Windows 11 KB5077181 is now rolling out, and it’s this year’s second update, after a disastrous run in January. February 2026 Update adds features like ‘Cross-Device resume’ for Android phones, and more. It’s available via Settings > Windows Update, but Microsoft has also posted direct download links for KB5077181 offline installers (.msu).
KB5077181 is a mandatory update for Windows 11 25H2, and it’ll begin downloading automatically on all PCs unless Windows Updates are manually paused for seven days or longer.
Windows Latest observed that the February 2026 Patch Tuesday shows up as “2026-02 Security Update (KB5077181) (26200.7840)” and takes approx 10 minutes to download at a 200 Mbps internet connection.
After installing KB5077181, your system bumps to Windows 11 Build 26200.7840 (25H2), and Build 26100.7840 on version 24H2.
Download Links for Windows 11 KB5077181
Windows 11 KB5077181 Direct Download Links: 64-bit and ARM-64 | Microsoft Update Catalog lets you download an offline installer (.msu), and if you run the .msu files, you can install the February 2026 Update without using Windows Update.
I don’t recommend using Microsoft Update Catalog unless you’ve issues with Windows Update, as Windows Update is easier and faster. Also, Update Catalog is useful for those who own multiple computers.
As for the size of Windows 11 February 2026 Update, WindowsLatest.com downloaded the update packages, extracted them, and they’re still over 4GB in size. For those unaware, Windows update installers are now larger than 4GB because Microsoft bundles local AI models, such as Phi, with monthly security updates.
| Build Number | Size | OS Version | Architecture |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26200.7840 | 4479.7 MB | Windows 11 25H2 | x64-based |
| 26200.7840 | 4183.4 MB | Windows 11 25H2 | arm64-based |
| 26100.7840 | 4479.7 MB | Windows 11 24H2 | x64-based |
| 26100.7840 | 4183.4 MB | Windows 11 24H2 | arm64-based |
These offline AI models are downloaded with the .msu offline installer even on unsupported PCs, but don’t worry, Microsoft won’t apply local AI models to PCs without an NPU with 40+ TOPs.
To download Windows 11 Build 26200.7840, open Settings > Windows Update, and check for updates. It takes approximately 10 minutes to download the update, and a single reboot to finish applying it. If you run into issues, you’ve approximately less than two weeks to uninstall the update.
Security updates cannot be removed after they’re installed for more than 10 days.
What’s new in Windows 11 Build 26200.7840 (25H2) / Build 26100.7840 (24H2)?
1. Microsoft begins rolling out Apple Handoff-like UX for Windows 11 and Android with ‘Cross Device Resume.’
Windows 11’s Resume, which is similar to Apple Handoff, has been a thing for a while now. Some of you might have noticed it in Settings > Apps > Resume, but it’s quite limited in functionality.
In fact, the Resume feature has been mostly useless because it worked only with OneDrive files. This means that if you edit or read a document in the OneDrive app for Android, you can resume it on your PC. Regardless, CrossDeviceResume.exe (Resume) is always running in the background.
For example, when you close OneDrive on your Android phone and if you were editing a document, you would see an alert on your taskbar to resume reading the document on your phone.
This is similar to Apple’s Handoff / Continuity, where you can resume iPhone tasks directly on your MacBook.
However, Windows 11’s Resume for OneDrive has been hit or miss. Thankfully, Windows 11 KB5077181 finally makes the feature more useful. Now, you can also resume Spotify playback, continue working in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel, and even continue a web session if you were using a support browser, such as Samsung or Vivo browser.
The list of supported phones includes:
- HONOR
- Samsung
- vivo
- Xiaomi
- OPPO
After installing Windows 11 KB5077181, you can play a song on Android in the Spotify app, and if you close the app or switch to your PC, the Windows taskbar will show an alert to resume the playback.
You’re also going to observe a similar behaviour if you use Microsoft 365 Copilot on your Android and resume it on your PC.
However, this feature does not work with offline files.
2. Windows MIDI Services improvements
Windows MIDI Services is a new “MIDI engine” in Windows that sits between your music apps and your MIDI gear.
After Windows 11 KB5077181, Windows gets better support for both MIDI 1.0 (the classic standard most apps use) and MIDI 2.0 (newer, richer messaging). It improves compatibility by supporting both WinMM and WinRT MIDI 1.0 apps and translating where needed, so older apps keep working while Windows moves forward.
It also adds support for Shared MIDI ports across apps, which means multiple apps can use the same MIDI device at the same time instead of one locking it.
3. Smart App Control
Windows 11 comes with a feature called ‘Smart App Control,’ which blocks unauthorized apps from running on your PC. It’s a safety/security feature, and it’s quite useful for some of us, such as our grandparents or our children, who are not careful with internet downloads.
However, Smart App Control experience can be bizarre if you’re an advanced user, especially if you use too many apps. For example, Windows Latest found that Smart App Control (SAC) can block popular games, anti-cheat engines, and more. Last month, SAC blocked Asus Armoury Crate, which is essential on devices like the Xbox ROG Ally.
Until now, Microsoft required you to clean install the operating system if you wanted to play with Smart App Control settings. If it’s turned off, and you want to turn it on, but you’ve been using Windows for a long time, all Smart App Control options will be grayed out, similar to what I have on my PC below:
Likewise, if Smart App Control is already turned on, you won’t be able to turn it off unless you reinstall Windows 11, which easily takes over one hour in the best-case scenario.
In Windows 11 KB5077181, you can now turn Smart App Control (SAC) on or off without reinstalling the OS. If you go to Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control, you will notice the options are not grayed anymore. But the catch is that I still don’t see it on my device.
Microsoft tells me that the feature is still rolling out, but I am starting to wonder if you will still need to clean install Windows once for the changes to take effect. I’ve reached out to Microsoft for details, and I’ll update this story soon.
For now, you can check whether you can enable or disable SAC in the Windows Security App.
4. New Start menu and colourful battery icons rolling out widely now
Windows 11 has been testing a new Start menu for almost a year now, but it’s still not available to many users. That should change with Windows 11 KB5077181, which turns on the Start menu and colourful battery icons on the taskbar for more consumers.
Microsoft told Windows Latest that it began wider rollout of the new Start menu with the January 2026 Update, and it’s now expanding to more devices with the February 2026 Update.
I don’t think the new Start menu needs an introduction at this point, but for those unaware, the new UI offers a single-page layout that reduces the number of clicks it takes to find your apps. All apps appear on the home page of the Start menu, and it’s possible to pin more apps when you’ve a higher screen resolution.
It’s also possible to remove the Recommended feed from Settings > Personalization > Start.
There’s a new iOS-like App categories feature, but you cannot customize or reorganize apps in these pre-defined categories. For example, if your apps are in the ‘Other’ category, you cannot manually move them to another category, such as Music or Tools.
This new Start UI also covers almost 70% of the screen on some PCs, and Microsoft says it’s aware of the concerns, but there are no plans to add a ‘resize’ control.
What about the known issues in Windows 11 KB5077181?
Microsoft told Windows Latest that it’s not aware of any new issues in Windows 11 KB5077181, but that doesn’t mean the problem is bug-free.
In fact, some of you will definitely run into installation issues with Windows 11 KB5077181, and if you’re one of the unlucky users, I’ve one sure-shot workaround.
When the February 2026 Patch Tuesday fails to install, download and install Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website, and perform an in-place upgrade (click on upgrade this PC and choose to save your files). You’ll not lose your personal Settings, apps, or data, and the update will smoothly install.
