Microsoft has unveiled a new build for its Insiders participating in the Windows 11 Canary channel, designated as Build 27718. This latest iteration enhances the lock screen media controls and refines the pinned apps functionality, alongside notable upgrades to the Windows Update process.
Changes and Improvements
The full changelog for this build highlights a variety of changes and improvements:
General
- [REMINDER] Insider Preview Build Expiration: The expiration date for Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel has been updated to September 15, 2025, starting with Build 27695. Insiders are encouraged to ensure they are updated to the latest build.
Lock Screen
- The Lock screen has been updated to display media controls at the lower bottom center when media is being played.
Start Menu
- Users can now drag apps from the Pinned section of the Start menu directly to the taskbar.
Taskbar & System Tray
- The taskbar now supports first letter navigation. When keyboard focus is set to the taskbar (using WIN + T), pressing a letter will jump to the open or pinned app that starts with that letter. Repeated presses will cycle through multiple apps with the same starting letter. For uncombined taskbars, navigation will utilize window names instead.
- Pressing Home and End will move keyboard focus to the first and last items in the taskbar, respectively.
Notifications
- Users can now disable suggestions to turn off notifications from specific apps by pressing the “…” within the notification or navigating to Settings > System > Notifications to manage these options.
Windows Share
- Minor UI changes have been introduced to simplify the Windows share window, including the removal of the search box.
Narrator
- Enhancements have been made to the performance of Narrator’s scan mode, particularly improving response times while using Microsoft Edge and reading large documents.
Energy Saver
- For laptops operating on battery, a notification will prompt users to plug in their device when the battery level drops to 20% while Energy Saver is set to “Always On”.
Windows Update
- The dialog that appears when user attention is required before proceeding with a Windows update has received design improvements, including updated icon sizes and spacing.
Input
- A new section for touch screen edge gestures has been added under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch, allowing users to disable left or right edge touch gestures. Note that this feature is being rolled out gradually.
Administrator Protection
- This upcoming platform security feature aims to safeguard floating admin rights for administrator users, enabling them to perform all admin functions with just-in-time privileges. This feature is off by default and requires group policy activation. More details will be shared at Microsoft Ignite.
Fixes
- Several issues have been addressed, including a boot screen hang that caused rollbacks with error 0xC1900101, sporadic explorer.exe crashes, and a bugcheck with the message “SYSTEMSERVICEEXCEPTION”.
- Additional fixes include resolving issues with the emoji panel and Widgets icon display in the taskbar.
Known Issues
- [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COPILOT+ PCs] Insiders joining the Canary Channel from other channels may experience loss of Windows Hello PIN and biometrics, but can re-create their PIN.
- Some users may face difficulties playing purchased content in the Movies & TV app, with a fix expected in a future flight.
- Work is ongoing to resolve issues with the Emoji Panel and Clipboard History not opening in certain applications.
Additionally, Microsoft is rolling out an update to the Store alongside this build, further enhancing the user experience. For more details, the official blog post can be found on Microsoft’s website.
