Windows 11 Test Build Adds Per-App Camera, Microphone, and Location Controls for Desktop Programs

Microsoft is testing a way to revoke camera, microphone, and location access for individual Win32 desktop programs in Windows 11, extending granular control that until now applied only to Microsoft Store apps.

The capability surfaced in Windows Insider Preview Build 26340.9212 for Windows 11 version 26H2, released to the Experimental channel on August 17, 2026. Microsoft's release notes for the build did not mention the new privacy controls. The toggles were spotted by an X user rather than announced.

The same build finalized the removal of the legacy WMIC command-line tool.

Windows 11's New Per-App Privacy Controls for Desktop Programs

Windows 11 currently provides individual permission toggles for Microsoft Store applications only. A Store video-calling app can be granted camera access while a different Store program is denied it, giving users granular control over that category of software.

Win32 desktop programs, including web browsers, chat clients, and most software installed outside the Store, do not get the same treatment. A single toggle labeled "Let desktop apps access your microphone" governs every non-Store program at once, so granting Discord microphone access leaves the toggle on for every other desktop application on the machine.

Windows already logs which apps have recently used the camera, microphone, or location, but that log shows past activity only and offers no way to block a specific program going forward.

Inside build 26340.9212, new toggles sit directly in the Settings privacy panel and let users revoke camera and microphone access for individual Win32 programs. The same controls extend to location permissions and voice activation, covering hardware categories beyond camera and audio.

The change would let a user grant a video-calling program access to a webcam while denying that same access to a browser or productivity tool, a distinction previously impossible without third-party software. Per-app hardware permissions of this kind have been standard on iOS and Android for more than a decade.

How the Win32 Privacy Controls Were Found and What Else Changed

The discovery did not come from Microsoft. X user @jakub25050 spotted the new toggles inside the Settings app and shared screenshots on August 18, 2026, writing "Huge changes are coming to Windows 11 privacy & security" and tagging Pavan Davuluri, who leads Microsoft's Windows and Devices group, along with the official Windows Insider account and several Windows-focused accounts.

Several Insiders who replied said the toggles had not appeared on their installations, consistent with Microsoft's practice of rolling features out to a subset of testers before widening access.

The same build finalized the removal of WMIC, a legacy command-line tool that ransomware operators have used for years to delete shadow copies, query installed antivirus software, and issue commands on compromised systems without introducing new executables.

Microsoft has described the change as a continuation of a deprecation effort that began years earlier, saying, "Removing a deprecated component helps reduce complexity while keeping you secure and productive."

The per-app Win32 privacy controls remain confined to the Experimental Insider channel and are not tied to a specific release milestone. Testing them requires enrollment in the Windows Insider Program on build 26340.9212 or later. Microsoft has not issued a public statement about the feature or confirmed a release timeline.

As with any Insider feature, it could ship broadly, be redesigned, or be dropped before reaching general availability, and wider testing availability will depend on Microsoft's staged rollout.

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 11 Test Build Adds Per-App Camera, Microphone, and Location Controls for Desktop Programs appeared first on gHacks.