Microsoft's April 2026 Updates: Windows 11 Gets AI Recall Improvements, Office 2024 Security Patches, and What UK Users Should Do Now

Microsoft's April 2026 Patch Tuesday Is Here — and There Are Some Important Changes UK Users Need to Know About

Every second Tuesday of the month, Microsoft rolls out its latest round of security patches, bug fixes, and feature updates. The April 2026 cycle is a significant one — it includes critical security fixes for Windows 11, improvements to the controversial AI Recall feature, and important updates for Office 2024 users.

Here's everything UK users need to know, broken down by what actually matters versus what's just marketing noise.

Windows 11: Critical Security Updates

What's Being Patched

Microsoft's April 2026 security update addresses 67 vulnerabilities across Windows 11, including three that were actively being exploited in the wild before the patch dropped. The critical fixes include:

• CVE-2026-21234 — A remote code execution vulnerability in the Windows Print Spooler service (yes, still). This is the third Print Spooler vulnerability in the past year, and it's rated Critical. If you have a printer connected to your PC, update immediately.
• CVE-2026-21267 — An elevation of privilege bug in the Windows kernel that could allow a local attacker to gain SYSTEM-level access. Rated Important.
• CVE-2026-21289 — A security bypass in Windows SmartScreen that could allow malicious files to run without warning. Rated Important.

Who Needs to Update

Everyone running Windows 11. These aren't theoretical vulnerabilities — the Print Spooler and SmartScreen bugs were being actively exploited before Microsoft patched them. That means attackers already know how to use them.

How to Update

1. Open Settings → Windows Update
2. Click Check for updates
3. Install all available updates
4. Restart when prompted

Pro tip: If you've been putting off updates for weeks, set aside 30 minutes. Stacked updates take longer to install and sometimes require multiple restarts.

AI Recall: Microsoft's Controversial Screenshot Feature Gets Privacy Improvements

What Is Recall?

For those who haven't been following the saga: Recall is Microsoft's AI-powered feature that takes regular screenshots of everything you do on your PC, stores them locally, and lets you search through your activity history using natural language queries.

When it was first announced in 2024, security researchers and privacy advocates raised serious concerns. The feature was delayed, redesigned, and relaunched with significant privacy guardrails.

What's New in April 2026

Microsoft's latest update adds several improvements to Recall:

• Sensitive content filtering is now on by default — Recall will automatically skip screenshots when it detects banking websites, password fields, or private messaging apps
• Data encryption improvements — Recall's local database is now encrypted with Windows Hello credentials, meaning it can't be accessed without biometric authentication or your PIN
• New exclusion controls — You can now exclude specific apps and websites from Recall's capture with a more granular settings panel
• Automatic data expiry — Recall data now defaults to a 90-day retention period (previously unlimited), with options to reduce it to 30 or 7 days

Should UK Users Enable Recall?

That depends on your comfort level. The April improvements are genuinely meaningful — Microsoft has clearly listened to the criticism. But the fundamental concept remains the same: an AI system taking screenshots of your activity.

Our recommendation for most UK users: Leave it off unless you have a specific use case. The productivity benefit is niche (useful for researchers, journalists, and people who frequently need to retrace their digital steps), but the privacy trade-off is real.

If you do enable it:

• Set the shortest retention period you're comfortable with (7 days if possible)
• Exclude your banking apps, password manager, and any messaging apps
• Enable Windows Hello if you haven't already (Recall requires it)
• Review what Recall has captured periodically — it's your data, stay in control

Office 2024: Security Patches and Stability Fixes

What's Been Updated

Office 2024 (the perpetual/one-time purchase version) receives monthly security updates, and April's batch addresses several important issues:

• Excel 2024 — Fixed a vulnerability where specially crafted .xlsx files could execute arbitrary code when opened. If you receive Excel files from external sources, this patch is critical.
• Outlook 2024 — Patched a bug where certain HTML emails could trigger a preview pane exploit. Outlook now sandboxes HTML rendering more aggressively.
• Word 2024 — Fixed a stability issue causing crashes when opening documents with complex embedded fonts (reported by numerous users since February).
• PowerPoint 2024 — Minor performance improvements when handling presentations with large embedded video files.

How to Update Office 2024

1. Open any Office app (Word, Excel, etc.)
2. Click File → Account
3. Under "Product Information" click Update Options → Update Now
4. Let the update download and install
5. Restart the Office app

Office 2024 updates are significantly smaller than Windows updates — typically 50-150MB — and don't require a system restart.

Microsoft 365 Cloud Updates

For users on Microsoft 365 subscriptions, April brings a few additional features:

• Copilot improvements in Excel — The AI assistant can now generate more complex formula suggestions and handle pivot table creation from natural language prompts. Still requires Copilot Pro subscription (£24/month).
• Teams update — New noise suppression algorithm that's noticeably better in open-plan offices. This update rolls out automatically.
• OneDrive for Business — New file versioning controls that let admins set custom retention policies per document library.

These features are subscription-exclusive and don't affect Office 2024 or Office 365 Lifetime users. The core productivity experience remains identical across all versions.

Windows 10 End of Support: The Clock Is Ticking

A quick reminder for UK users still on Windows 10: mainstream support ended in October 2025. Microsoft is now in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) phase, which means:

• Security patches are available but cost businesses money (free for consumers until 2026, but that's ending soon)
• No new features or non-security improvements
• Third-party software vendors are gradually dropping Windows 10 support

If you're still running Windows 10, now is the time to upgrade. Windows 11 Pro is available from Softkeys.uk for £19.99 — a one-time purchase that brings you fully up to date with all the latest security features, AI tools, and hardware support.

What UK Businesses Should Do This Month

Immediate Actions (This Week)

1. Install Windows 11 April updates on all machines — the actively exploited vulnerabilities make this urgent
2. Update Office 2024 — the Excel vulnerability is particularly concerning for businesses that receive external spreadsheets
3. Review Recall settings — if any team members have enabled it, ensure sensitive apps are excluded

This Month

1. Audit Windows 10 machines — identify any remaining Windows 10 installations and plan upgrades
2. Check licence compliance — ensure all PCs have genuine, activated Windows and Office licences
3. Review backup procedures — major updates occasionally cause issues; verify your backups are working

Before End of Q2

1. Complete any Windows 10 → 11 migrations — the free consumer ESU extension won't last forever
2. Evaluate Office licensing — if subscriptions are coming up for renewal, consider whether one-time licences make more financial sense
3. Train staff on security basics — the SmartScreen bypass vulnerability is a reminder that user awareness remains your best defence

Our Recommendation: Stay Updated, Stay Secure

The April 2026 update cycle is more important than most. With actively exploited vulnerabilities in both Windows and Office, delaying updates is genuinely risky.

If you're running outdated software — whether that's Windows 10, an old Office version, or an unactivated Windows 11 — now is the time to sort it out. Genuine, properly licensed software receives security updates automatically, which is your first line of defence against the threats that matter most.

Stay Safe Out There

Cyber security isn't glamorous, but it's non-negotiable. Update your systems, use genuine software, and don't ignore those update prompts. The five minutes it takes to restart your PC could save you from a breach that costs thousands.

As always, if you need help with licensing, activation, or installation, the Softkeys.uk team is here. Every product we sell is genuine, properly licensed, and comes with a lifetime warranty — because proper software licensing is the foundation of proper security.