Windows 11 Insider Builds Add Quick Settings Speed Test, Start Menu Sizes and Per-App Permissions

These are preview builds, not general releases. Microsoft has not said when, or whether, any of these features will reach regular Windows 11 PCs.

Where these builds fit​

Microsoft's Windows Insider blog post for 23 October 2026 announced new builds for the Beta and Experimental channels. Its list includes Beta (26H1): Build 28020.3292, Experimental (26H1): Build 28120.3302, and Experimental (Future Platforms): Build 29695.1001. Build 26340.9767 belongs to the separate 26H2 Experimental line. Earlier this month, that line received build 26340.9596 on October 2, according to Eleven Forum's KB tracker.

Some background on 26H1 helps here. All Things How explains that on 26H1, Beta builds carry the 28000 series, and Experimental builds carry the 28100 series, and describes 26H1 as a specialized platform release rather than a big consumer feature update that is aimed at new hardware such as Snapdragon X2 devices. That makes a Start menu redesign in this branch more interesting than usual.

Microsoft also attaches warnings to this channel. The 26H1 Experimental notes say these builds can be unstable and might be released with limited documentation. Features also arrive through Controlled Feature Rollout, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time. If your PC is on the right build but doesn't show a feature yet, the rollout probably hasn't reached it.

Summary: There are two separate builds on two separate branches. Both are previews, and both roll out gradually.

Build 26340.9767: phone controls and a speed test in Quick Settings​

Mobile devices in Quick Settings​

The main change is a new Mobile devices section in Quick Settings. With a supported Android phone connected, you can:

• Turn on Do Not Disturb before a meeting
• Change the phone's ringer mode
• Play a sound to find a phone that's nearby

Android gets the most controls at first. Microsoft says the first adds new phone controls and a built-in internet speed test to Quick Settings, and the release notes say iPhone support starts with a more limited, status-focused view. iPhone users will mostly see status information rather than controls for now.

How to try it:

1. Open Quick Settings from the taskbar.
2. Look for Mobile devices.
3. If your phone is already connected, battery status and the available controls appear there.
4. If you haven't connected a phone yet, Windows walks you through setup.

The release notes don't list supported phone models, minimum Android or iOS versions, or when the rollout will finish. If the section doesn't appear, check that your phone is connected and that you're on 26340.9767. You may simply not be in the rollout group yet.

A speed test without opening a browser​

The second Quick Settings change is a built-in internet speed test. You can start it in three ways:

• The new Speed test Quick Setting
• The Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout
• Right-clicking the network icon in the system tray and choosing Test internet speed

Quick Settings shows progress while the test runs, then shows download speed, upload speed and ping. The test runs on your active connection. This builds on an earlier Insider speed test that sent you to a browser; the results now stay inside Windows.

The notes don't say which measurement provider or test servers are used. The results tell you how fast your connection is, not why it's slow. It's a quick check, not a diagnosis.

Other changes in 26340.9767​

• Insider settings: Feature flags can now be filtered by enablement state.
• Magnifier shortcut toggle: A new switch at Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier controls whether Windows logo key + Plus (+) opens Magnifier. It stays on by default. Turn it off if Magnifier opens by accident or the shortcut clashes with another app or keyboard layout. You can still open Magnifier from Settings.
• Microsoft 365 billing: Subscribers whose recurring billing is off can turn it back on in Windows using Turn on recurring billing or Set up recurring billing from Settings Home, the Accounts page or the Start menu. This is useful for some subscribers, and it's also one more place where Windows shows subscription prompts.
• File Explorer: Loading progress is easier to see when opening slow locations such as network drives.
• Narrator: Math reading now supports Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian (Bokm??l), Polish, Russian, Swedish and Vietnamese.
• Widgets: The picker now uses a standard Windows dialog frame with light and dark title bars, and the blank space left for an icon is gone.

Two fixes worth checking​

• The previous update could stop explorer.exe from loading after sign-in, which left Insiders without a taskbar or anything else that depends on Explorer. This build fixes it.
• Some Insiders saw a false "password wrong" message on the sign-in screen. That's also fixed.

If either problem hit you on the last flight, this update should fix it.

Summary: Quick Settings gains Android phone controls and a built-in speed test, plus a handful of smaller changes and two important fixes.

Build 28120.3302 (26H1): Start menu options​

The Start menu changes are simple but useful:

Separate toggles for Pinned, Recent and All give users more control over what Start shows. Renaming "Recommended" to "Recent" also better describes a section that has mostly shown recent files. Hiding your name and picture is handy when you present or share your screen. Microsoft hasn't published the exact dimensions of the small and large sizes, or how Automatic picks between them.

Per-app camera, microphone and location permissions​

This is the most important change in the 26H1 build. Until now, traditional desktop (Win32) apps shared one device-wide setting for camera, microphone and location. In this build you can allow or deny each desktop app individually.

Steps:

1. Open Settings > Privacy & security.
2. Select Camera, Microphone or Location.
3. Review the list of desktop apps and allow or deny each one.

What changes:

• Apps that haven't used a resource before will ask for permission the first time they request it.

What stays the same:

• Your existing decisions are kept. Apps that were allowed stay allowed, and apps that were denied stay denied.
• Nothing is reset, and you don't need to do anything.
• Existing enterprise policies keep working as before. Microsoft says it is "exploring" more management options, which means admins don't have new controls for this yet.

Things to watch for:

• Apps built on shared system components or browser-hosted technology may appear under an unexpected name.
• Some apps may appear as Unsigned if Windows can't verify the publisher. Microsoft advises granting access only to apps you recognize and trust, and an unsigned entry asking for your microphone deserves a closer look.

Admins should test how these new first-use prompts affect help desk calls and user training before the feature reaches managed PCs. You can send feedback in Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Settings > Privacy Settings.

Cloud Rebuild gets an entry point in Settings​

The build adds a Cloud Rebuild link under Settings > System > Recovery. The link is new; the feature isn't. Microsoft's notes for build 28120.3032 in September described Cloud rebuild as a recovery option that restores a Windows 11 PC to a clean, known-good state by performing a full OS reinstall, even when Windows won't boot. The notes also explained how it differs from Reset this PC: Cloud rebuild downloads both the target Windows image and the device's drivers from Windows Update, so you don't need USB media or a custom image. Making it easy to find in Settings is a sensible step.

File Explorer also gets sharper file thumbnails in the Recommended section on the Home page.

Magnifier gets a contrast theme and per-monitor zoom​

A contrast theme that leaves photos alone​

A new toggle on the Magnifier toolbar applies a contrast theme to reduce glare. The dark theme is the default, and you can choose a different one under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier. Unlike color inversion, it changes only the interface colors, so photos, charts and videos keep their real colors. Color inversion is still available and works the same as before.

Separate zoom for each display​

To use this, set your monitors to Extend (not Duplicate) in System > Display. Each screen can then have its own zoom level, for example 300% on your writing screen and 150% on your reference screen. The magnified view no longer spreads from one display onto the next. Per-monitor zoom is on by default and can be turned off from the toolbar or in Magnifier settings.

To set zoom for one display:

• Move the pointer to that screen and press Windows key + Plus (+) or Windows key + Minus (-), or hold Ctrl + Alt and turn the mouse wheel.
• Set the percentages in Accessibility > Magnifier.
• Drag the Magnifier toolbar onto that screen and use its controls.

Viewport locking​

Point at a display and press Ctrl + Windows key + K to lock its magnified view in place. You can then move the cursor to another screen without the locked view following it. The locked screen still works normally, so you can click and copy from it, and an on-screen message shows that it's locked. Press the same shortcut again to unlock that screen, or press Windows key + Esc to release all locks. You can switch the lock shortcut to Ctrl + Alt + P in Magnifier settings.

Unicode 17.0 and a Recall known issue​

The 26H1 build adds Windows text shaping support for Unicode 17.0. That release added 4,803 characters, including four new scripts: Beria Erfe, Sidetic, Tai Yo and Tolong Siki.

Known issue: Recall may be missing or fail to launch on some Copilot+ PCs after a clean install of 28120.3302. Microsoft says it is working on a fix. If you depend on Recall, consider upgrading in place rather than doing a clean install for now.

Bottom line​

The changes most likely to matter to the most people are the per-app desktop permissions. Windows has asked for a per-app permission model like this for years. The Magnifier update is also substantial for people who rely on accessibility tools. The phone controls and speed test are smaller conveniences.

All of these features are still in preview. Microsoft can roll them out gradually, change them or drop them, so anyone on an Experimental channel should expect a feature to appear on one PC before another.