Microsoft's makeover of Windows 11 continues. A refreshed AutoPlay dialog box headlines the latest Windows Insider build.

That experience is more than a palette swap or color change. Microsoft rebuilt the experience with WinUI. That brings better performance, more visual consistency with the modern parts of Windows 11, and better responsiveness to text scaling.

The AutoPlay dialog box is a relatively small feature, but it has looked outdated for years. Microsoft's current push to polish Windows 11 includes smaller fixes like updating the AutoPlay dialog box and bigger improvements like optimizing Windows 11 for systems with 8GB of RAM.

Several Windows Insider builds shipped today, but I'll focus on the one available through the Experimental Channel. If you want to catch up on the smaller releases, you can check out Microsoft's collection of release notes.

Build 26340.9233

Modernized AutoPlay experience

• We've updated the AutoPlay dialog that helps you choose the preferred experience when devices are connected to your PC, such as a phone, camera, or removable drive. Rebuilt with WinUI, the refreshed experience is more consistent with the rest of Windows, supports dark mode, and continues to provide the familiar AutoPlay actions you use today. The experience is also more responsive to text scaling and display settings. Notifications for this dialog are now docked in the notification center for easy access.

Accessibility

A simpler way to open apps maximized

• We're introducing a new accessibility setting, Open apps maximized, that automatically maximizes app windows when they open, so you no longer have to do it yourself every time. This small change removes a bit of everyday friction, whether you use a screen reader or magnification, work in tablet mode, or simply prefer a consistent, full-screen workspace.
• To turn it on, go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects, and turn on Open apps maximized. Once enabled, Windows maximizes app windows for you as they open. Give it a try, and let us know how it works for you.

Manage camera, microphone, and location access for desktop apps

• Windows Insiders can now manage camera, microphone, and location permissions for individual desktop apps. Previously, access for traditional desktop applications was managed through a single device-wide setting.
• With this update, you can review and control access on an app-by-app basis, giving you greater visibility into which apps are requesting access to sensitive resources and more control over your privacy choices. Our goal is to make privacy permissions easier to understand and manage across the wide range of desktop apps people use every day.

What's changing

• Allow or deny access for each desktop app individually.
• Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera, Microphone, or Location to review and manage permissions.
• Apps that haven't yet accessed a resource prompt for permission the first time access is requested.

What stays the same

• Existing app permission decisions are preserved.
• Apps previously granted access continue to have access.
• Apps previously denied access remain denied.
• No action is required, and no settings are reset.
• Existing enterprise policies continue to function as designed. We're exploring additional management capabilities.

Notes

• Most desktop apps appear with clear app attribution. However, some apps that rely on shared system components, browser-hosted experiences, or similar technologies might appear under a different name than expected.
• Some desktop apps might appear as Unsigned if Windows can't verify publisher information. Only grant access to apps you recognize and trust.

File Explorer

• PDF and non-HTML files downloaded from the web can now be previewed automatically in the preview pane.

Microsoft Store

• This update provides support for in-app purchases in packaged WinUI 3 apps that require elevation, helping developers offer purchases through Microsoft's integrated commerce platform.

Taskbar

• Fixed an issue in the latest builds causing taskbar animations to briefly work and then stop working.

Input

• Fixed an issue in the latest builds causing the mouse cursor not to be visible in certain apps.

Other

• Fixed an issue from the last flight causing Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Flags to appear empty even though flags were available.
• Updated Settings > Apps > Installed apps to show the version number at the top level for packaged apps, as it already does for other apps.

This update also includes some improvements we already knew about, including the option to open apps maximized.

Build 26340.9233 also adds the option to manage camera, microphone, and location permissions on a per-app basis for desktop apps. Previously, that choice was limited to UWP/MSIX applications.

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Microsoft Edge for Android has some new image themes in testing. The latest Edge Canary build has some snazzy backgrounds, but to set them you have to make Edge your default browser.

It's a strange requirement that may ruffle some feathers, but there's always a chance it will change. The requirement to set Edge as your default browser to use the themes only appears in Edge Canary. That rule may not roll out to general availability.

The change was spotted by Leo Varela, who tracks updates and changes to Edge and other browsers.

Microsoft has a long history of trying to convince people to use Edge. Some efforts, such as adding unique features are viewed as fair play. Other tactics, such as Windows 11 making it more difficult to switch your default browser, have been met with criticism.

A recent survey commissioned by the Browser Choice Alliance suggests that switching away from Edge is too difficult. But that survey relates to PC users. Microsoft has a different battle on Android.

Instead of having hundreds of millions of users with PCs that already have Edge installed, Microsoft needs to convince people to download Edge for Android. Then, the tech giant needs to get people to set Edge as their default browser, which is no easy task.

I imagine the amount of people who have installed Edge on their phones but have not set the browser as their default is small. Considering how niche Edge is on Android, anyone who goes out of their way to install it probably plans to use Edge.

Some Samsung phones come with Edge preinstalled, so perhaps the new picture themes in Edge are designed to sway those users.

Of course, Microsoft is not alone in using aggressive methods to push a browser. Google and Apple have also pushed Chrome and Safari, respectively.

I'm curious to see how effective locking picture themes behind a default setting requirment will be for Edge.

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Microsoft 365 is a must-have software suite for millions of people. I've had a subscription since the days of SkyDrive and Office 365. I stack up whenever I find a great deal. Whether you're an experienced subscription stacker or paying for your first Microsoft 365 subscription, now is a great time thanks to a pair of deals.

Newegg has discounts on two bundles, one that comes with Microsoft 365 Personal and NordVPN ($61.99) and one that comes with Microsoft 365 Family and NordVPN ($84.99). Both bundles get you 12 months of each included piece of software.

Is now a good time to subscribe to Microsoft 365?

Right now is a great time to subscribe to Microsoft 365.

I've kept track of the best Microsoft 365 deals for years. Every once in a while, the most affordable way to get a subscription is to pick up a bundle. Even if you have no intention of ever using NordVPN, the bundled prices for Microsoft 365 and NordVPN are lower than the cost of Microsoft 365 on its own.

I don't mean to discount NordVPN. It's a great service on its own and I have used it regularly for years as well. I just assume people seeing this bundle are more interested in Microsoft 365. If you use both Microsoft 365 and NordVPN, the current bundles are incredible.

FAQ

A Windows 11 update appears to break Microsoft Teams and Outlook on Windows on Arm PCs. Issues started popping up after the rollout of KB5121003, which began shipping this month on Patch Tuesday.

Brian Stringfellow shared details about the problem through a Microsoft Learn report. Several people in that thread have similar issues.

PCs affected by the issue, including Stringfellow's Surface Laptop 7, see Microsoft Teams and Outlook close almost immediately after being opened. Specifically, the new Outlook is affected. Classic Outlook still works on PCs affected by the bug.

The problem seems to affect a variety of Windows on Arm devices. Julius Heng shared their experience:

"I have the exact same issue on Omnibook 3 running snapdragon. After the initial setup, Ms Teams works, but next day it doesnt work. It will have a white screen on teams and it will close right after it open. I tried various method, including reinstall webview 2 etc. None of it works. I tried to roll back all the update and it doesnt work. After did a factory reset Ms Teams works again. But to my dismay, the windows update itself and it breaks Teams again. right now, i'm back to square. Really hope that there's some way to rectify this."

It's not clear at this time why the issue is occuring or why the problem is limited to Windows on Arm PCs.

User Alex-L, who is listed as a moderator and Microsoft External Staff on Microsoft Learn, reported that similar issues are occurring on a variety of Windows on Arm systems:

"At this point, very similar symptoms on different Snapdragon/ARM64 systems. While these reports suggest a possible common factor, no one in this public forum can confirm Microsoft's internal investigations, determine the root cause, or verify whether this is a known issue affecting all ARM64 devices. Microsoft does not currently list a known issue for KB5121003 in the official release notes."

While we wait for official confirmation from Microsoft and a fix for the issue, users with Windows on Arm PCs may have to fall back to other versions of Outlook and Teams that are unaffected by the bug.

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PowerToys is one of my favorite Windows apps and a must-have for people who want to get the most out of Windows 11. We often highlight new and upcoming features for PowerToys, but we rarely get to hear about the most exciting features in the eyes of Niels Laute.

Next week, PowerToys will receive several improvements, including a compact option for Command Palette and a ripple effect for Mouse Highlighter. Laute, who is the project manager of PowerToys and WinUI, shared the features and changes he's looking forward to.

As PM of PowerToys, Laute oversees the development of one of the best free Windows apps. But the app is worked on by several people. Over 300 pull requests contributed to next week's update, and Laute thanked the team for their efforts.

We've known about some of these changes because of the PowerToys preview. For example, on-device Phi Silica support has been in testing over the last two weeks. But next week the changes will ship to everyone using PowerToys.

Command Palette is similar to Spotlight on macOS. Another way to look at it is as what Windows Search should be. The utility can launch apps, open settings, and trigger actions quickly.

Command Palette is a powerful tool, but it can take up quite a bit of space on your screen. Next week's update to PowerToys brings the option to use a compact view for Command Palette.

Mouse Highlighter is a handy tool that lets you find your mouse cursor. It can save you some time if you use multiple monitors or an ultrawide display. But it can feel a bit heavy-handed since it grays out your screen to highlight the cursor. The upcoming ripple effect is more subtle.

Phi Silica is a small language model (SLM). It's perhaps best known for being the model that powers Copilot+ PC features such as Click to Do and on-device rewriting in Word and Outlook.

Phi Silica and other features have been in preview testing for a bit. The next update to PowerToys will make it easier to get preview updates.

Change logs for PowerToys are famously long and detailed, so you can expect the "gazillion" fixes Laute mentions to be listed next week.

I'll update this piece when the new version of PowerToys rolls out and add the complete change log.

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Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon C chips are now surrounded by more question marks. Despite Qualcomm releasing benchmark comparisons last week, there are new unknowns about the processors.

Last week, Qualcomm shared details about its Snapdragon C chips online and highlighted the updated information to media outlets. I covered the news, as did several other outlets. Tom's Hardware discussed the specs and benchmarks, but it has since had Qualcomm reach out with an update.

A Qualcomm representative asked Tom's Hardware to replace slides originally shared by Qualcomm with updated versions. Unlike the slides first sent out, the new slide does not show benchmark information for how Snapdragon C chips perform when powering idle apps or when web browsing.

The remaining benchmarks are still impressive, such as Snapdragon C delivering up to two times better power efficiency than Intel N250 when running Netflix or Edge. But considering some claims have been removed, I think many people will want to see Snapdragon C in the wild before making any decisions.

Snapdragon C is a new chip from Qualcomm designed for low-cost devices that start at around $300. The chips promise power efficiency and responsive performance for budget-friendly systems.

Until recently, we knew little about the chip in terms of hard specs. But we now have core counts, benchmark comparisons, and other details.

The Snapdragon C will power Windows 11 on ARM devices. That platform has improved greatly over the last few years in terms of compatibility, so much so that app compatibility is no longer a concern for Windows 11 on ARM for most users.

One of the few remaining areas where Windows 11 on ARM struggles is gaming, but since budget laptops starting at $300 are unlikely to be gaming PCs, that shouldn't be much of a concern for Snapdragon C.

Questions about Snapdragon C

When I covered the Snapdragon C benchmarks last week, I noted that the only information we had came from Qualcomm and that we'd need to see verified results from independent tests. I also highlighted that Qualcomm did not share how the chips performed when plugged in, instead leaning on unplugged performance that often favors Snapdragon processors when compared to Intel.

I did not expect the benchmarks shared by Qualcomm to become unknowns. We now have no information about the performance of those chips when powering idle apps or during web browsing.

Qualcomm did not share many details with our colleagues at Tom's Hardware about why the old slide had been changed. The company simply said the change was made to "improve clarity and relevance."

The fact that Qualcomm let the presumably incorrect or out-of-date slide go unchecked for almost a week is also worrying.

Web browsing is a key part of the budget laptop experience, so accurate benchmarks in that category will be pivotal for anyone shopping for a PC.

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Last month, I shared six apps I install immediately after a clean install of Windows 11 or when setting up a PC. Each of those apps enhances an experience on Windows 11 or replaces a Microsoft tool. In the case of PowerToys, it's a Microsoft tool that replaces other Microsoft tools.

Members of the Windows Central community and the Windows Central subreddit shared their favorite apps in the same category, and I'm gathering them all together here. I've also added AltTabby as a bonus pick and Blip, which Reddit helped me find as an AirDrop alternative for Windows.

I loved reading through all your app suggestions after my last piece, and I’d be thrilled to keep this series going. If you have even more must-have Windows 11 apps, please let me know!

5 more must-have Windows 11 apps

Microsoft claims that Windows 11's built-in security tool is enough for most PC users, but that's only the case if the tool works. An issue affecting some PCs prevents security scans from being completed, leaving systems potentially vulnerable.

The problem was flagged on Reddit by user Huynh_Jovi. Several users in that thread have had issues running scans with Microsoft Defender. Both Full Scan and Quick Scan appear to be affected.

Pinned at the top of that thread is a comment by a moderator that gathers together key information on the situation.

"It appears Microsoft released a bad update to Windows Defender, causing it to crash a few seconds after attempting to perform a Full Scan or Quick Scan," reads the comment by user goretsky. They continue, stating, "Offline scans reportedly stop at around 90-93% of completion." The latest version of the Microsoft Safety Scanner is reportedly affected as well.

The exact cause of the issue has not been determined, though there are several suggested causes. The issue seems to be related to a Microsoft Security Intelligence update. Performing an upgrade to Security Intelligence Update v1.457.236.0 resolves the issue, according to Reddit users Schoonie84 and Master_Pie1940.

You don't need to hunt down that update manually. If you check for updates in the Windows Security app or through Windows Update, the latest version should appear.

There's a chance the issue appeared after Microsoft attempted to mitigate ShieldBreak, a zero-day vulnerability disclosed shortly after August's Patch Tuesday update.

Versions v1.1.26070.7 and v1.1.26080.2 of Defender are said to be affected by the issue when used with any of the following Microsoft Security Intelligence Update versions:

• 1.457.222.0
• 1.457.225.0
• 1.457.226.0
• 1.457.227.0
• 1.457.230.0

Restoring to an older Microsoft Security Intelligence update also reportedly fixes the issue, adding weight to the theory about the cause of the problem.

Many users have spent hours trying to address the issue. At the time of publication, there has not been official word on the problem from Microsoft, so the work of the Reddit users taking a closer look is appreciated.

Performing regular scans is an important step in securing a PC. Hopefully Microsoft can resolve the issue quickly and get word out to affected users.

In the meantime, affected users can still scan a specific folder or drive by right-clicking and selecting "Scan with Microsoft Defender."

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Windows 11 will soon give you greater control over the permissions your apps have. A new feature hidden away in the latest Experimental Insider Build (26340.9212) lets you block access to your camera and microphone on a per-app basis for Win32 apps.

The change was spotted by X user @jakub25050. Well-known Windows sleuth @phantomofearth confirmed that the change appears on their system as well when running build 26340.9212 and after enabling Win32SignatureIdentity (60730253). On X, @jakub25050 noted that they did not have to enable any feature flags.

Microsoft did not discuss the change in the official release notes for the latest Windows Insider build.

This behavior will feel familiar to most people who use a smartphone, since both iOS and Android have fine-tuned privacy controls. Windows 11 has also supported this functionality for other types of apps for a while.

What's changing with Windows 11 privacy settings?

Windows 11 already has an option that allows or blocks desktop apps from accessing things like your microphone or camera. But you can only enable or disable those permissions on a per-app basis for certain types of apps.

The feature in testing right now allows you to toggle camera and microphone permissions on a per-app basis for Win32 apps. That's a massive addition since many popular programs are Win32 apps, such as Discord, Chrome, and game launchers like Steam.

The current way app permissions work means that to use your webcam on a browser like Chrome, you'd also need to have your settings configured to let other desktop apps access your webcam.

I've seen some debate about when the per-app option for Win32 apps rolled out to Windows 11. While Windows 11 has had the option to grant or deny permissions for years, that choice was limited to UWP/MSIX apps and was not available for Win32 apps.

Build 26340.9212 started shipping to Insiders in the Experimental Channel on August 17, 2026. Assuming testing goes well, we could see the expanded app controls roll out to everyone in the near future.

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Fixing Windows may be an impossible task, at least if the goal is to please every user. Because Windows has been around for decades and is used by billions of people, Microsoft has to be careful in how it rolls out changes to its operating system.

One of the strengths of Windows is backward compatibility, but that is a double-edged sword. Because Microsoft values legacy software and compatibility, Windows 11 is basically several operating systems stacked together under a trenchcoat.

I've argued before that unifying the look of Windows should have been a priority for decades. But even if it were, updating Windows would be a challenge. People get used to things and often dislike changes, even if they're considered improvements by many.

With changes like the overhauled Start menu and movable taskbar on the way, I shared a poll recently asking about Microsoft's improvements to Windows 11. That poll was inspired by the recent change to how file sizes are displayed in File Explorer.

40 percent of those who voted said that "Some tweaks are great, but others feel like changes for the sake of change." Another 32 percent of participants said Microsoft should "bring on the modern polish," noting that they adapt quickly and prefer clean interfaces.

Almost 30 percent of voters wanted to ensure some level of consistency, whether that be keeping legacy options (17 percent of voters) or leaving features and layouts alone (12 percent).

The fact that even our readers are split shows how divisive this topic can be. Generally speaking, our readers are tech-savvy and keep up to date with tech and new features, so they should be able to adapt to changes well. But being able to adapt is not the same as favoring the need to adapt.

The comments on that article echoed sentiments about Microsoft not being able to please everyone, such as the quote above by "Q-Less." They also noted that "Microsoft needs to spend significant effort on change management."

Over the years, Microsoft has tried different strategies. Major OS updates such as Windows 7 or Windows 10 bring many changes at once and allow Microsoft to roll out improvements as part of a package.

Incremental updates shipped every few months let Microsoft get improvements to users quickly, but that may not be a good thing. People need time to adapt to changes, even good ones. Having an interface or experience tweaked several times in a year can be jarring.

One route Microsoft could take is adding options.

I like having options, and Microsoft sometimes ships new features with a toggle to go back to the previous interface. But there's a limit on how many choices can be built into Windows 11. If Microsoft kept every option across several OS generations, Windows would be a mess.

Some want Microsoft to take the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach.

Within the Windows Central community, there is debate on how to handle changes and improvements to Windows. Expand the discussion to all PC users and you have an almost deafening amount of noise to sort through.

Even when Microsoft settles on changes to Windows, the company needs to decide how to package those changes. Last week's Windows Wrap asked if the next big update should just be Windows 12.

Windows carries over much of its base when switching between major OS versions these days, so it's more about marketing than a technical definition.

Where do you stand in the debate? Do you want to see Windows modernized even if it means you'll have to adapt to changes? Or do you want Windows to stay largely the same? Let us know in the comments!

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