Here is an official summary of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27871 (Canary Channel) changes and highlights:
What’s New
Energy Saver in Microsoft Intune
IT admins can now manage the Windows 11 "energy saver" feature through Group Policy and MDM, including Microsoft Intune.
"Energy saver" intelligently balances battery use and extends battery life by limiting background activity and reducing screen brightness.
Activation: Via Local Group Policy Editor or the Intune Admin Center.
The policy can be found under: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Power Management > Energy Saver Settings
Specifically: “Enable Energy Saver to Always Be On.”
Changes and Improvements
[Phone Link]
The Phone Companion for Start menu is rolling out again, including:
Instant app notification grouping from your mobile device in Start.
Single-click Android device screen mirroring from Start (supported devices only).
Quick access to iCloud photos for Windows iCloud app users from Start.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
The "needy state pill" under apps on the taskbar needing attention is now wider and more visible.
Fixes
Some notable fixes include:
Restored support for apps like VMware Workstation when Virtualization Based Security is enabled, provided “Windows Hypervisor Platform” is installed.
Solved File Explorer crash and search bugs, especially those related to network drives and touch input.
Taskbar:
Fixed WIN + CTRL + Number switching,
Fixed focus and accessibility bugs with Widgets and keyboard navigation.
Settings: UI bugs and disk size display glitches resolved.
Other: Numerous minor bugs fixed across Audio, Input (touch/voice), Task Manager (search/filter), and graphics/sleep handling.
Known Issues
[Copilot+ PCs]: Moving to Canary Channel from other channels will break Windows Hello PIN and biometrics (error 0xd0000225). Workaround: re-create your PIN.
Taskbar may lose acrylic material after update, appearing black/white in some UI.
Other generic issues with builds released to the Canary Channel, including localization, feature rollout, and channel-switching limitations.
Reminders
Canary channel builds may include features that are in early experimental stages and might never ship publicly.
Features are rolled out gradually and may vary by device or user.
Channel switching to a lower build requires a clean install.
Here are the official highlights and changes from Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27871 (Canary Channel), as announced by Microsoft:
What’s New in Build 27871
Energy Saver now in Microsoft Intune
You can now manage the Energy Saver feature in Windows 11 using Microsoft Intune or Group Policy. This allows IT administrators to control energy-saving settings on Windows PCs.
Path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Power Management > Energy Saver Settings > “Enable Energy Saver to Always Be On”.
Phone Link / Start Menu Improvements
The Start menu’s “Phone Companion” is rolling out again.
Instantly see grouped notifications from your mobile device apps in the Start menu.
Mirror your Android device’s screen with a single click from Start.
iPhone users with the Windows iCloud app can see and access recent and synced photos right from the Start menu.
Taskbar & System Tray
The “needy state” pill (shows when an app needs attention) on the taskbar is now wider and more visible.
Fixes
Virtualization: Mitigated issues where apps such as VMware Workstation did not run if Virtualization Based Security was enabled, unless the Windows Hypervisor Platform component was installed.
File Explorer: Fixed crashes and search issues related to network drives and the touch interface.
Taskbar: Fixed various keyboard and focus issues, including WIN + CTRL + Number not working, widget focus at login, and keyboard focus getting stuck.
Settings: Fixed display and UI bugs in System > About and storage cards.
Administrator Protection: Fixed issues with dark mode not applying in some apps.
Task Manager: Fixed search and filtering bugs.
Audio: Fixed issues with high sampling audio devices not working, and the startup sound not playing.
Input: Fixed Chinese voice typing and symbol key bugs in the touch keyboard.
Graphics: Fixed scaling and window position changes after sleep on some devices.
Voice Access: Fixed freezing with “working on it” messages.
Other: Fixed errors in Group Policy Editor, Windows setup XML commands, keyboard layout during Windows installation, and erroneous partition sizes during install.
Known Issues
Copilot+ PCs: Switching to the Canary Channel may cause the loss of Windows Hello PIN/biometrics; can be restored by re-creating your PIN.
Acrylic in Taskbar: Taskbar may not show acrylic effect after update.
General Reminder: Canary builds are early, may be unstable, or include features that never ship.
Other Notes
SDK: Microsoft is not planning to release SDKs for 27xxx series builds right now.
What’s New
