Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723: Discover What's New

Hello, fellow Windows enthusiasts! If you’ve been keeping a close eye on the evolution of Windows 11, exciting news has just landed in the form of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723 for the Canary Channel. Released on October 9th, 2024, this build represents one of the latest iterations for insiders eager to test and provide feedback on Microsoft’s next wave of updates. Let's dive deeper into what this release contains and how it might affect your experience as a Windows user.

Overview of Build 27723​

For those who may not be familiar with the intricacies of Microsoft's Insider program, the Canary Channel is essentially the bleeding edge. It allows users to receive the very latest builds, potentially filled with experimental features that could be fully operational or could crash your system after 15 minutes of use—it's a bit like diving into a shark tank, except the sharks are very eager developers.
However, it's worth noting that this particular release does not include Software Development Kits (SDKs) for the 27xxx series builds at this time. This is a crucial point for developers who rely on SDKs to create, update, or refine their applications.

Key Changes and Features​

While the announcement did not detail the specific changes included in this build, such releases typically encompass a wide range of enhancements, bug fixes, and possibly new features aimed at improving user experience. Here’s a common checklist of what you can expect from insider builds:

• Performance Improvements: Each build usually comes with tweaks aimed at making Windows run smoother and faster. This could include optimizations to memory management or application compatibility.
• UI Changes: Microsoft often experiments with the User Interface (UI) elements in insider builds. Users might find new layouts, icons, or even functionality that changes the entire interaction dynamics.
• Bug Fixes: Insiders play a significant role in identifying bugs, and each build attempts to resolve issues reported by previous builds. If you've been experiencing glitches, this is the section to watch.
• New Features: Though it appears there are no SDKs for this particular series, many builds unveil new features or test user-friendly functions that may come to the public later.

Changes and Improvements​

[General]​

• [REMINDER] Insider Preview Build Expiration: The expiration date for Insider Preview builds flighted to the Canary Channel has been updated to 9/15/2025 starting with Build 27695. Please make sure you are updated to the latest build in the Canary Channel.

[Search on the Taskbar]​

• We are beginning to roll out the ability to share local files directly from within the search results shown in the search box on the taskbar.

New option to share a local file highlighted in a red box in the search results from the search box on the taskbar.

[Voice Access]​

• We are making improvements for the spelling and corrections experience in voice access. You can now use the experience for the entire voice access session. The spelling experience will now enable you to dictate the characters at a faster speed and offer more editing flexibility inside the experience with dictation commands, namely selection, deletion and text navigation commands.

[Fonts]​

• There is a new simplified Chinese font (Simsun-ExtG) with 9,753 ideographs supporting Unicode Extensions G, H and I. Included is the highly requested character for Biangbiang noodles. This character U+30EDD is said to be the most complicated Chinese character, as you can see in the image below. We are aware that some applications may not be able to display these new extension characters yet.
  • Unicode range G 30000-3134A (4,939 chars)
  • Unicode range H 31350-323AF (4,192 chars)
  • Unicode range I 2EBF0-2EE5D (622 chars)

Biangbiang character Unicode 30EDD.

[Settings]​

• The detach virtual hard disk (VHD/VHDx) button we added under Settings > System > Storage > Disks & Volumes introduced with Build 27686 has temporarily been disabled starting with Build 27718. We’re working to re-enable this change in a future flight soon.

Known issues​

[General]​

• [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COPILOT+ PCs] If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available”. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN”.
• [NEW] We’re investigating reports that some games, including Microsoft Solitaire & Casual Games, are crashing on launch after installing 27718.
• [NEW] We’re investigating reports that some Insiders are still experiencing rollbacks (with error code 0xc190010) when attempting to install the latest Canary builds.

[Input]​

• We’re working on the fix for an underlying issue causing the Emoji Panel and Clipboard History to not open in certain surfaces anymore, including in Registry Editor.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel​

• The builds we release to the Canary Channel represent the latest platform changes early in the development cycle and should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows and features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may 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.
• Many features in the Canary Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features may show up in the Dev and Beta Channels first before showing up in the Canary Channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• To get off the Canary Channel, a clean install of Windows 11 will be required. As a reminder – Insiders can’t switch to a channel that is receiving builds with lower build numbers without doing a clean installation of Windows 11 due to technical setup requirements.
• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for these pre-release builds.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

How to Get Started​

If you’re already part of the Insider Program, you can easily obtain this build through Windows Update. Here’s a quick guide on how to do so:

1. Open Settings: Click on the Start Menu and select the gear icon, or press Windows + I.
2. Navigate to Windows Update: Find 'Windows Update' in the left sidebar.
3. Check for Updates: Click on 'Check for updates.' If you're enrolled in the Insider Program, the latest build should appear as available.

The Implications of Testing​

Using the Canary Channel is not for the faint-hearted. By choosing to test builds that may still be in the experimental phase, you're participating in a larger conversation. Your feedback can shape the future of Windows 11, helping Microsoft address issues before a general public rollout.
But let’s be honest here: one user's ecstatic feature could very well be another user's impending nightmare. So, what does this say about our relationship with technology? Are we brave pioneers in a digital frontier, or are we unwitting beta testers, chronicling the falls of software giants?

Looking Ahead​

As Microsoft continues to refine Windows 11 through these iterative builds, it raises questions about the balance between innovation and stability. What features or enhancements would you like to see? How do you feel about Microsoft’s approach to rolling out updates? Engage with us below and share your thoughts!
Whether you’re a seasoned insider or new to the world of beta testing, Build 27723 might just offer an exciting glimpse into the future of Windows 11—if you’re ready for the ride, that is.
Remember, the future is being built right now, and your voice is a powerful tool in that process!
Source: Microsoft - Windows Insiders Blog Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723 (Canary Channel)