Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27871: New Features, Improvements & Fixes

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.