Windows Insider Canary Channel Gets a Substantial Update

Microsoft has unveiled the latest Windows 11 Insider build 27898 on the Canary Channel, introducing a suite of new features that have previously undergone testing on other channels. Among the highlights is the taskbar icon scaling, designed to enhance user experience by automatically adjusting icon sizes when the taskbar becomes congested with pinned or open applications. Additionally, the Quick Machine Recovery feature, part of the Windows Resiliency Initiative, is now available for IT professionals, offering a robust solution for addressing boot issues.

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The new features included in the Windows 11 Canary build 27898 are as follows:

  • Taskbar icon scaling: Automatically adjusts the size of taskbar icons to accommodate a crowded workspace.
  • Custom words dictionary in Voice Access: Users can now personalize their Voice Access experience by adding unique words, including those that may be difficult to pronounce. This feature also extends support to Chinese and Japanese languages.
  • Screen Curtain in Narrator: A privacy-focused addition that blacks out the display, ensuring that only the user can hear the content read by Narrator.
  • Quick Settings: Enhancements include text descriptions for assistive technologies like Narrator and Voice Access, accessible via the Quick Settings flyout.
  • File Explorer: The context menu in File Explorer now features dividers for better organization of top-level icons.
  • Adaptive energy saver: This opt-in feature intelligently manages energy saver settings based on the device’s power state and system load, all while maintaining consistent screen brightness.
  • Windows Share improvements: Users can now preview linked or web content before sharing, along with the option to select from three compression levels for images.
  • Quick Machine Recovery: This feature assists IT professionals by automatically detecting and applying fixes for boot issues directly from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

While the Canary Channel has rolled out a remarkable number of features in this single update, it remains in a phase of catching up with the Dev and Beta Channels, where Microsoft typically initiates its testing of new Windows modifications.

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Windows Insider Canary Channel Gets a Substantial Update