Table of Contents
Highlights
- Windows 11 Tightens Control with Smarter AI Features, Including “Click to Do” and “Image Object Select.” Boosting Productivity through Context-Aware Copilot Integration.
- Windows 11 Tightens Control by delivering proper Dark Mode consistency, ensuring every dialog box aligns with the system’s sleek, unified dark interface.
- Windows 11 Tightens Control as Microsoft Enforces Microsoft Account Sign-in, Ending Local Account Bypasses and Pushing Toward a Fully Connected, Cloud-Based Ecosystem.
Microsoft’s brand-new build of Windows 11, Insider Preview Build (26220.6772), was released to those in the Dev Channel on October 6, 2025. This is perhaps one of the most significant updates since the OS launched. While some of it is subtle, all of it could be helpful, including more innovative clipboard features, improved consistency in dark mode, and better biometric options.
But buried deeper in the build is an even more controversial change:
Microsoft is quietly locking down (almost) all known methods for creating a local account when installing Windows 11. In short, the company is making it more difficult – bordering on impossible – to set up Windows 11 without signing in with a Microsoft Account.
This change is officially mentioned in Microsoft’s Windows Insider Blog, and it has been confirmed by publications such as Windows Central and Tweakers. In short, this represents the most determined effort by the tech company to develop always-connected and cloud-integrated Windows.
A New Generation of “Smart” Tools
On the lighter side of things, Microsoft continues down the path of an AI-friendly workflow. The latest preview includes a new feature called “Click to Do (Preview),” which blurs the boundary between static content and interactivity.
Image Object Select: Just by hovering over any image, Windows detects objects (such as people, products, and landmarks) in that image that can be selected and copied, pasted, or used directly in Copilot. It’s essentially “smart cut-and-paste” powered by computer vision.
Instant Unit Conversion: Now, when you hover over any measure, like “5 km” or “20 °C”, Windows will automatically display the unit conversion tooltips; the user can switch from metric to imperial or Celsius to Fahrenheit with a mouseover, without having to open a calculator or a browser.
Both of these were just early-stage experiments, currently exclusive to a subset of insiders in selected markets. They reflect Microsoft’s longer-term strategy of embedding Copilot into every corner of Windows 11, from images to productivity tasks.
Small but meaningful UX enhancements
An additional improvement is that Microsoft is finally addressing the long-term issue of inconsistency in dark mode by showing bright white dialog boxes for pretty much every dialog box imaginable. In build 26220.6772, every file operation dialog box – copy, move, delete, overwrite, and even error – finally =has a dark appearance that aligns with the rest of that experience. Improvements like this enhance the overall experience and polish, aligning with the design philosophy of Windows 11.
An additional and much-appreciated improvement for ease of use is the update for Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) to now work with external fingerprint sensors. Previously, ESS was limited to using only the biometric hardware built into the device (i.e., the fingerprint reader on a laptop). Now, users of USB-connected fingerprint scanners can benefit from the same secure login that is available to users with systems using built-in biometric hardware. While this change may be minor for most users, it is significant for desktop users and IT departments that utilize external hardware.
This update introduces a new option for advanced users, allowing them to customize their user folder name during the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) setup process. Users are now allowed to customize their name and define their user-folder name for customers up to 16 Unicode characters. Power users have requested this change for years.
Ending the local account bypasses
And the most radical change comes in the form of the entire installation process.
Microsoft has removed all workarounds that bypass signing into a Microsoft Account as part of the setup process. Previously, users could access non-Microsoft Account authentication through either workarounds or running commands as a method to create a local, offline account during the initial setup.
Those methods no longer function. Microsoft has confirmed that “well-known methods for creating a local account in Windows Setup have been removed” due to “the need to help ensure a complete configuration of the device.”
In short, Internet access and a Microsoft Account are now mandatory for the latest Windows 11 Insider builds. This feature had already been available for Windows 11 Home but is now also available for Windows 11 Pro and possibly all editions.
Windows Central and Tweakers both report that this is fully rolled out in Build 26220.6772. Though corporate IT teams leveraging enterprise deployment tools (like Autopilot or domain join) can still set up accounts offline, it seems ordinary users will be left with no easy way to do so
Microsoft’s rationale – and the pushback
Microsoft sees this modification as a matter of completeness and security. The company stated that the local account bypass can lead users to skip “key pages in the setup experience (like privacy settings, security verification, and network setup)” which could lead to misconfigured and insecure devices. For Microsoft, the unique onboarding flow facilitates the seamless integration of support incidents into the company’s support system, supports OneDrive’s cloud backup, and enables the enhancement of Microsoft 365, Edge, and Copilot integration.
Critics, though, argue something different: a restriction of choice. Local accounts are favored by many power users in order to eliminate any kind of constant telemetry, reliance on online features, or the risk of being locked out of an account. “I bought my PC; I should choose if I want it online or not,” remarked one commenter on Tweakers.
This friction showcases a larger debate regarding digital sovereignty. For Microsoft, Windows 11 is not simply an operating system but a service platform – where cloud identity is now one of the central features of functionality. This vision is in line with macOS, iOS, and Android’s model of tying identity to iCloud services or Google Accounts. But philosophically, for Windows’ historically open ecosystem, the shift in philosophy feels much more profound.
What does this mean for users who are already established?
Initially, the enforcement only applies to new installations or reinstalls, particularly via Insider builds; systems already using Windows 11 can still use a local account, switch between ways of signing in, or disconnect from the internet after the initial setup checklist is completed. However, it is generally expected that when the builds migrate out of Insider and into stable, which could occur around early 2026, Microsoft will proceed with the restrictions.
If you are using Windows 11 Pro, there may be a narrow window of flexibility: The “Join a domain/organization” option in the setup process still gives users a chance to create local accounts, at least for now, since we are not sure what will happen in the future when Microsoft integrates its setup experience.
Controlled feature rollout + stability fixes
The changes to Build 26220.6772 aren’t all uncontroversial and add numerous fixes — including fixing taskbar auto-hide not working, File Explorer scaling issues, hiccups with webcam compatibility with Windows Studio Effects, incorrect network speed reported, and Hyper-V stability on ARM devices.
As a reminder, Insider builds (like all Insider builds) roll out via Microsoft’s Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) system, so not everyone gets every modification at the same time.
The company also provides caution for new features (like Click to Do), which may not be included in production builds depending on user feedback. However, this build gives a hint at how Microsoft would like to evolve Windows: more intelligent, more elegant, and nonetheless connected.
The larger story: Windows as a connected ecosystem
With each build, Windows 11 is moving further and further away from the isolated PC model of the 1990s and closer to a connected digital environment tied to Microsoft’s cloud, and this builds the dual nature of both convenience features, like the context AI-assisted conversions and strict account enforcement.
