Windows 11 is an incredibly complex and deeply layered operating system, and the monitoring utilities included with the OS, like Task Manager, don't always tell you what you need to know.

For beginner PC users, the built-in Windows 11 monitoring utilities might show too much info, which can be overwhelming and confusing. For more advanced users, they might show too little info or info too late to matter.

AppControl wants to change the way we monitor our PCs with its new app. It's an "industry first" piece of software that the company says targets "everyday Windows users," and I downloaded it to test out over the weekend.

It's free from the AppControl website or from Softpedia, it doesn't ask for any email or registration details, and it's a certified member of Intel's Partner Alliance initiative. Those are all wins in my opinion, so I was excited to test it out.

AppControl is what Windows Task Manager should have been all along

Spectacle in Plasma 6.6 now comes with a neat little OCR feature that lets you extract text directly from any screenshot. To use it, simply pull up Spectacle, hit the "Extract text" button, and it pulls the words out for you. You can also filter specific windows out of screencasts now.

Still on accessibility, there is now a new on-screen keyboard, the Plasma Keyboard. This new keyboard, based on Qt Virtual Keyboard, replaces the old Maliit implementation. It wraps Qt's virtual keyboard tech into its own window and communicates with the compositor using the input-method-v1 Wayland protocol.

The Zoom and Magnifier feature also gained a new tracking mode that always keeps the pointer centered on the screen. For color-blind people, there's a new grayscale filter available in the System Settings' Accessibility page, under "Color Blindness Correction," that brings the total to four filters that account for different kinds of colorblindness.

Plasma 6.6 is the first Plasma version to ship with a new first-run wizard called Plasma Setup. This wizard used to be called KDE Initial System Setup (KISS) during its development and is quite helpful in scenarios where companies ship devices with Plasma pre-installed or when charities refurbish old computers, allowing users to do things like set up an account, connect to a network, and choose their language on the very first boot.

Connecting to a new Wi-Fi network is simpler. If your computer has a camera, you can just scan a QR code to join.

Other common tasks made simpler include controlling individual application volumes by hovering over their task manager icon and scrolling, and quickly accessing a file or folder's properties on the desktop by holding the Alt key and double-clicking.

Other changes Plasma 6.6 brings include:

• Virtual desktops can appear only on your primary screen.
• An optional new login manager is available.
• Devices with ambient light sensors can use optional automatic screen brightness.
• Game controllers can function as regular input devices.
• Discover allows font installation on supported operating systems.
• System Monitor lets you choose process priority.

You can check out the full changelog here.

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Posted Wednesday 18 February 2026 at 6:36 am AEST (my time).

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More than two years after Broadcom took over VMware, the virtualization company’s customers are still grappling with higher prices, uncertainty, and the challenges of reducing vendor lock-in.

Today, CloudBolt Software released a report, “The Mass Exodus That Never Was: The Squeeze Is Just Beginning,” that provides insight into those struggles. CloudBolt is a hybrid cloud management platform provider that aims to identify VMware customers’ pain points so it can sell them relevant solutions. In the report, CloudBolt said it surveyed 302 IT decision-makers (director-level or higher) at North American companies with at least 1,000 employees in January. The survey is far from comprehensive, but it offers a look at the obstacles these users face.

Broadcom closed its VMware acquisition in November 2023, and last month, 88 percent of survey respondents still described the change as “disruptive.” Per the survey, the most cited drivers of disruption were price increases (named by 89 percent of respondents), followed by uncertainty about Broadcom’s plans (85 percent), support quality concerns (78 percent), Broadcom shifting VMware from perpetual licenses to subscriptions (72 percent), changes to VMware’s partner program (68 percent), and the forced bundling of products (65 percent).

When Broadcom bought VMware, some customers shared horror stories about receiving quotes that showed prices increasing by as much as 1,000 percent. CloudBolt’s survey paints a more modest picture. Fourteen percent of respondents said their VMware costs have at least doubled, while 12 percent reported increases of 50–99 percent, 33 percent reported increases of 24–49 percent, and 31 percent reported increases of less than 25 percent.

Despite survey participants suggesting smaller price hikes than originally anticipated under Broadcom, companies are still struggling with the pricing changes. Eighty-five percent are concerned that VMware will become even more expensive, according to CloudBolt’s survey.

Migrations are ongoing

Broadcom introduced changes to VMware that are especially unfriendly to small- and-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and Gartner previously predicted that 35 percent of VMware workloads would migrate else by 2028.

CloudBolt’s survey also examined how respondents are migrating workloads off of VMware. Currently, 36 percent of participants said they migrated 1–24 percent of their environment off of VMware. Another 32 percent said that they have migrated 25–49 percent; 10 percent said that they’ve migrated 50–74 percent of workloads; and 2 percent have migrated 75 percent or more of workloads. Five percent of respondents said that they have not migrated from VMware at all.

Among migrated workloads, 72 percent moved to public cloud infrastructure as a service, followed by Microsoft’s Hyper-V/Azure stack (43 percent of respondents).

Overall, 86 percent of respondents “are actively reducing their VMware footprint,” CloudBolt’s report said.

“The fear has cooled, but the pressure hasn’t—and most teams are now making practical moves to build leverage and optionality—even if for some that includes the realization that a portion of their estate never moves off VMware,” Mark Zembal, CloudBolt’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement.

While bundled products, fewer options, resellers, and higher prices make VMware harder to justify for many, especially SMB customers, migration is a long process with its own costs, including time spent researching alternatives and building relevant skills. CloudBolt’s reported multi-platform complexity (52 percent) and skills gaps (33 percent) topped the list of migration challenges.

“As organizations diversify away from VMware, they inherit the operational burden of managing multiple platforms with different operational and governance models,” the report reads.

While companies determine the best ways to limit their dependence on VMware, Broadcom can still make money from smaller customers it doesn’t deem necessary for the long term.

“Their strategy was never to keep every customer,” CloudBolt’s report says. “It was to maximize value from those still on the platform while the market slowly diversifies. The model assumes churn and it’s built to make the economics work anyway. Broadcom has done the math—and they’re fine with it.”

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Posted Wednesday 18 February 2026 at 6:35 am AEST (my time).

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Firefox 147.0.4 is now available for download from the official website and within existing installations. The official release notes mention only one bug related to the new tag page. Mozilla fixed a problem with the new tab page appearing blank instead of showing the typical stuff like your pinned websites, the search bar, recent pages, and more:

• Fixed an issue that could cause the New Tab Page to appear blank for some users. (Bug 2014616)

In addition to fixing the broken new tab page, Mozilla resolved a security vulnerability that allowed heap buffer overflow in libvpx (CVE-202602447). This patch is available not just in Firefox 147.0.4, but also in Firefox 140.7.1 ESR and Firefox 115.32.1 ESR.

Firefox 115 ESR remains the only officially supported Firefox version for those who still use Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. At this point, Mozilla is the only mainstream browser that still provides security patches for its browser on long-outdated Windows versions. Right now, the company has no specific dates for the end of Firefox 115 ESR. As for Windows 10, which reached the end of mainstream support last year, it is too early to talk about the end of browser support for it, as it has eight months of extended support ahead of it, plus several more years of paid updates for business customers.

You can download Firefox 147.0.4 by opening Menu > Help > About Firefox. Alternatively, get the browser from the official website or the Microsoft Store.

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Posted Tuesday 17 February 2026 at 4:14 am AEST (my time).

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Now is the right time to download and decorate your devices with these wallpapers, as the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac begins on February 17, 2026, and lasts through February 5, 2027. Apple's latest Lunar Year 2026 wallpapers are available on the Apple Store website. You can click on the following links to download them for your device:

• Year of the Horse wallpaper for iPhone
• Year of the Horse wallpaper for iPad
• Year of the Horse wallpaper for Mac
• Year of the Horse wallpaper for Apple Watch

After downloading the image on your iPad or iPad, go to Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper. Tap Photos, then select the wallpaper from the image grid. On your Mac, right-click on the image file and choose "Set Desktop Picture" from the drop-down menu. For the Apple Watch, you can use the Watch app on your iPhone to transfer the image.

All of these wallpapers are high-quality and optimized for your Apple device's aspect ratio. The Mac wallpaper is 12032 x 6768 pixels to ensure it looks crisp on the Pro Display XDR. Meanwhile, the iPad version is available in landscape orientation.

Apple says that the Year of the Horse symbolizes "strength and ambition." A separate Year of the Horse wallpaper for iPhone is available for download here. Last month, the company also launched a limited-edition AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate the Lunar New Year, available in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

Time and again, Apple bakes custom wallpapers for its devices to celebrate various occasions and major updates. In January, Apple released its annual wallpaper update to honor Black History Month. The company also stuffed new wallpapers in its recently released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 update for iPhone and iPad.

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Posted Monday 16 February 2026 at 6:03 pm AEST (my time).

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Over on X (formerly Twitter), Mikhail Parakhin has highlighted the productivity benefits of a vertical taskbar, saying that he "fought hard against the decision to take it away back then". For those unaware, Parakhin is currently the CTO at Shopify, but he was previously the CEO of Advertising and Web Services at Microsoft and had also enjoyed a two-year stint as the Corporate Vice President of Technology at Redmond from 2019-2021, leading engineering teams across Windows, Edge, Search, Skype, Ads, Maps, and more.

Parakhin dived into more details, sharing the reasons behind getting rid of the vertical taskbar:

While this revelation about internal Microsoft conflicts is certainly interesting, many haven't taken too kindly to Parakhin's stance on social media. Most notably, Windows developer Rafael Rivera has pointed towards the executive being a key figure behind the decision to insert "garbage ads, scams, and other unwanted junk" in Windows, Edge, and Widgets.

Regardless, it's good news that after years of hearing that vertical taskbar is "not important", Microsoft is finally working towards ending a pain point for Windows 11 customers. The improvement should arrive sometime in summer, along with the ability to resize the taskbar.

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Posted Sunday 15 February 2026 at 2:48 am AEST (my time).

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Meanwhile, users have also noticed another similar recent change that may or may not be intentional from Microsoft's side. It looks like the latest Windows Insider channel previews are failing downloads and it is affecting both the Windows 11 Canary channel build, 28020.1611, as well as the Server preview build, 29531.

The issue was brought to attention on the Microsoft official forum by user ChronoVore who says they are unable to download the latest ISO. The user notes that the error message ID suggests their IP addresses are getting blocked.

They confirm they are not running any VPN or anything of that sort as they write: "I’m on Google fiber and can't download the newest ISO. I get a msg that says some block of IPs is being blocked because they are not who they say they are. Likewise, I have no anonymizer running and my ip is my own on google fiber. ... error msg; message code 715-123130 and b64dd3c8-ed16-4d46-87ac-a871691f1c41."

Popular utility for downloading Windows media, Rufus, is also having the same issue and the developer of the utility, Pete Batard, thinks Microsoft has made some changes with these latest Insider Preview builds. The idea is that the tech giant wants people to avail Windows ISOs via the official MCT utility.

On a GitHub thread discussing the issue as Fido script is no longer working, Batard believes that the tech giant is intentionally detecting the script as he writes: " ... they are detecting the script (which quite frankly is not that hard to do since it's Open Source), though it does require active intentional involvement from Microsoft to break the script downloads." If you are wondering, this has happened in the past too, which Rufus fixed later on.

Interestingly, the issue has also been submitted on the official Feedback Hub and the user suggests the bug exists across all Insider Preview channels.

Thanks for the tip, TReKiE!

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Posted Sunday 15 February 2026 at 2:47 am AEST (my time).

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Plasma 6.6 will ship with a boatload of bug fixes, including several for KWin, the compositing window manager used by KDE Plasma. Developers have hardened KWin against crashes that could happen when a graphics driver unexpectedly resets itself.

A crash that occurred when Plasma was used alongside the i3 tiling window manager has also been fixed. Other fixes include resolving a "division by 0" issue in system monitoring widgets and making sure the swap usage percentage now displays correctly on systems without any swap space.

After the release of Plasma 6.6, expect the first bugfix release, Plasma 6.6.1, on February 24. In this version, if you put a battery-powered device to sleep while it has critically low power, then charge it, the system will no longer incorrectly trigger the "oh no, I am critically low" action immediately upon waking up. In addition to that, the overall application ratings shown in Discover, KDE's software center, will now accurately reflect a simple average of individual ratings.

Plasma 6.5.6, a maintenance release for the older 6.5 series, will arrive this March. Here, monitor names shown in the Brightness & Color widget will update as expected if you connect or disconnect screens while the system is asleep. Plasma 6.56 also corrects multiple issues where custom-tiled windows on disconnected screens moved to incorrect positions on any remaining displays.

Looking further ahead to Plasma 6.7, the "Remote Desktop" page will move into the "Security & Privacy" section within System Settings.

You will also see better handling of loop devices in the Disks & Devices widget, and wallpaper previews that include both light and dark versions will appear with noticeably less visual jagginess. You can also configure the delay before the window switcher shows up after holding Alt+Tab.

Finally, setting up Samba shares for your folders is now far more seamless. Plasma can automatically enable the Samba service on systemd-based distributions when needed.

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Posted Saturday 14 February 2026 at 5:39 pm AEST (my time).

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Alongside that, Microsoft released corresponding new dynamic updates. For those who may not know, dynamic updates bring improvements to the Windows Recovery process in the form of Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) updates, which are also called Safe OS updates. The dynamic updates also affect the Setup file binaries in the form of Setup updates.

These Dynamic Update packages are meant to be applied to existing Windows images prior to their deployment. Dynamic Updates also help preserve Language Pack (LP) and Features on Demand (FODs) content during the upgrade process. VBScript, for example, is currently an FOD on Windows 11 24H2.

Both setup and recovery updates were released this time. The company writes:

"KB5077178: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 26H1: February 10, 2026

This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment (WinRE).

KB5077180: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2: February 10, 2026

This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment (WinRE).

KB5077374: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 23H2: February 10, 2026

• [Secure Boot] This release will execute updates in the Boot Manager on devices that already have the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate in their Secure Boot Signature Database (DB). It replaces the 2011 signed bootmgfw.efi with the 2023 signed bootmgfw.efi. Be advised of the consequences of resetting the DB or toggling Secure Boot, as this can cause a "Secure Boot violation" issue. In those rare cases, the solution is to create the Secure Boot recovery media.

KB5076124: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 23H2: February 10, 2026

• [KDNET] Fixed: The KDNET utility DLLS (kdstub.dll and kdnet.dll) might stop responding when Boot Manager (bootmgr) debugging is enabled during Windows start."

Microsoft notes that both the Recovery and Setup updates will be downloaded and installed automatically via the Windows Update channel.

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Posted Saturday 14 February 2026 at 1:12 pm AEST (my time).

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Brazil's antitrust regulator, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), is probing 10 major PC manufacturers in the area based on Opera's complaint that Microsoft indirectly forces OEMs to exclusively pre-install Edge on Windows PCs. Multiple OEMs have received regulatory letters, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Positivo, Samsung, Multilaser, Daten, and LG.

In the regulator's letter seen by Neowin, OEMs have been questioned about their participation in Microsoft's "Jumpstart" program, which requires them to exclusively pre-install Edge on Windows PCs. CADE wants to know how many PCs each vendor sold between 2020 and 2025, categorized by operating system. It wants granular details too, such as the number of PCs sold under the Jumpstart program versus those sold outside of it, along with figures related to how many were sold with the "Windows in S mode" configuration, which only allowed users to download and use apps from the Microsoft Store.

CADE has demanded details of the contract and commercial negotiations between Microsoft and OEMs as well, such as penalties associated with non-compliance with the Jumpstart program, and if Redmond gave OEMs room for negotiations or just offered the contract as a "take-it-or-leave-it" document.

Some other pertinent questions asked by CADE are referenced below, machine-translated from Portuguese:

• For computers running Windows that are part of the Jumpstart Program, specify which types of third-party software—including, but not limited to, browsers—can be preinstalled and the conditions for preinstalling such software.
• For computers running Windows that are part of the Jumpstart Program, specify which types of third-party software—including, but not limited to, browsers—cannot be pre-installed and the respective regulations prohibiting the pre-installation of such software.
• To the best of your company's knowledge, what would be the expected financial and/or commercial impact in the event of withdrawal from/termination of the Jumpstart Program? Justify your answer.

In a statement to Neowin, the Browser Choice Alliance (which consists of BrowserWorks, Google Chrome, Midori, Vivaldi, Wavebox, and Opera) has welcomed this probe, noting that:

The Browser Choice Alliance (BCA) welcomes CADE's 12 February 2026 action in its antitrust probe into Microsoft's global practices. CADE has issued information requests to major Windows PC manufacturers, including Dell, HP, and Lenovo, regarding Microsoft’s "Jumpstart Program”, which pre-installs Edge and restricts third-party browsers. The investigation follows Opera's formal complaint and aims to assess the effects of Microsoft’s practices on competition and consumer choice in the PC browser market.

 

This marks a significant step towards addressing anti-competitive behaviors that restrict consumer choice and harm fair market competition.

 

The BCA views CADE’s RFIs as a natural and constructive step in the investigative process, encouraging broader stakeholder participation and the open sharing of relevant information and perspectives. In this context, BCA encourages stakeholders to present evidence and relevant data in this important case, which has significant implications for competition both globally and in Brazil, in order to ensure a comprehensive and well-informed review of the matter by CADE.

It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft handles this situation when the time comes, but it seems like the company is facing a rather uphill battle ahead if the claims made regarding the Jumpstart program are indeed true.

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Posted Saturday 14 February 2026 at 1:10 pm AEST (my time).

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You can resize the Start menu in Windows 11 right now. All you need is a simple Windhawk mod. For those unfamiliar, Windhawk is a modding platform for Windows 10 and 11 where users can submit their mods for everyone to use and poke around. There is plenty of useful stuff that supercharges the stock experience, and the new, aptly named "Start Menu Size" mod is a new addition to it.

The mod is as simple as it gets: all you have to do is install it and specify the desired Start menu size in pixels (width and height). This lets you have an ultra-narrow Start menu like in Windows 10 without tiles (especially useful if you have the taskbar aligned to the left), a wide menu for more horizontal space for ultra-wide monitors, a taller menu, you name it. And when you want to reset it to default, just set both values to 0. Here are some examples:

Here is step-by-step instruction:

1. Download Windhawk from the official website and install it.
2. Run Windhawk and click Explore.
3. Search for the "Start Menu Size" mod.
4. Click Install.
5. Once the mod is installed, click Settings, enter preferred height and width, then click Save changes. Windhawk will apply changes immediately, with no need to restart the shell or the entire system.

   

It is worth mentioning that even though Windhawk mods are open for everyone (just click the Source Code to see what is under the hood of the selected mod), you should still exercise caution when modifying Windows 11. Have your data backed up, and set system restore points so that you can quickly undo unwanted damage. We have not heard any major issues with Windhawk mods, but it is better be safe than sorry.

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Posted Saturday 14 February 2026 at 1:06 pm AEST (my time).

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As the new year begins, Microsoft is gradually ramping up development of Windows 11. Over the past month and a half, the company has released several preview builds with new improvements through the Windows Insider Program.

So far this year, the company has rolled out several visual refinements, performance improvements, and new features, including updated camera controls, a redesigned account settings dialog, expanded image format support for desktop backgrounds, AI-powered image descriptions in Narrator, and the new System Monitor tool.

In the Dev and Beta Channels, devices have received eight preview builds, including 26300.7760, 26220.7755, 26300.7733, 26220.7752, 26220.7670, 26300.7674, 26220.7653, and 26220.7535.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft has recently transitioned the Dev and Beta Channels. Up to build 26220.7653, preview builds in both channels were based on the same version. However, starting with build 26300.7674, the company split the tracks by moving the Dev Channel to the 26300 series, which is expected to evolve into version 26H2.

Finally, the Canary Channel saw at least three preview builds, including 28020.1546, 28020.1495, 28020.1371, and 28020.1611. These releases were specific to version 26H1 (a version of the operating system that existing PCs won't get) and introduced some small changes and fixes.

In this recap, I'll highlight the biggest changes available through the Windows Insider Program.

Biggest improvements from the Windows Insider Program in 2026

These are the improvements that the software giant has rolled out since my last roundup of changes.

Camera with more support

As part of the "Cameras: settings, Microsoft has been testing new controls to adjust the pan and tilt on supported cameras.

The new settings began to roll out with build 26300.7760 and 26220.7755, and they can be found on Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras > Camera > Basic settings.

So for those of you wondering what happened, Microsoft says that this is a new security hardening change put in place to safeguard against a Windows Hello tampering vulnerability. The company had recently confirmed this input injection flaw on its MSRC website under a new ID CVE-2026-20804. Neowin noticed this change today while browsing.

If you recall, we had already reported on this issue back in August of 2025 when security researchers had flagged it for the first time. As such, Microsoft no longer allows remote autofill and automated auth on certain apps and instances, which can be vulnerable.

On January 2026 Patch Tuesday Windows 11 updates (KB5074109, KB5073455), Microsoft added the following change to the release notes earlier today. It writes:

• [Credentials autofill] This update introduces a security hardening behavior restricting certain applications to autofill credentials during remote support sessions or automated authentication workflows. With this change, credential dialogs do not respond to virtual keyboard input from remote desktop or screen sharing tools or apps.

Microsoft has added further details on the change in a separate support article. It explains: "This intentional change of behavior is designed to protect users against untrusted input injection. Windows authentication dialogs will only accept input from trusted local sources, such as physical keyboard input, trusted accessibility applications with UIAccess privilege, or applications running with elevated (administrator) integrity."

The company has said that users and IT admins will notice the following changes post this update:

• "Applications attempting to autofill credentials into the Windows authentication dialog and sign-in interfaces might fail to do so.
• Credential dialogs might not respond to virtual keyboard input from remote desktop or screen sharing tools or apps, such as Microsoft Teams or similar third-party apps.
• Automatic or scripted authentication workflows might not proceed because the credentials interface no longer accepts input."

Thus going forward, admins and users alike have been encouraged to update such apps to avoid keyboard entry into credential interfaces and authenticate through supported Windows authentication UIs.

In case you need the previous autofill behavior to still function, Microsoft says that it is possible. It writes: "Do so by enabling applications performing remote credential submission to run with elevated (administrator) privileges. This should allow the previous behavior until applications can be updated to account for the hardening changes driven by CVE-2026-20824", though it has cautioned you do so only in a tightly controlled environment that is safe and secure.

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Posted Saturday 14 February 2026 at 3:27 am AEST (my time).

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Family Safety helps parents monitor their children's activity and provides screen time management, app controls, communication monitoring, content filtering, location tracking, and activity reports.

Microsoft acknowledged the bug in late June 2025 after widespread reports that users were unable to launch Google Chrome on their PCs or experienced the web browser randomly crashing on devices running Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 22H2 or later.

As explained at the time, the issue is caused by Family Safety's web filtering tool, which prompts children to ask their parents for approval to use other browsers. However, the bug also causes Family Safety to block new versions of previously approved web browsers, inadvertently preventing them from launching or causing them to shut down unexpectedly.

"The blocking behavior continues to work, however, when a browser updates to a new version, the latest version of the browser cannot be blocked until we add it to the block list. Microsoft is currently adding the latest versions of Chrome and other browsers to the block list," the company notes on the Windows release health dashboard.

"As Microsoft continues to update the block list, we've received reports of a new issue affecting Google Chrome and some browsers. When children try to open these browsers, they shut down unexpectedly."

Service‑side fix pushed in early February

This week, Microsoft confirmed that it addressed the issue with a service‑side fix earlier this month, nearly eight months after first receiving reports of web browsers shutting down unexpectedly.

Affected users are advised to connect their devices to the Internet to receive the fix, which should address the bug and prevent similar problems in the future.

"This issue has been resolved through a service‑side fix. The rollout began early February 2026 and should reach all affected devices over the coming weeks," Microsoft said. "If your device presented this symptom, please let it connect to the internet to receive the resolution. No other action is required."

Those who can't get online to receive the fix are advised to turn on the 'Activity reporting' feature under Windows settings in Microsoft Family Safety, which will allow parents to receive approval requests as expected and allowlist newer browser versions.

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Posted Saturday 14 February 2026 at 3:27 am AEST (my time).

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In an exclusive Windows Central report, Microsoft confirmed plans to restore movable and resizable Taskbar options on Windows 11, sparking mixed reactions across Reddit and in the comments of our report. While some users welcome the shift, others question why it took years for these options to come back.

For many longtime users, these Taskbar behaviors were once standard parts of the experience. As a result, the announcement is being seen less as a breakthrough feature and more as long-overdue reinstatements. That contrast helps explain the sarcasm and skepticism surfacing across the comments.

Here's what people are saying.

Should we throw them a parade?

A recurring theme in the comments is doubt that restoring a long-standing feature is being framed as one great step forward.

On Reddit, MSD3k wrote: "Oh good, crowing about bringing back standard features they arbitrarily ripped away. Should I get some balloons for the party?"

And Bogdan_X (Wintoys Developer) summed up the frustration saying, "What progress means to Microsoft: remove useful features, then add them back years later. Somehow we are supposed to be happy about this. Remarkable strategy!"

On Windows Central, NativeTech echoed the tone: "Its finally happening?! I gotta tell the presses and let the world know. This is big. Bigger than 50000 big."

This should be an afternoon’s work

Several commenters questioned why restoring Taskbar movement is being framed as a major initiative.

On Windows Central, Ian_TO notes that "This is a difficult thing to do? In a company where presumably 10's of 1000's of employees work on the Windows OS? This should be an afternoon's work for a small team, no? What are MS's quarter million employees working on?"

Also, harold56 followed up bluntly saying: "This was such an easy fix that can be applied in a week. I can't take Microsoft seriously if this is their big fix."

Whether fair or not, there's clear skepticism around the idea that this required years of effort.

The vast majority never touched it

Not everyone sees this as a major issue. Reddit user Mario583a pointed to old Microsoft data showing that most users keep the Taskbar at the bottom: The "bottom is a whopping 98%," "the top is a little over 1% and no surprise the," "the left somehow garners a little more it's a little over 6%," and "number of sessions where people have the task bar to the right of the screen 0.21%."

Similarly, Ben Wilson from Windows Central said, "I never moved mine, so I never saw the appeal. Still, I've seen enough people ask, so I know it's a common request. Nice to see Microsoft paying attention."

Despite the criticism, some users welcomed the change.

Better late than never

Not all reactions were negative either. For instance, Windows Central commenter fjtorres wrote: "Great! Right after I had to spend ten bucks to do it on my tablet. Should've been there from day one. Better late than never, I suppose."

Meanwhile, Reddit user Froggypwns pointed to resizing as the more important change: "This is what is more exciting for me, as I traditionally have my taskbar set to double height so I can have more applications open without having to dig through the overflow menus."

Yes, they should have been there all along. Yes, third-party tools may fill the gap. However, if Microsoft is restoring them natively, that's still progress.

More than a Taskbar update

The combined reactions from Reddit and Windows Central point to a broader debate about design consistency and how Microsoft balances simplicity with long-standing customization options. Some users feel vindicated, others say it's overdue, some don't see it as a priority, and others believe the company is focusing on the wrong problem.

While restoring these legacy Taskbar features won't resolve broader complaints about Windows 11, some see it as a sign that Microsoft is (finally) paying closer attention to feedback.

Windows 11 users aren’t holding back on this one, and we want to hear from you too. Are you happy to see these classic taskbar features return, or frustrated they disappeared in the first place? Drop your thoughts below and tell us how you feel about Microsoft finally bringing them back.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 1:15 pm AEST (my time).

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Other than a newer Windows 11 build, the latest version of the Media Creation Tool app does not contain anything new. It is still the same, well-known app from the Windows 10 era, where you can download Windows images as files or "burn" them directly to your USB media.

MCT remains the go-to solution for those who want to install Windows 11 on a supported device without any modifications or bypasses. It gets you the vanilla experience with all the unwanted stuff like mandatory Microsoft Account, forced BitLocker encryption, etc. If you want none of that or you have an unsupported PC, you can use third-party tools like Rufus. Still, you may need the Media Creation Tool app to get the right image and then write it to a media with the necessary tweaks. You can learn more about that in our "How to install Windows 11 version 25H2 on unsupported PC" guide.

The Media Creation Tool app is available on the official Windows website via this link. If you have not checked what is new in the February 2026 Patch Tuesday for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, click this link to learn more about the latest patches, security fixes, and improvements.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 1:09 pm AEST (my time).

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AppControl is a new program designed as a better alternative to Task Manager. Its key feature is detailed history: you can see performance in real time and track app launches, resource strain, and other vital data over time. It lets you pinpoint which app and when it started to eat your memory, strain the processor, and load the drive. AppControl stores up to three days of activity history, allowing you to rewind the timeline to better understand your computer's behavior.

Every time you open an app, AppControl puts it on the timeline. Also, AppControl detects apps that were never launched before, making it easier to detect unwanted or suspicious apps. Plus, you can click on each running process and get a brief explanation of it, see who "spawned" the app, check its publisher, location, and more. Each running app has its own performance history, providing you with a useful overview of its behavior. Like the stock Task Manager, you can terminate apps and processes using App Control.

What I also like about AppControl is its event alert feature. It can send you notifications when important events happen, like when an app accesses your microphone or webcam or when an unsigned application is running. You can also create rules to block certain publishers, disable problematic apps, and more.

On top of that, AppControl tracks your CPU and GPU temperature in real time, something that Task Manager still cannot do for the CPU (GPU temperature was added several years ago, but without activity history). Perhaps the only thing I do not like about AppControl so far is its mobile-like UI. It looks like something straight from Android, and I wish the developers were using WinUI to make it feel more like a modern Windows app.

AppControl is available for free from the official website. The developers say that they built it because they were tired of the stock Task Manager and its lackluster features. As of right now, AppControl is completely free, but the developers say some premium features may show up in future updates if "others enjoy AppControl."

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 1:05 pm AEST (my time).

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Here is the changelog:

[Built-in Sysmon]

Previously announced here, Windows now brings Sysmon functionality natively to Windows. Sysmon functionality allows you to capture system events that can help with threat detection, and you can use custom configuration files to filter the events you want to monitor. The captured events are written on the Windows event log, enabling them to be used with security applications and a wide range of use cases.

Built-in Sysmon is disabled by default and must be explicitly enabled.

Go to Settings > System > Optional features > More Windows features > checking Sysmon or in PowerShell or command prompt:

Dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:Sysmon

To complete the installation, from PowerShell or command prompt run:

sysmon -i

Note: If you’ve already installed Sysmon from the website, it must be uninstalled before enabling the built-in Sysmon.

Documentation will be added to Windows soon. The functionality of Sysmon remains unchanged, learn more here.

[Windows Share]

When you share a OneDrive cloud file by right-clicking to share on the file – new options for sharing that link through other apps will be provided under “Share using” when the “Copy link” button is clicked. This experience is rolling out to Windows Insiders signed in with their Microsoft accounts not in the EEA.

[General]

Fixed the desktop watermark to show the correct build number.

The announcement blog post is available here.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 1:02 pm AEST (my time).

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For those unaware, PSR basically allowed you to begin a screen recording session, perform your actions to show off or reproduce a problem, and end the recording. The output would be a textual description of all the steps that you performed - such as a mouse click, opening an application, entering text, etc. - relevant screenshots, and some metadata. This output file could then be saved and shared with any person who is troubleshooting a problem with your PC.

Sure, PSR wasn't perfect, because it did not always capture everything you did based on its compatibility with various software and actions, but it was a fairly decent tool used by IT admins and help desk engineers to troubleshoot issues that you were reporting.

To pacify supporters of PSR, Microsoft suggested conventional screen recording alternatives like Snipping Tool, the Xbox Game Bar, and its video editing software Clipchamp.

Given the rise of large language models (LLMs) and AI advancements in general over the past couple of years, I think it's unfortunate that Microsoft decided to prematurely axe PSR. While LLMs aren't perfect either, we have seen how heavily they are being used in many enterprise workflows and consumer activities. A lot of their use cases revolve around understanding problems and then leveraging text generation capabilities in various scenarios such as coding, brainstorming ideas, troubleshooting, writing, and more.

Sure, PSR was a bit of an inconvenient option up until 2023 because it relied heavily on IT engineers reading through lots of text and deciphering screenshots, and at that time, it made sense to just point them towards traditional screen recording software.

But in today's era, I do feel like there would have been a place for PSR, perhaps even with integrated AI capabilities. IT engineers wouldn't have to parse through thousands of words of text; they could just have the AI model generate a summary for them.

And I know most of our readers here absolutely hate AI, so I'm not even talking about AI interfering to the point that it's offering incorrect solutions. Rather, just providing a summary so that support staff does not have to comb through mountains of text.

I do think that is a better alternative than the screen recording options we have on offer today. Because now, Microsoft expects engineers to watch potentially several minutes of video to decipher the reasons behind PC problems.

Of course, engineers can also feed this video to an AI model, but there are multiple problems with that approach, too. Uploading and processing videos takes much longer than parsing text, and secondly, many AI services have usage caps based on how much you are paying for them. Uploading hundreds of videos of PC problems a day across large organizations would consume this capacity much faster than tens of thousands of words of input text.

I guess my overall point is that I think it's unfortunate that Microsoft pulled the trigger on PSR so soon, when it could have made it so much better through integrated AI or even giving customers the option to parse text through their preferred AI models. Screen recording is an OK alternative, but I'd rather just hop on a call with the help desk and screen-share my issue to them rather than having both of us go through the trouble of recording and sending over video content for diagnostic purposes. PSR with AI capabilities would have been a much better middle ground, but it seems the ship has sailed on that front, which is a shame.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 1:02 pm AEST (my time).

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Windows has had the ability to move the taskbar to the top or either side of the screen for decades. Heck, this feature is nearly as old as the taskbar and the Start menu, going back all the way into the 90s. However, in 2021, things changed when Microsoft released Windows 11. The company redesigned the taskbar and the Start menu from the ground up. To many, it felt like a rushed, botched job, as many beloved features were crippled or just straight away removed, including the ability to reorient the taskbar.

Users have been ranting about this over the last five years, only to fall on Microsoft's deaf ears. At some point, Microsoft even said that changing the taskbar position "was not important," further enraging frustrated customers. Now, it appears that Microsoft is finally waking up.

Windows Central reports that Microsoft is already working on two important features for the taskbar: the ability to move it to the top or sides and the ability to change its size. If all goes well, these two features will be announced somewhere in the summer.

It is not all about features. Microsoft vowed to address other points of criticism, particularly poor performance, overabundance of questionable AI features, poor stability, and bugs. While all of that sounds very promising and refreshing, do not get your hopes too high. With everything that is going on with the AI frenzy, it is better to praise Microsoft after it delivers, not when it promises.

Source: Windows Central

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:58 am AEST (my time).

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The affected systems frequently show a System Event Notification Service (SENS) error when trying to log in; the error explains that a specified procedure couldn’t be found, preventing login. Additional issues that have been reported include a complete loss of internet connectivity due to DHCP errors and installation failures that come up with the error codes 0x800f0983 and 0x800f0991. In the case of the latter error codes, one user reported that using the System File Checker tool (sfc /scannow) worked.

In the case of the DHCP error, the user reports that their network was connected to the Wi-Fi, but no internet was available. Some users have tried to fix their machines by removing the update, however, Windows 11 may still try to install it automatically; you could attempt to pause the update, but this is only temporary, so Microsoft needs to offer out-of-band updates for a lasting solution.

These disruptions follow on from widespread issues after the January Patch Tuesday was released. Microsoft released several updates afterwards to try to address people’s issues. In the post regarding the login failure, the user was told to “uninstall KB5077181 from the affected machines using Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or from recovery mode with wusa /uninstall /kb:5077181 /quiet /norestart. Once removed, the login loop and service error stop.”

Affected users should keep an eye on the Windows Release Health dashboard for official acknowledgment of the issues by Microsoft and the release of further updates that address these issues. In the meantime, uninstalling the update and pausing it is the best way forward.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:49 am AEST (my time).

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NVIDIA App Hotfix 11.0.6.386 is now available for download from the official NVIDIA support website. Its release notes mention two issues: problems with launching version 11.0.6 and another bug where the Advanced Optimus mux switсh becomes grayed out when switching between integrated and discrete graphics on laptops. For reference, this feature is responsible for selecting which GPU the monitor is connected to (iGPU or dGPU).

Here is the changelog:

• For users who are unable to launch the latest version of NVIDIA App 11.0.6 via the app itself, please use this link to upgrade your application to the latest version.
• This hotfix also includes a fix for Advanced Optimus mux switch options grayed out issue which occurs during the random mux switch scenarios.

In other NVIDIA news, the company recently brought its cloud streaming service, GeForce NOW, to new platforms. It is now available on Amazon Fire TV sticks and Linux. The latter now has a native GeForce NOW app, and Neowin recently took it for a spin to see how the now six-year-old service runs on Linux.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:42 am AEST (my time).

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Starting with the input method improvements, the team realized some users like to use logical keyboard layouts that do not match their physical keyboards, especially when working with different input methods.

I spoke with someone who writes in both French and Japanese. I do this myself on an ANSI keyboard using French/US and Mozc.

 

He has different keyboards on different machines, some ISO/French, some Japanese, and he doesn't care about the physical layout. He just wants the logical layout to be French when writing French and Japanese when using Mozc.

 

This isn't something we anticipated, but we want to support it going forward

In the next release of Linux Mint, the mintsysadm Administration Tool will take over user administration and account details. This change addresses a problem: most desktop environments roll out their own user tools, which often lack proper maintenance and support for modern use cases.

mintsysadm focuses on the most common tasks, letting users set up passwords and finalize accounts without needing an administrator to hover over them. Home directory encryption, previously only supported during OS installation, now works fully when you create new user accounts, and webcams now fully work when you take selfies for your avatar, allowing you to see yourself and mirror the image before snapping it.

Work is well underway on a new Wayland-friendly screensaver that will replace the current one. The existing screensaver runs as a separate app, relies on X11, and sits on top of Cinnamon's window manager to hide open windows when the screen locks. The plan is to replace this with a screensaver natively rendered by Cinnamon's compositor, promising smoother transitions and animations when you lock your screen.

The team is also "very interested" in adopting a longer development cycle. They noticed a pattern over the last ten years: with a new release every six months plus LMDE, they spend "more time testing, fixing, and releasing than developing."

This constant cycle, while effective for incremental improvements, limits their ambition for bigger development projects. A longer cycle could free up resources for more substantial development, allowing them to tackle projects with more depth.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:35 am AEST (my time).

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WebNN is an upcoming World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard. It provides a JavaScript API for running neural network inference tasks directly in your browser. Its implementation in Chromium involves a collaborative effort from Google, Intel, and Microsoft, with Edge planning to launch WebNN at roughly the same time as Chrome. Firefox and Apple have also shown interest, though their public progress remains limited.

Several advantages come with a native neural network API built directly into browsers. The most obvious one involves privacy, because you would not need to send sensitive user data off to a remote server for processing (all calculations remain on your local machine).

This also enables web applications to tap into dedicated hardware like GPUs or NPUs on your computer, making AI tasks such as image recognition or natural language processing run much faster, all without extra plugins or external server setups.

Since WebNN is in beta (for now), if you want to try out WebNN or any other new features, you will have to switch to the Beta channel. For Windows, macOS, and Linux users, simply download the Beta version from the official Chrome website; many uninstall their current Chrome version first to avoid conflicts. To check your channel, go to settings, and select "About Google Chrome"; it shows your channel next to the version number.

As for Chromebook users, switching channels "powerwashes" the device, erasing all local data, so back up anything important first.

Then, in Settings, go to "About Chrome OS," click "Additional details," then "Change channel," pick "Beta channel," and confirm with "Change channel and Powerwash." Your Chromebook handles the rest.

Other features to expect from Chrome 146 Beta include the Sanitizer API, which cleans up untrusted HTML to help prevent cross-site scripting attacks, and Scroll Triggered Animations. Developers also gain the Timeline Named Range "scroll" for animation control, and a WebGPU Compatibility mode.

Chrome 146 is expected to land in the Stable channel on February 25th.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:33 am AEST (my time).

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We are now a few years into the AI revolution, and talk has shifted from who has the best chatbot to whose AI agent can do the most things on your behalf. Unfortunately, AI agents are still rough around the edges, so tasking them with anything important is not a great idea. OpenAI launched its Atlas agent late last year, which we found to be modestly useful, and now it’s Google’s turn.

Unlike the OpenAI agent, Google’s new Auto Browse agent has extraordinary reach because it’s part of Chrome, the world’s most popular browser by a wide margin. Google began rolling out Auto Browse (in preview) earlier this month to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, allowing them to send the agent across the web to complete tasks.

I’ve taken Chrome’s agent for a spin to see whether you can trust it to handle tedious online work for you. For each test, I lay out the problem I need to solve, how I prompted the robot, and how well (or not) it handled the job.

Playing a web game

The problem: I want to get a high score on 2,048 without playing it myself.

The prompt: Go to [website], and play the game until you run out of moves.

The results: Unfortunately, Auto Browse can’t use arrow keys. Google says they’re not necessary for productivity tasks. So I pointed the robot at a version of the game with on-screen controls. With access to those arrows, Auto Browse had no trouble playing the game, and it seemed to grasp the rules, which are listed on the page.

Auto Browse can’t use arrows, but it can still play the game.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

On a few occasions, Auto Browse appeared to ruminate on its next move for 20 to 30 seconds, and it took the prompt very literally. The robot stopped when it could not successfully merge any tiles (its interpretation of “out of moves”) even though there were still empty spaces on the board. A human player would have taken the hit and set up a merge in the next move, but the robot had to be prompted to continue, which it did. The task ran for about 20 minutes, during which the robot created a 128 tile and made 149 moves.

Evaluation: 8/10. The game performance is not quite as good as Atlas, but Auto Browse didn’t require as much coaxing, and I understand why it stopped when it did. While the lack of arrow keys seems like an odd omission, there probably aren’t many productivity tasks where they are necessary.

Creating a radio playlist

The problem: I want to turn the music from Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current into an on-demand YouTube Music playlist.

The prompt: Go to thecurrent.org and start the live stream. Listen for one hour and make note of each song that is played. Then, add those songs to a new YouTube Music playlist.

The results: Agents are expensive to run, so I was unsurprised that, like OpenAI’s agent mode, Auto Browse refuses to monitor a page for basically any length of time. Sometimes it will sit on the page for a minute or two, usually pretending that more time has passed before giving up.

Luckily, we can accomplish this with The Current’s playlist view, which lists previous songs. I tweaked the prompt to allow Auto Browse to just get the song names from that page for the last hour, which worked fine. It interpreted that as the current hour-long block of the page, though, which was not yet complete.

I thought I was doing Auto Browse a favor by using YouTube Music instead of Spotify, but it turns out that Auto Browse doesn’t understand YouTube’s design aesthetic. It failed to add any songs to the playlist because it couldn’t find the buttons. When I changed the prompt to use Spotify, Auto Browse got it done on the first try. This is as much an indictment of YouTube Music as it is Auto Browse.

Auto Browse was able to get recent songs, but it can’t monitor the live broadcast over time.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

Evaluation: 6/10. It seems like monitoring pages over time is just beyond the reach of current browser agents, but it’s shocking that Auto Browse couldn’t use Google’s own streaming music service to create a playlist. That said, the agent did complete the job immediately once I understood why it failed. It loses some points for making me adapt the prompt multiple times.

Scanning emails

The problem: My personal email address is known, and PR people often use that instead of my work address. I need to make sure no one important is sending pitches there, so I want a list of recent PR emails, contact info, and company details from my Gmail.

The prompt: Look through all my Gmail from the last month. Collect all the information (name, email address, phone number, product, etc.) from PR emails and add them to a new Google Sheets spreadsheet.

The results: Interestingly, Google’s agent doesn’t have to use the Gmail web interface. It can collect this data in the background using a Gmail tool. However, this also means you won’t be able to automate email tasks for accounts with Google AI disabled (like a work account).

After running the Gmail tool, Auto Browse navigated to Google Drive and opened a new spreadsheet. However, it attempted to enter only two PR contacts on the sheet, and it entered the data incorrectly, overwriting fields and placing a date in an unlabeled column. If it had just searched for “PR” in Gmail, it would have found dozens of results. Google’s AI Overview search results in Gmail can cite PR emails correctly, so it’s possible for Google AI to collect this information. It’s unclear why Auto Browse did this so poorly.

Auto Browse is not good at spreadsheets.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

Evaluation: 1/10. It’s unclear whether the Gmail tool or the agent’s inability to use a spreadsheet is the main problem since I can’t verify what the agent actually found in Gmail. It’s possible that both are to blame. Regardless, Auto Browse flopped hard here.

Editing a Wiki

The problem: Ars Technica is still seeking justice for Tuvix, who was unjustly murdered by Captain Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager, season 2 episode 24.

The prompt: Go to the Fandom Wiki page for Tuvix. Edit the page to include a section discussing the view that Tuvix was murdered by Janeway.

The results: Auto Browse refused to do this, just like Atlas, saying, “The request to edit the Tuvix Fandom Wiki page with that specific text cannot be fulfilled. The proposed edit would be considered vandalism on a public wiki.”

Evaluation: N/A. I’m not holding this one against Auto Browser. In fact, it’s probably best if browser agents refuse to autonomously edit public wikis. I just had to do my due diligence.

Making a fan website

The problem: We still want to tell people about the murder of Tuvix, so the agent should make a basic website to do that.

The prompt: Go to NeoCities and create a fan site for the Star Trek character Tuvix. Make sure it has lots of images and fun information about Tuvix and that it makes it clear that Tuvix was murdered by Captain Janeway.

The results: The agent navigated to Neocities, and it then asked me to create an account. I did that and handed the task back to the robot without issue. This is where things got dicey. Auto Browse was unable to access the hover menu to edit the index.html file, so it got stuck in a loop of opening the preview and then returning to the dashboard. Eventually, the robot screamed for help.

Neocities has a very simple interface, but generative AI is not necessarily consistent. Since Auto Browse aborted the task, I decided to rerun the prompt, and the results were better. This time, Auto Browse switched to the list view, which doesn’t have a hover menu, allowing it to open the editor. It then navigated to TrekCore to copy image URLs for use on the site—this is not courteous web design, but it did follow instructions. The images it chose, however, are from early in the episode and do not feature Tuvix. So partial credit there.

The site looks nice enough, but it’s light on info.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

The resulting site is a bit light on information, but Auto Browse included text backgrounds and colors. It looks reasonably nice. You can see the site here.

Evaluation: 7/10. Our Tuvix fan page gets the job done. It features a few fun facts and argues (briefly) that Janeway is a murderer. It’s great that the robot sought out images, though they don’t show the character in question. It loses a couple of points for the initial hover menu failure and the lack of detail—I did say “lots” of images and fun information.

Picking a power plan

The problem: Texas has an “insane” power system that forces people like Ars Senior Editor Lee Hutchinson to regularly find a new plan.

The prompt: Go to powertochoose.org and find me a 12–24 month contract that prioritizes an overall low usage rate. I use an average of 2,000 KWh per month. My power delivery company is Texas New-Mexico Power (“TNMP”), not CenterPoint. My ZIP code is [redacted]. Please provide the “fact sheet” for any and all plans you recommend.

The results: Auto Browse successfully entered the parameters into the website’s search and filter sections. It sorted the results, and in just a couple of minutes, it returned a fact sheet for its recommended power plan. It’s very similar to the suggestion from OpenAI’s agent a few months ago, except the contract term is a bit longer, and it has a lower daytime rate.

Evaluation: 10/10. There’s nothing to complain about here. The plan is perfectly fine, given the constraints, and Auto Browse was able to use the site’s drop-down menus and filters with very little experimentation. I didn’t have to change the prompt or nudge the robot to continue.

Manage PlayStation games

The problem: I don’t want to look through a giant list of discounted games in the PlayStation Store. Can’t someone do it for me?

The prompt: Go to the PlayStation Store and check the New Year Deals. Change the sorting to best-selling and the type to full games. Check the first two pages for any PS5 games that are at least 50 percent off and add them to my wishlist. If a game is included in PlayStation Plus, just add it to my library.

The results: The agent found the sale page and successfully changed the display settings. It even closed that unlabeled menu when it was done. It went down the list, opening pages when it found a matching game. It also asked every time before adding a game to the wishlist or library, which it claimed was a security requirement.

Auto Browse navigated this page fairly well, but it missed some details from the prompt.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

The process took about 15 minutes, with plenty of long pauses between for confirmation requests. It did correctly interpret the sale prices and PlayStation Plus availability. Unfortunately, it did not differentiate between PS5 and PS4 titles, and the agent stopped a few lines short of the bottom of page 2.

Evaluation: 7/10. Auto Browse ran this task pretty well, all things considered. It stopped a little early and missed the PS5 angle, though. The requirement to confirm each wishlist or library addition was annoying, and as such, it would be a stretch to call this “auto” anything.

Final results

Across these six tests (excluding the wiki editing I didn’t expect to work), Google’s browser agent got a median score of 7 and an average of 6.5. While this is not meant to be an objective analysis, it shows that Auto Browse has a way to go before it can be trusted to get things done for you.

Like the OpenAI Atlas agent, Auto Browse is not capable of truly autonomous operation, and I gave it plenty of advantages. Auto Browse works with all three of Google’s current model settings—Fast, Thinking, and Pro. I left it set to Pro and used Google tools where appropriate. Despite that, Auto Browse needed nudging or re-prompting in almost every test. This stuff won’t be useful until it can actually operate as an agent on your behalf. Right now, it’s more like babysitting an easily distracted robot.

Many of the lost points come from Auto Browse being unable to use Google’s own products—it didn’t find the right emails in Gmail, couldn’t enter data in Google Sheets, and failed to understand YouTube Music’s interface (we feel you on that one, Auto Browse). The apparent inability of browser agents to monitor pages over time is also an issue. If a task involves more than a few minutes of waiting, it will probably fail or abort early.

This feature is still in preview, but it’s widely available to anyone paying for Google’s AI. The company also seems to suggest it will roll out to non-paying users in the future. It can be neat to watch the browser navigate the web for you, but that’s the thing—you have to watch it. Too often, you have to re-prompt or tell the AI to continue with a task. Auto Browse can’t be trusted to get things right without supervision, at least not yet.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:31 am AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of January) 461

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