Which Features Are Turned On by Default in Windows 11 Version 26H2

What “turned on by default” means in 🪟 Windows 11 26H2

A feature that ships disabled by default is part of the build but stays off until you or an administrator turns it on. Microsoft used that approach for several features in 25H2. Its release notes now say that select features and enhancements that first shipped disabled in 25H2 are enabled by default in version 26H2.

The wording matters. Microsoft says the features first shipped disabled in 25H2, so this is not a list of brand-new code. Among the Windows 11 version 26H2 new features Microsoft names, each already existed. Only the default changed, from off to on, and the 26H2 update delivered that change.

A default is only the starting state. It does not override a setting you or your organization has already chosen. If you set a feature on or off yourself, check the setting instead of assuming the new default applied.

Which features are turned on by default in 26H2

The short answer to which Windows 26H2 features are turned on by default: Microsoft names three. They are Windows settings backup, app-specific actions from the taskbar, and File Explorer enhancements. Microsoft’s what’s new page for IT pros groups them under a heading for features enabled by default.

This is the full set that Microsoft has confirmed as on by default. Each one is covered below. The list can grow, so check Microsoft’s page again later.

Windows settings backup

Windows settings backup saves supported Windows settings and your list of Microsoft Store apps, so you can restore them after a reset or on a replacement device. Microsoft states that it is now enabled by default for eligible devices, and administrator-configured policies are still honored.

That means an existing policy that turns the feature on or off wins over the new default. Whether your PC counts as eligible depends on conditions such as version, region and policy state.

To see its state on your PC, follow these steps after the update installs:

1. Open Settings › Accounts › Windows backup. The Windows backup page opens.
2. Read the backup options and note which ones show as on.

That’s it. You now know whether Windows settings backup is active on your PC. The checking section below repeats this step as part of a full walkthrough.

App-specific actions from the taskbar

Microsoft lists app-specific actions from the taskbar as a feature that is now on by default. The summary gives the name without describing how it behaves, so this article does not guess at the details.

To look for changes, follow these steps after you update:

1. Open Settings › Personalization › Taskbar. The Taskbar🖥️ page opens.
2. Read through the taskbar🖥️ options. The page lists each option with its current state.
3. Compare what you see with what you remember from 25H2.

That’s it. You now have a before-and-after comparison of your taskbar options. If nothing looks different, the change may be small, or your organization may manage the setting.

File Explorer enhancements

File Explorer enhancements are the third item on Microsoft’s list. Microsoft names the group without itemizing the individual changes in the summary, so the exact changes are not confirmed here.

The list of Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts for built-in features is a quick way to see whether the File Explorer keys you rely on still behave as before. Test the ones you use most after the update installs.

Point-in-Time Restore (reported, not confirmed)

News reports say 26H2 also turns on Point-in-Time Restore automatically. This recovery feature creates restore points, which are saved snapshots that let you return a PC to an earlier state. Reports say it applies only when the PC meets the requirements.

Microsoft’s documentation now confirms Point-in-time restore as a new 26H2 recovery feature, so it is no longer only a report. Windows captures a full-system restore point (operating system, apps, settings and local files) every 24 hours by default. It keeps those restore points locally for up to 72 hours, so you can only go back a few days.

1. Start the PC in WinRE.
2. Pick a restore point from the list.
3. Enter the BitLocker recovery key when WinRE asks for it.
4. Wait while the PC returns to the state it had at that restore point.

That’s it. You should now have a PC in the exact state of the restore point you chose, with everything changed afterward gone. Microsoft’s documentation does not confirm a Settings path for this feature, so this article does not give one.

How to check which features are on after you update

These steps show whether your PC runs Windows 11 version 26H2 and whether the features above appear on your device. None of them needs administrator rights, and only the update itself needs a restart.

1. Press Win+I to open Settings⚙️. The Settings window opens on the System page.
2. Go to Settings › System › About. The page shows your device and Windows details.
3. Find Version under Windows specifications. It should read 26H2. If it shows 25H2 or older, the new defaults do not apply yet.
4. Open Settings › Windows Update🔃 and select Check for updates🔃. If 26H2 is offered, select Download & install. Restart when Windows asks.
5. Open Settings › Accounts › Windows backup. On current Windows 11 builds, this is where the backup options live. Note which items show as on.
6. Open Settings › Personalization › Taskbar. Compare the options with what you remember from 25H2.
7. Press Win+E to open File Explorer📁. Select the three-dot menu in the toolbar, then select Options to review folder and search behavior. The Folder Options window opens.

That’s it. You should now know which version you run and how the three named features look on your PC.

When you finish step 3, look at the Version line. It should read 26H2. If you see a different number, repeat step 4 until the update finishes installing.

If the Windows backup page in step 5 is missing or limited, the device may be managed by an organization, or it may not be eligible. The next section explains why.

Why a feature may be missing or not turned on

A feature from the list may not show as on for a few reasons. The most common one is device eligibility. Others are organization policy, the Windows version, and a setting you changed earlier.

The feature targets commercial devices

Windows settings backup is enabled by default for eligible devices. A device may not qualify, or a policy may override the default.

Microsoft describes eligibility in terms of version, region, cloud environment and policy state, not only whether a PC is commercial. Some Microsoft pages still say “eligible commercial devices,” so the sources partly disagree.

Microsoft’s summary does not give a Home versus Pro breakdown, so do not assume either edition is excluded. Check the Windows backup page on your own PC.

Your organization manages the setting

On a work or school PC, administrators control many defaults. Settings may show the message Some settings are managed by your organization. In that case, the toggle is not yours to change.

Microsoft’s IT page points administrators to Group Policy, a Windows tool that applies settings across many PCs. The summary does not give policy names, so check Microsoft Learn for the exact policy before changing anything.

The update has not installed yet

The new defaults apply only to 26H2. If your PC is still on 25H2, you will not see them, because the Windows 11 version 26H2 update features arrive only with that update. Use steps 2 to 4 above to confirm which version you run and to install the update if Windows offers it.

Microsoft says “select” features

Microsoft’s wording covers select features and enhancements that shipped off by default in 25H2. A feature that stayed off in 25H2 is not guaranteed to be on in 26H2.

The reverse also holds. A feature you turned on or off yourself keeps your choice. Check the setting itself instead of relying on the default.

How to reverse a default you do not want

Where Windows exposes a toggle in Settings, you can switch the feature back off. Windows settings backup works as the example:

1. Open Settings › Accounts › Windows backup. The Windows backup page opens.
2. Find the option you want to change.
3. Switch the toggle to Off. The toggle now shows as off.

That’s it. The option is now off on your PC, and the feature stays off until you or an administrator turns it on again.

To undo the change, return to the same page and switch the toggle back on.

If the switch is greyed out or missing, your organization controls it, and only an administrator can change it. Changing it through Group Policy requires administrator privileges.

A feature update can reset a setting later. After a future feature update, recheck any toggle you changed.

Features that are not part of this list

This article covers only features that shipped disabled in 25H2 and now start enabled in 26H2. Experimental features follow different rules. Microsoft keeps its experimental AI features behind a separate toggle, covered in how to turn experimental agentic features on or off in Windows 11.

Hidden features are a different category. They are included in the update but stay out of sight until someone turns them on. Some people use a third-party tool called ViVeTool to turn on these hidden features. Read how to discover hidden features in Windows 11 using ViVeTool for that, and note that it is separate from the default changes above.

Because some of these defaults affect recovery and backup, review the rest of your protection too. The Windows 11 built-in security features guide covers the other settings worth checking.

What to do next

If a feature you expected is missing, confirm that Settings › System › About shows 26H2, then run Check for updates again. On a work device, ask your administrator whether policy manages the feature.

Check Microsoft’s what’s new page for IT pros after each cumulative update, which is the regular bundle of fixes Windows Update installs. Microsoft may add detail on the taskbar and File Explorer items there, so the Windows 11 version 26H2 features list may grow over time.