KB5089573: Windows 11 Preview Update - OS Builds 26200.8524 and 26100.8524 (May 2026)

Summary

This is an optional preview cumulative update for Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2, identified as KB5089573. It targets OS builds 26200.8524 and 26100.8524 and released on May 26, 2026. The update delivers production-quality improvements, new features, and non-security fixes, including a resolution for an installation failure tied to limited EFI System Partition space. Source: Microsoft Support.

Highlights

• Shared Audio: A new feature lets two people listen to audio from a single Windows 11 PC simultaneously using Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast technology. Users start sharing from Quick Settings on the taskbar.
• Magnifier improvements: Magnifier now provides clearer screen reader announcements when zooming or switching views, supports magnification of permitted protected content, and moves more smoothly in lens mode.
• Task Manager NPU visibility: New optional columns expose NPU and NPU Engine usage on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, plus NPU Dedicated and Shared Memory columns. Neural engines that are part of a GPU now appear on the Performance page.
• Multi-App Camera and Basic Camera mode: Multiple apps can access the camera stream simultaneously. Admins can configure Multi-App Camera or Basic Camera mode via Group Policy.
• Windows Setup - custom user folder name: Users can now choose a custom user folder name on the Device Name page during Windows setup.
• Windows Search: Search now finds and prioritizes files with as few as two characters entered.
• Secure Boot certificate rollout: Additional high-confidence device targeting data is included to expand automatic delivery of updated Secure Boot certificates in a controlled, phased manner.

Improvements and fixes

• General Performance: App launch speed is improved, along with core shell experiences including Start menu, Search, and Action Center.
• Personalization: Color selection accuracy for automatic accent color matching is improved, and wallpaper persistence across restarts and upgrades is more reliable, including better handling of large-resolution wallpapers to prevent fallback to a solid color.
• Windows Hello: The Windows Biometric service is optimized for faster resume from Modern Standby. Unexpected authentication blocks in Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security are reduced by fixing missing secure enrollment metadata. When Windows Hello face or fingerprint is set up, it is now the default sign-in method on every sign-in. If a PIN is used three times consecutively, Windows stays on PIN until the user switches methods.
• Storage: The Dev Drive creation dialog now supports size specification in gigabytes (GB) in addition to megabytes (MB). In Settings > System > Storage, the UAC prompt for temporary files now appears only when the user chooses to view them, not on page load.
• USB: Displays connected to USB4 docks and hubs now light up more consistently when coming out of standby. The USB3 stack gains additional resiliency and recovery measures against unexpected hardware faults.
• Sensors: Resiliency is improved against apps that could keep the sensor hub powered on and drain battery life.
• Human Interface Device (HID): Battery life is improved for failed HID devices, and power hygiene is better managed against apps that initiate HID transfers during standby.
• Input: Touch keyboard reliability on the sign-in screen is improved, including when entering or changing a password. Explorer.exe reliability when closing the input switcher is improved. Performance when opening or navigating to clipboard history is improved.
• Fonts: The Times New Roman font family is updated to improve rendering of combining diacritical marks in Greek and Cyrillic scripts, reducing positioning issues and rendering inconsistencies.
• Task Scheduler: Column width adjustments in task list view are now saved across sessions.
• Desktop icons: Reliability of loading desktop app shortcuts is improved.
• Microsoft Store: Download performance and bandwidth usage are improved. Error reporting when downloads fail due to Windows Update group policy settings is also improved.
• Reliability: General Windows reliability is improved on the sign-in and lock screens, in File Explorer, when using touch gestures, and when changing themes in Settings.
• Secure Boot - LimitSecureBootRequiredServiceData policy: A new Group Policy and MDM setting under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Secure Boot lets admins limit the Secure Boot service data sent to Microsoft. This policy is included in the Windows Restricted Traffic Limited Functionality Baseline.
• Installation failure fix (0x800f0922): An issue is resolved where some devices failed to complete update installation with error code 0x800f0922 when the EFI System Partition (ESP) had limited free space, particularly 10 MB or less. This could occur after installing the May 2026 security update KB5089549.
• AI Components updated: Image Search, Content Extraction, Semantic Analysis, and Settings Model are all updated to version 1.2605.856.0.
• Servicing stack update (KB5092734 - build 26100.8519): Quality improvements are made to the servicing stack component that installs Windows updates.

Known issues

Microsoft lists no known issues for this update at the time of writing.

How to get this update

Microsoft combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) with this cumulative update. No separate SSU installation is required before applying KB5089573.

Windows Update (Optional): Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates. Select the update link in the Optional updates available area and follow the prompts.

Windows Update for Business: These changes will appear in the next security update to Windows Update for Business.

Microsoft Update Catalog: Download the package matching your device architecture (arm64 or x64) from the Microsoft Update Catalog. For arm64 devices, you can install all MSU files together using DISM.exe from an elevated Command Prompt with the /Add-Package switch and a local folder path, or install them individually using Windows Update Standalone Installer. The same DISM-based approach applies to updating Windows installation media.

Frequently asked questions

Is this update mandatory, and will it install automatically?

KB5089573 is an optional preview update. It will not install automatically on most devices. Administrators and users must opt in through Windows Update Optional updates or retrieve it manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog or Windows Update for Business channels. It will be included in the next regular security update once it reaches general availability.

What should I do if devices have limited EFI System Partition space before installing this update?

The update itself resolves the 0x800f0922 installation failure that occurred when the EFI System Partition had 10 MB or less of free space. According to the page, this issue was triggered by the May 2026 security update KB5089549. Installing KB5089573 addresses that problem, so devices previously blocked should be able to complete installation after applying this update.

What is the Secure Boot certificate expiration notice about, and does it affect all devices?

Secure Boot certificates used by most Windows devices are set to begin expiring in June 2026. Microsoft states that devices not yet updated with newer certificates will continue to start and operate normally, and standard Windows updates will continue to install. Microsoft is continuing to deliver the updated certificates via Windows updates in phased rollouts. IT administrators should consult the Secure Boot Playbook for Windows clients and Windows Server for managed environment guidance.

How does the gradual rollout differ from the normal rollout for features in this update?

According to Microsoft, a gradual rollout delivers an update in phases so that features reach devices over time rather than all at once, meaning availability varies by device. A normal rollout is the broad release to all eligible devices simultaneously, typically when the update reaches general availability. Some features in KB5089573, such as the Personalization improvements, were added during the gradual rollout phase on May 28, 2026.