Windows 11 Experimental Insider Build Adds Per-App Permission Revocation for Win32 Apps
Microsoft's latest experimental Windows 11 Insider build (26340.9212) lets users revoke camera, microphone, location and voice-activation permissions individually for Win32 apps. The feature, enabled by default and visible in privacy settings, replaces the previous all-in-one desktop-app permission switch while maintaining existing per-app controls for Microsoft Store apps. It has been confirmed on devices running the new build, but Microsoft has not formally announced it, leaving its inclusion in a stable release uncertain.
Microsoft has introduced standalone permission management for legacy Win32 applications in Windows 11 Experimental Insider Preview build 26340.9212. Users can now go to privacy settings and revoke camera, microphone, location, or voice-activation permissions for a specific Win32 app, rather than controlling all desktop apps as a group. The feature is enabled by default and has been confirmed on devices running the latest experimental build.
Previously, Windows 11 allowed individual permission control only for apps installed from the Microsoft Store, while traditional desktop applications were lumped together under a single master switch. For example, granting microphone access to one app meant the permission had to be opened to all Win32 apps. Although the system already recorded apps' access to sensitive hardware, the new setting integrates this capability directly into Settings, allowing each Win32 app's permissions to be managed separately. Because build 26340.9212 is an experimental preview and Microsoft has not formally announced the feature, it remains unclear whether it will appear in a stable release.