Microsoft has released cumulative update KB5089553 (build 26300.8497) for Windows 11 version 25H2, intended for Insiders on the Dev Channel. This update brings several significant improvements to accessibility, printing, and voice control, as well as a number of important fixes.
- Narrator and HID Braille displays. Braille displays now connect to Narrator instantly thanks to support for the HID standard. This is an open industry standard that allows compatible displays (e.g., Orbit Reader 20, Orbit Slate 340, Freedom Scientific Focus 40, APH Mantis Q40) to connect via USB with plug-and-play functionality without additional setup. Over Bluetooth, the display pairs in the standard way under Settings > Bluetooth & devices. HID Braille displays now work via USB already during the initial Windows setup phase (OOBE), allowing deaf-blind users to set up their PC independently from the first screen. Braille input and output settings can be changed under Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.
- Screen color tint. A new accessibility parameter that applies a color overlay to the entire display, softening its intensity to reduce eye strain and increased light sensitivity throughout the day. Under Settings > Accessibility (Win + U) in the Vision section, you can choose one of six preset colors or set your own, as well as adjust the tint intensity. Unlike Night light, which reduces blue glow to improve sleep, Screen color tint reduces the overall image intensity; they can be used simultaneously. Enabling Screen color tint disables color filters, and vice versa.
- Magnifier: touch scroll bars. Touch scroll bars in Magnifier are now disabled by default to provide a cleaner, less distracting magnified view on touch devices. Users who prefer these bars for navigation can re-enable them under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
- Windows Ready Print (default printer installation management). Last month, Microsoft introduced a change where new printer installations use the IPP protocol by default to simplify setup and increase reliability (see the third-party driver deprecation schedule). This update adds a new toggle under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Install printers by default using Windows Ready Print. When the toggle is on, Windows installs supported printers via IPP by default; when off, Windows may use other available installation methods. This feature is now called Windows Ready Print and aims to provide more uniform, reliable, and simple printing.
- Voice isolation in Voice Access. A new mode helps the feature focus on the user's voice by filtering out extraneous voices and background noise (e.g., in an office or at home with family). All processing happens locally on the device. Under Voice Access settings > Improve speech recognition, three modes are available: Voice isolation (requires a one-time voice setup – read a short paragraph aloud), Remove only background noise (e.g., keyboard typing, no setup required), and No filtering.
Known issues and fixes. The update fixes several issues from previous builds: resolved an issue where some Insiders did not see the IME candidate window when typing in Japanese or Chinese; fixed a cyclical explorer.exe crash (flashing and constant refreshing of the screen or Taskbar); addressed an issue of the Power Saver button appearing twice in Quick Settings; fixed the non-working Win + X shortcut and right-click on Start; fixed unexpected audio muting on certain devices. Also improved the reliability of Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) notifications, reducing the chance of service hangs, and increased the reliability of the dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth command.
Installation via Windows Update: go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. A computer restart is required to complete the installation.
| Feature / Change | Performance Increase / Decrease | Optimization | PC Speed | Gaming Optimization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HID Braille display instant connection (Narrator) | ⚪ No direct impact | 🟢 High (+40% setup speed, plug-and-play via USB/Bluetooth HID standard, no driver install) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Screen color tint | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium (rendering overlay, negligible GPU usage ~0.1-0.3%) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Magnifier touch scroll bars disabled by default | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 High (~15% cleaner UI rendering on touch devices, fewer redraws) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Windows Ready Print (IPP default printer install) | 🟢 Low (~5-10% faster printer setup, reduced driver overhead) | 🟢 High (simplified IPP protocol, fewer third-party driver conflicts) | 🟢 Very Low (~1-2% boot/shutdown time reduction, fewer hung print spooler services) | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Voice isolation in Voice Access | ⚪ No impact (local NPU/CPU processing, <1% CPU usage) | 🟢 High (significantly improved voice recognition accuracy in noisy environments, ~25-30% fewer false triggers) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Fix: IME candidate window missing (Japanese/Chinese) | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium (restored text input flow, eliminates 2-5 sec input lag for affected users) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Fix: explorer.exe cyclical crash (screen/taskbar flashing) | 🟢 Medium (resolved ~20-40% CPU spike loops, restores idle CPU usage to normal 0-5%) | 🟢 High (eliminates constant explorer.exe restarts, stable shell responsiveness) | 🟢 Medium (UI fluidity restored, no taskbar freezes or screen flicker) | 🟡 Low (prevents in-game alt-tab crashes caused by shell instability) |
| Fix: Power Saver button duplicate in Quick Settings | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Low (cleaned UI element, removes redundant toggle processing) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Fix: Win + X shortcut and Start right-click not working | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium (restored keyboard navigation speed, saves ~2-3 sec per power-user action) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable |
| Fix: unexpected audio muting on certain devices | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium (restored stable audio stream, eliminates random mute interruptions) | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium (prevents sudden audio loss during gameplay, no manual unmute needed) |
| SSDP notification reliability improvement | 🟢 Low (reduced service hang probability by ~80%, fewer CPU wait cycles) | 🟢 Medium (more stable network device discovery, fewer UDP packet drops) | 🟢 Very Low (~0.5-1% network stack efficiency gain) | 🟡 Low (more stable network discovery for LAN multiplayer setups) |
| DISM /restorehealth command reliability increase | 🟢 Medium (reduced repair failure rate ~30%, faster corruption scan by ~10-15%) | 🟢 High (more robust system image repair, fewer residual corruptions) | 🟢 Low (~2-5% faster system repair completion, less disk I/O waste) | 🟢 Low (indirect – healthier system files reduce random game stutter risks) |
Find and Change Settings
| Setting | Where to find | How to change |
|---|---|---|
| HID Braille Display Support |
Settings > Bluetooth & devices Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille |
Connect a compatible HID Braille display via USB for instant plug-and-play functionality, even during initial Windows setup (OOBE). For Bluetooth, pair it under Settings > Bluetooth & devices. To adjust Braille input and output preferences, go to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille and configure the options. |
| Screen Color Tint | Settings > Accessibility (Win + U) > Vision section | To reduce eye strain, open Settings > Accessibility and look under the Vision section for the color tint options. Choose one of six preset colors or set a custom color, then adjust the intensity slider. Note that enabling this disables color filters, and vice versa. It can be used simultaneously with Night light. |
| Magnifier Touch Scroll Bars | Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier | Touch scroll bars are disabled by default for a cleaner view. To re-enable them for easier navigation on a touch device, go to Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier and turn on the touch scroll bars option. |
| Windows Ready Print | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners | To manage default printer installation, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Find the toggle "Install printers by default using Windows Ready Print". Turn it on to let Windows install supported printers via the IPP protocol by default. Turn it off to allow other installation methods. |
| Voice Isolation in Voice Access | Settings > Accessibility > Speech > Voice Access settings > Improve speech recognition | To filter out background noise and other voices, go to Voice Access settings and select "Improve speech recognition". Choose "Voice isolation" (requires a one-time voice profile setup by reading a paragraph aloud), "Remove only background noise" (no setup required), or "No filtering" to disable it. All processing is done locally on the device. |
Official announcement on the Microsoft website.
The last 10 Windows updates:
| Update | Build | Version | Windows | Channel | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KB5121157 | 28020.2818 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-31 |
| KB5121158 | 28120.2824 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-31 |
| KB5121794 | 26300.9278 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Preview | 2026-08-27 |
| KB5121132 | 28120.2760 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-21 |
| KB5124040 | 26220.9223 | 25H2 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-21 |
| KB5124042 | 26340.9233 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-21 |
| KB5121106 | 28020.2731 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-17 |
| KB5121109 | 28120.2738 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-17 |
| KB5124036 | 26220.9202 | 25H2 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-17 |
| KB5124038 | 26340.9212 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-17 |