Microsoft finally kills the “Save as JPG” chore — Windows 11 backgrounds get a modern brain

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Windows 11 is getting an update that allows you to use WebP images as your desktop background, though the overall look of your desktop won’t change. This feature is currently available in the latest Windows Insider build.

The latest Windows 11 Beta Channel build, number 26220.7653, has been released. This update is fairly small, so I’m using this as an opportunity to explain WebP image files and why they can be useful.

As an analyst, I’m willing to bet you’ve encountered a WebP file recently – probably even today. Developed by Google, this file format offers a lot of benefits, making it a smart option for website images and content.

WebP is an image format that lets you make images smaller in file size, either by slightly reducing quality (lossy compression) or keeping the original quality perfectly (lossless compression). It also supports transparency, a key feature for many websites.

You can even use a .webp file to replace a GIF, since the format supports animations.

WebP files are usually smaller than PNG or JPG images, making websites load faster. All major browsers – like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari – now support them.

No single file format is ideal, which is why we have a variety of options. Older software sometimes has trouble opening WebP files.

It can even be difficult to simply open WebP images on your computer. While Windows’ PowerToys added WebP support with its Peek feature in April 2024, even popular software like Adobe Photoshop didn’t natively support WebP until 2022. If you have an older version of Photoshop, you’ll need to install a plugin to work with these files.

WebP files are created specifically for online use. However, for printed images, TIFF or JPEG formats remain more common choices.

Why bother using a WebP image as your Windows 11 desktop background? The truth is, WebP’s strengths as a file type don’t really make a difference when it’s just a picture on your screen.

The main problem with saving images directly from the web is that they might not work everywhere. You might download an image that looks great in your browser, only to find it won’t open in other programs because it’s saved in a WebP format. Windows 11 handles background images differently, so this won’t be a concern anymore.

Below is the full change log for the recent build from Microsoft.

View the full changelog ↴

Build 26220.7653: Changes and Improvements

Account Settings

We’re giving the dialog boxes in the ‘Accounts > Other Users’ section a fresh, updated look using the latest WinUI design system, and they’ll now also support dark mode.

Whether you see this option depends on if a work or school account connected to a domain is set up on your device.

Click to Do

Click to Do’s Copilot suggestions will now appear immediately. However, this update isn’t available yet for users in the European Economic Area or China.

Desktop Background

You can now use .webp images as your desktop background. Simply go to Settings, then Personalization, and select Desktop Background to choose your image.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on*

Taskbar and System Tray

  • Fixed an issue in the latest builds where, when the taskbar was set to autohide, it might invoke before interacting with the bottom of the screen, blocking the use of apps in that area.
  • Fixed a recent issue which was causing the Start menu, notification center, and quick settings to not open on click sometimes, although using the keyboard shortcuts for each of these still worked.

Start menu

  • Fixed a memory leak when opening the Start menu, which could lead to performance issues over time.
  • Fixed an issue for Arabic and Hebrew users, where Start menu was opening on the wrong side of the screen when the taskbar icons weren’t centered.
  • Fixed an issue where if you opened a folder of pinned apps in Start menu and tried to pan it with touch, it would dismiss Start menu.

Bluetooth

We’ve resolved a problem that prevented some Windows Insider users from seeing the battery levels of their Bluetooth devices, despite those devices being capable of displaying that information. This issue occurred after recent updates.

Xbox full screen experience for PC

This update addresses some glitches that were happening in apps and games when using Full Screen Exclusive mode. We’re still testing things thoroughly, so the reported issue remains active. Thanks to everyone in the Insider program for providing valuable feedback!

Login and Lock Screens

Fixed an issue which could cause the password icon to appear blank on the login screen.

Settings

  • Fixed an issue causing Settings to crash when interacting with audio devices in the last two builds.
  • Fixed an issue where the keyboard character repeat delay in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Keyboard was backwards from how it was set in the backend.

Other

  • Fixed a few issues with clipped text in msinfo32 when using a high display scaling.
  • Fixed an issue impacting some Insiders where clicking on .appinstaller files to install MSIX packages was unexpectedly failing with an invalid argument error.
  • Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Notepad to not display an underscore in text with certain fonts when your display was set to 125%.
  • Fixed an underlying issue which could cause explorer.exe to hang when first logging into your PC, if certain apps were configured as startup apps. This could make the taskbar not appear.

FAQ

How do I become a Windows Insider?

The Windows Insider Program is open to everyone. Microsoft provides instructions on their website for joining. Once you sign up with your Microsoft account, you can start receiving preview builds of Windows 11 directly through the Settings app.

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2026-01-21 19:44