different ways, so we’re adding more customization to allow you to choose the layout that works best for you.
At the bottom of the new context menu, you’ll now find “Customize menu”, as a shortcut to its Settings page, where you can shape the menu around your preferences, your habits, or the years of muscle memory you’ve built with a specific configuration.
[caption id="attachment_179131" align="aligncenter" width="760"]
The new Context Menu page in the Settings app, under Personalization.[/caption]
The top section lets you turn built-in Windows commands like Send to or Create shortcut on or off. Some of these commands, like Print, weren't available in the Windows 11 context menu before and can now be switched on if you want them.
The next section is about options for app extensibility, so you can choose which app extensions appear in the main menu or submenu, including hiding the submenu altogether.
Finally, the last section is about where the most common commands live. We know many people have years of muscle memory from the Windows 10 menu, so we've added options to bring that feel back. You can list the main commands (Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share) inline directly in the menu instead of as a row of icons, and you can move Properties down to the very bottom.
As we continue refining this experience with Insider feedback, our goal is to make right-click feel more responsive, predictable, and personal.
The new right-click menu.[/caption]
Thanks,
Stephen and the Windows Insider Program team
Log inedge://extensions) and on Microsoft Edge Add-ons product detail pages. The very few developers with an MV2 extension will see a similar notice in Microsoft Partner Center, along with a direct outreach from our team to help them complete the migration.
Over the next few months, MV2 extensions will be gradually turned off by default. Users will be notified in advance and directed to recommended MV3 versions where available.
These changes will start in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels and gradually broaden to Stable in the following months, with the goal of completing the consumer transition by the end of 2026. Managed devices will not be affected during the consumer rollout. Enterprise deprecation will follow in early 2027.
We will keep the community updated on the status of the rollout on a regular cadence.
Screenshot of the taskbar in the left-aligned position.[/caption]
Smaller Taskbar
Side-by-side comparison of the standard and smaller taskbar heights on the same device and resolution, showing the additional screen space gained.[/caption]
row-rule and extended column-rule properties, as well as the rule shorthand, support colors, patterns, and even the repeat() syntax for rich, consistent designs with minimal CSS.
.grid {
display: grid;
gap: 16px;
row-rule: 1px solid #ccc;
column-rule: 2px solid #333;
}
Learn more about CSS gap decorations and try our interactive playground.
The focusgroup HTML attribute gives you arrow key navigation for composite widgets, such as toolbars, tabs, or menus, for free. With the focusgroup attribute you get automatic arrow key handling and focus memory, without any custom JavaScript roving tabindex code.
To learn more, check out Making keyboard navigation effortless.
You can now seamlessly migrate your Progressive Web App (PWA) to a new, same-site origin, preserving user installations and permissions.
When a user installs a PWA, its identity is bound to its web origin (for example, example.com/app). Previously, changing the origin forced users to manually uninstall and reinstall the app. This is no longer necessary. Now, moving to a new origin such as app.example.com can happen without interruption to your users.
To learn more, see Seamless PWA origin migration: Change domains without losing users.
<input> and <textarea> without mirror-div hacks.
The new <install> element gives you a browser-trusted install button with no JavaScript required. The browser controls the button's label and appearance, so a user click is a genuine signal of intent.
You can even use the installurl attribute to build an app catalog that installs cross-origin web apps.
<!-- Install the current app --> <install></install> <!-- Install a different app --> <install installurl="https://awesome-app.com/"></install>To learn more, and get started, see our blog post: Install web apps with the new HTML install element.
Grid Lanes is a new type of CSS layout that allows items to be automatically placed in the next available space, creating a space-efficient masonry-like layout without needing to specify row heights or use JavaScript.
Grid Lanes is ideal for galleries, portfolios, and any design where items have varying widths or heights.
.grid {
display: grid-lanes;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(200px, 1fr));
}
To learn more, check out our demos.
That's not all, starting with Microsoft Edge Canary or Dev 150, you can now also use the WebSpeech API to convert speech to text by using a local model, rather than a cloud-based solution.
With on-device speech recognition support in Microsoft Edge, you can reduce your web app's running cost, be network independent, and improve privacy for your users.
To learn more about Aion-1.0-Instruct, on-device speech recognition, and other on-device AI API updates, see Expanding on‑device AI in Microsoft Edge: New models and APIs for the web.
The web moves forward by responding to new end-user and developer needs, and this is therefore a big part of what we do. But we also know that you need stability and consistency to build on. That's why we've been participating in the Interop project for the past five years, working with other browser vendors to identify and fix interoperability issues across browsers.
This work is crucial to ensure that the web remains a healthy ecosystem where developers can build with confidence, and users can access content and applications regardless of their choice of browser.
Interop 2026, the latest round of the project, is now well underway, and we've already made significant progress in fixing the issues identified during the planning phase. Between January and June 2026, Microsoft Edge's test pass rate increased from 77% to 97%, and we're hard at work on features such as Scoped custom element registries and WebTransport.
Check out the Interop dashboard for more details on this year's focus areas and the progress made by all participating browsers.
The new Cloud rebuild option in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), enabling a full Windows reinstall using files downloaded from Windows Update.[/caption]
To learn more, see https://aka.ms/CloudRebuild.
UI showing the refreshed Account Control flyout with subscription badges, account benefits, and storage details.[/caption]
Thanks,
Stephen and the Windows Insider Program team
Screenshot showing ability to change Taskbar size[/caption]
Thanks,
Stephen and the Windows Insider Program team
Our partnership with Affinity runs deeper than a touchpad gesture. Surface Pro and Surface Laptop ship with Affinity pinned to the Start menu [7], ready the moment you sign in with professional-grade design, photo and publishing tools, tuned to take full advantage of Surface hardware for a smooth and responsive experience.
For customers on Stable, the practical effect of the new cycle is smaller, steadier change. Each release brings about half as much new content as before, delivered twice as often. Security and platform improvements reach your users faster, and each change set is smaller, which can make validation more manageable.
Both channels receive critical security updates. The difference is how quickly new features arrive: Stable delivers them on the new 2-week cycle, while Extended Stable spaces feature updates over an 8-week window for organizations that prefer a longer planning rhythm.
Acer Swift Spin 14 AI[/caption]
Asus ProArt Laptop[/caption]
The 2026 ROG Strix SCAR 18 redefines the gaming flagship laptop with up to 320W total system power, powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX Plus and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, and featuring the world’s first 18-inch 4K 240Hz Mini LED ROG Nebula HDR display with ROG Nebula Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) for uncompromising gaming and creator experiences [1].
“With XPS 13, we’re proving that a lower price doesn’t mean accepting less. It's the thinnest and lightest XPS we've ever built. This reflects where XPS is headed: more power, more innovation and stronger competition across price points.” - Donnie Oliphant, XPS Product Lead, Dell Technologies
[caption id="attachment_263866" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Dell XPS 13[/caption]
The XPS 16 Creator Edition is a creator-class laptop built for the most demanding creative and developer work on the go. Powered by NVIDIA RTX Spark with a powerful RTX GPU and ultra-efficient CPU, it's the first XPS laptop to deliver NVIDIA's full stack AI platform and complete suite of NVIDIA RTX technologies in a portable form factor. It delivers smoother playback on 4:2:2 4K timelines, faster exports, more responsive multitasking across complex 3D scenes and compositing work, and a more fluid experience with AI-assisted creation.
[caption id="attachment_263864" align="alignnone" width="720"]
Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition[/caption]
HP OmniBook Ultra 16[/caption]
Prestige N16 Flip AI+[/caption]
MSI also announced its latest innovation in handheld gaming, the Claw 8 EX AI+, powered by Intel Arc G3 Extreme processors. It delivers a significant leap in graphics performance, enabling exceptional AAA gaming on handheld devices while maintaining strong power efficiency for extended play sessions. Designed for sustained gaming on the go, the Claw 8 EX AI+ features an 8-inch 120Hz VRR display, delivering fluid visuals.
[caption id="attachment_263887" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Claw 8 EX AI+[/caption]
Surface Laptop Ultra[/caption]
"Intel Arc G-Series represents years of focused innovation and a deep commitment to gaming. It delivers uncompromising PC performance in the palm of your hand, combined with the console-like accessibility and immediacy gamers expect. With cutting-edge graphics technologies like XeSS 3 and breakthrough efficiency for longer unplugged play, Intel Arc G-Series proves that while others make tradeoffs, gamers don't have to." – Dan Rogers, Vice President and General Manager, PC Product, Client Computing Group
Beginning this fall, NVIDIA RTX Spark will power a range of Windows laptops from Microsoft Surface, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and MSI, Surface RTX Spark Dev Box from Microsoft Surface, and small form factor desktop PCs from Acer, Asus, Dell, Gigabyte, HP, Lenovo and MSI. We're also introducing the NVIDIA DGX Station for Windows that puts a trillion-parameter AI supercomputer on every enterprise desk.[/caption]
“As costs rise and customer expectations evolve, Snapdragon C brings together value-oriented computing, all-day battery life, AI capabilities and responsive performance in cool-quiet devices for expanded platform choice. We’re delivering modern computing experiences that help our ecosystem reach new audiences and expanding access to reliable, efficient technology for students, families, customer-facing small businesses and beyond.” - Kedar Kondap, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Compute and Gaming, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
“Acer’s announcements reflect the strength and breadth of the Snapdragon portfolio from premium AI experiences with the Snapdragon X2 Series to accessible, everyday computing with the new Snapdragon C Platform. Together, these platforms are helping expand the Windows ecosystem, while giving our partners new opportunities to reach more users.” - Nitin Kumar, VP, Product Management, SVP & GM, Compute and Gaming, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
