Microsoft pushed three new Windows 11 builds to the Release Preview Channel on May 14, 2026, delivering a set of quality-of-life improvements and new capabilities that center on artificial intelligence processing, camera enhancements, shared audio experiences, and driver trust mechanisms. The updates, designated KB5089573 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 (build 26100.8514) and 25H2 (build 26200.8514), along with KB5089570 for the latest version 26H1 (build 28000.2173), mark the final testing stages before these changes roll out to all Windows 11 users.

These Release Preview builds are typically the last stop before a full general availability rollout, meaning that Windows Insiders on the Release Preview Channel are getting an early look at what millions of users will soon see in their monthly or optional updates. The timing suggests that these features and fixes will land on most PCs by early June 2026, possibly as part of the June 2026 Patch Tuesday or an optional cumulative update.

NPU Task Manager Integration

The headline feature of this release is the long-awaited integration of Neural Processing Unit (NPU) monitoring directly into Task Manager. NPUs, found in modern processors from AMD (Ryzen AI), Intel (Core Ultra with Intel AI Boost), and Qualcomm (Snapdragon X Elite), are specialized hardware accelerators designed to handle machine learning and AI workloads efficiently. Until now, users had no built-in way to see how their PC’s NPU was being utilized. That changes with KB5089573 and KB5089570.

After installing the update, opening Task Manager reveals a new “NPU” tab, nestled alongside the familiar CPU, Memory, Disk, and GPU performance tabs. This view shows real-time graphs of NPU utilization over the last 60 seconds, similar to GPU monitoring. Users can see the total NPU load, memory dedicated to AI tasks, and a breakdown of which applications are currently leveraging the NPU. For instance, if you’re running Windows Studio Effects, Copilot+, or a third-party app like Adobe’s AI noise reduction, those processes appear in a list with the percentage of NPU capacity they’re consuming.

This addition addresses a critical gap for developers and power users. Without NPU monitoring, it was difficult to diagnose performance issues or understand when an AI workload was being offloaded to the NPU versus running on the GPU or CPU. By exposing NPU metrics in Task Manager, Microsoft not only aids troubleshooting but also encourages developers to optimize for dedicated AI hardware. The feature works across all supported processors, and no additional driver updates are required—although chip vendors are expected to release optimizations that better expose their NPU’s capabilities to the OS.

Camera Overhaul: Windows Studio Effects Built In

Another significant improvement is a comprehensive Camera app update that tightly weaves Windows Studio Effects into the capture experience. Previously, Studio Effects—like background blur, eye contact correction, and automatic framing—were accessible only through the Quick Settings panel or per-app toggles. Now, the Camera app (version 2026.424.100.0) integrates these AI-powered features directly into its viewfinder.

When you launch the Camera app for photo or video recording, a new toolbar on the left edge provides one-tap access to background blur (with intensity slider), eye contact (which uses gaze correction to make it appear you’re looking at the camera even when reading from the screen), auto-framing (which keeps you centered during video), and portrait light (a studio lighting effect). These effects are applied in real time using the NPU or GPU, depending on hardware availability, and work with both the built-in webcam and external USB cameras that support the Windows Camera platform.

Additionally, the Camera app now supports multiple camera streams simultaneously. This means you can, for example, use your laptop’s front-facing camera for a video call while simultaneously recording a macro shot with a document camera—a boon for content creators and educators. The app intelligently assigns NPU resources to the highest-priority stream, ensuring smooth performance.

The update also brings improved QR code and barcode scanning directly from the Camera app, along with better integration with Windows Hello for secure facial recognition. A new “Scan” mode leverages the improved optical character recognition (OCR) engine from Windows to extract text from images captured via the camera, which can then be copied or shared.

Shared Audio: Broadcast PC Sound to Multiple Devices

Shared Audio is a brand-new feature that allows Windows 11 to transmit audio output to two or more Bluetooth audio devices simultaneously. Previously, Windows could only connect to one Bluetooth audio device at a time for standard audio output. With this update, you can pair two sets of Bluetooth headphones, or a headphone and a Bluetooth speaker, and have audio play through both at the same time.

To use Shared Audio, navigate to Settings > System > Sound > Advanced, and enable “Shared Audio.” Once activated, any additional Bluetooth audio device paired will appear under a new “Shared outputs” section in the volume flyout. You can independently adjust the volume of each device and even set a slight sync delay to compensate for different latencies between devices.

This feature is particularly useful in shared-living scenarios, like watching a movie on a tablet without disturbing others—two people can each use their own noise-canceling headphones. It also aids accessibility: a person with hearing aids can connect them directly while another family member listens via earphones. Shared Audio relies on a Bluetooth adapter that supports the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) with dual streaming, which most modern PCs and USB dongles handle. Microsoft has tested it with popular brands like Sony, Bose, Apple AirPods, and Samsung Galaxy Buds.

Behind the scenes, Shared Audio uses a combination of OS-level audio routing and Bluetooth LE Audio’s broadcast capabilities when available, falling back to classic Bluetooth for wider compatibility. The feature also respects app-specific volume controls, so you can have system sounds play through one device and media through another if desired.

Driver Trust: Bolstering Kernel Security

Driver Trust is the newest component of Microsoft’s secure-OS strategy, building on memory integrity and vulnerable driver blocklist initiatives. Over the years, attackers have increasingly exploited drivers—both legitimate but buggy ones and malicious ones—to gain kernel-level code execution. Driver Trust introduces a layered defense that continuously validates drivers against a cloud-based trust database, going beyond the existing Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certification.

When a driver is first loaded, Windows checks its hash against a locally cached list of known trusted drivers. If not found, the system queries Microsoft’s cloud service, which maintains a real-time reputation score based on telemetry from millions of PCs, behavioral analysis, and vendor revocation lists. Drivers that fail the check are blocked from loading, and the user receives a notification via the Windows Security app. Critically, this check runs even for drivers that are properly signed with valid certificates—because signing keys can be stolen or misused.

For enterprises, Driver Trust integrates with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and can be managed via Group Policy or Microsoft Intune. IT admins can create allow or deny lists for specific driver versions, view detailed reports on driver-bocking events, and set auto-remediation actions. The feature is enabled by default on new installations of version 26H1 and will be gradually offered as an optional security enhancement for 24H2 and 25H2 through Windows Update.

One noteworthy aspect is that Driver Trust does not rely solely on memory integrity (HVCI) and works even on systems without virtualization-based security, though it is most effective when combined with HVCI. To maintain compatibility, Microsoft has populated the initial trust database with thousands of commonly used drivers, but it expects that some niche or older drivers might be flagged. Users can temporarily bypass a block by selecting “Load anyway” in the notification, but that action is logged and visible in Windows Security.

Additional Fixes and Improvements

Beyond the spotlight features, these builds carry dozens of smaller but meaningful fixes and enhancements that refine the overall Windows 11 experience:

  • File Explorer: A long-standing bug that caused the context menu to occasionally flicker when right-clicking on the desktop or in File Explorer has been fixed. The share dialog now loads more quickly and respects preferred apps set in Default Apps.
  • Taskbar and Start Menu: The taskbar auto-hide behavior has been improved to prevent it from randomly staying visible after a full-screen application exits. The Start menu’s recommended section now offers an option to completely disable recommendations for those who prefer a clean layout.
  • System Tray: A new “collapsed view” for the system tray allows users to hide rarely used icons to reduce clutter, with an expand button to reveal them all.
  • Notifications: Microsoft has addressed a reliability issue where focus assist would not automatically turn off at the scheduled time, causing missed notifications.
  • Printing: The IPP-over-USB and Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) printer drivers have been updated to improve compatibility with network-attached printers, especially those from Xerox and HP.
  • Settings: A search bar has been added to the top of the Settings home page, making it easier to jump to specific pages without scrolling through categories. Additionally, the “About” page now shows the exact Windows 11 version name (24H2/25H2/26H1) alongside the build number for clearer identification.
  • Windows Update: Update notifications now include a prominent “Restart now” button and clearer wording when a restart is pending, reducing the chance of accidental updates during critical work.
  • Accessibility: Narrator’s performance when reading large documents in Edge has been improved, and a new “Mono audio” toggle combines left and right audio channels into a single channel for those with hearing impairments in one ear.

How to Get These Builds

Windows Insiders enrolled in the Release Preview Channel can download the update by navigating to Settings > Windows Update and clicking “Check for updates.” If your PC meets the hardware requirements and is already on a compatible build, you will see an optional cumulative update with the KB number listed. Be aware that because these are preview builds, Microsoft recommends backing up important files before installing. The update installs automatically if you have the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle turned on.

These builds do not require a clean installation—they are delivered as a normal cumulative update over your existing Windows 11 version. However, the NPU Task Manager feature requires an NPU-equipped processor to show any data; on systems without an NPU, the tab will simply display “NPU not available.” Similarly, Shared Audio requires Bluetooth hardware capable of handling more than one A2DP stream; older Bluetooth 4.x adapters might be limited to one device.

A Forward Look

The Release Preview Channel often serves as a final validation before features ship to the broad user base. Barring major bugs, Microsoft will likely incorporate these enhancements into the June 2026 Patch Tuesday update (or a late-May optional preview). For Windows 11 26H1 users, these changes are the latest in a series that began rolling out earlier this year, gradually refining the AI-focused platform that Microsoft has been building since the 24H2 release. The addition of NPU monitoring, richer camera capabilities, flexible audio sharing, and stronger driver security all point toward a more capable and safer OS, tuned for the era of Copilot+ PCs and beyond.

While insiders get to play with these features now, the real test will be how they perform on the hundreds of millions of devices slated to receive them next month. Early feedback from the Release Preview Channel suggests that the NPU Task Manager is a welcome tool for the growing number of AI-focused applications, Shared Audio addresses a long-requested multimedia pain point, and Driver Trust is a solid step toward reducing the attack surface—though some power users may chafe at the extra layer of driver validation. As always, Microsoft urges insiders to report any issues through the Feedback Hub to help smooth out wrinkles before the general release.