Windows 11 Insider Beta Preview Build 26220.9836

Release date: 30 October 2026

Changes and improvements

We've updated the security key PIN entry experience, removing the "other user" icon for a clearer sign-in experience.

UI showing the updated security key sign-in experience with a streamlined PIN entry screen.

Windows Insiders can now manage camera, microphone, and location permissions for individual desktop apps. Previously, access for traditional desktop applications was managed through a single device-wide setting.
With this update, you can review and control access on an app-by-app basis, giving you greater visibility into which apps are requesting access to sensitive resources and more control over your privacy choices. Our goal is to make privacy permissions easier to understand and manage across the wide range of desktop apps people use every day.

UI showing the new privacy controls for individual desktop apps in Settings.

What's changing

Allow or deny access for each desktop app individually.
Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera, Microphone, or Location to review and manage permissions.
Apps that haven't yet accessed a resource prompt for permission the first time access is requested.

What stays the same

Existing app permission decisions are preserved.
Apps previously granted access continue to have access.
Apps previously denied access remain denied.
No action is required, and no settings are reset.
Existing enterprise policies continue to function as designed. We're exploring additional management capabilities.

Notes

Most desktop apps appear with clear app attribution. However, some apps that rely on shared system components, browser-hosted experiences, or similar technologies might appear under a different name than expected.
Some desktop apps might appear as Unsigned if Windows can't verify publisher information. Only grant access to apps you recognize and trust.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Settings > Privacy Settings.

If you'd been continuing to have issues personalizing your mouse, or with your wallpaper resetting on reboot in the latest Insider builds, that should now be resolved.

We've added a Keyboard shortcut for Magnifier toggle in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier. It lets you choose whether pressing Windows logo key + Plus (+) launches Magnifier.
The shortcut stays on by default, so nothing changes unless you want it to. If you find that Magnifier starts by accident, or the shortcut conflicts with another app or keyboard layout, turn the toggle off. You can still start Magnifier from Settings, and you can turn the shortcut back on at any time.

We've sharpened file thumbnails in the Recommended section on the Home page so they're crisper and easier to read.

Narrator now supports additional languages for math reading, including Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Russian, Swedish, and Vietnamese.

We are temporarily rolling back the solid (donut) spinners across some of the key Windows scenarios including Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update as we work on a bug. We expect to resume rolling it out soon.

Updates are based on Windows 11, version 25H2 via an enablement package (Build 26220.9836).
The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for Windows Insider pre-release builds.
Features and experiences included in these builds might never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features might change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they're ready.
Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders might not be fully localized, and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.