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Windows Insider

Build 29698.1000

Build 29698.1000: Windows Insider Experimental Channel, October 2026. Desktop app privacy controls and taskbar settings across monitors

In short

Desktop apps get separate camera, microphone, and location controls, while taskbar settings better keep their state across monitor changes. These changes are rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Experimental Channel.

Does it affect you? Applies to: Windows Insider devices in the Experimental Channel.

Build
29698.1000

This is a test build for people in the Windows Insider Program. Features in it can change, be removed, or never reach regular Windows releases.

What changes

Improvements 2 changes

Taskbar

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders who use multiple monitors

  • Taskbar settings for multiple monitors better keep their state when monitors connect or disconnect.1

Windows design

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • Solid donut-shaped loading indicators are temporarily rolled back during startup, sign-in, restart, shutdown, and updates.2
    The rollback applies to Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update while Microsoft works on a bug.

Fix 1 change

File Explorer

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • The message for permanently deleting files from the Recycle Bin displays its text correctly.3

New feature 1 change

Manage camera, microphone, and location access for desktop apps

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • You can manage camera, microphone, and location access separately for each desktop app.4
    Traditional desktop apps previously shared one device-wide setting.

Technical details

Data sheet · Security · Downloads · Components Click to collapse or expand

Data sheet

Released
2026-10-30
Type
Windows Insider build
VersionBuildChannel
— 29698.1000 Experimental Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Sources

Updated
Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (4)
  1. 1. Improved the underlying state persistence of taskbar settings related to multiple monitors across monitor connections and disconnections. learn.microsoft.com
  2. 2. We are temporarily rolling back the solid (donut) spinners across some of the key Windows scenarios including Boot, Logon, Restart, Shutdown, and Update as we work on a bug. learn.microsoft.com
  3. 3. Fixed an issue where the message when permanently deleting files from the Recycle Bin wasn't displaying the text correctly. learn.microsoft.com
  4. 4. Windows Insiders can now manage camera, microphone, and location permissions for individual desktop apps. learn.microsoft.com
Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 4 quoted passages
  • Quotes found in the official pages: passed
  • Numbers found in the sources: passed
  • Vulnerabilities from the dossier only: passed
  • Links to allowed domains only: passed
  • Every official change covered: passed
  • Readable plain text: passed
  • Changes confirmed by the file list: passed
  • Sources agree: passed

A second AI read the text against the sources: correctness 4/5, clarity 4/5, completeness 4/5. How we work

Published by The Update Bureau. Written with AI from Microsoft's own documents, checked by rules and a second AI. How we work · Report a mistake