14 DAY TRIAL // The Windows Insider program has evolved to become an essential part of the Windows development process, with Microsoft focusing more and more on long-term improvements that don’t have a specific release date in mind.
This is actually the purpose of the Dev channel, as Microsoft is introducing features that may or may not reach the production stage, as it all depends on the feedback the company receives.
This focus on experimental features seems to be the one fueling a new update that is coming to Insider builds. Twitter user Albacore has discovered a new option that is being added to the Settings app in Windows 11 preview build, with Microsoft apparently planning to let users enable and disable experimental features that are being added to the OS.
For the time being, the menu is still hidden, and no features are included, but most likely, Microsoft will use it to make it easier for insiders to try out experimental features that do not rely on a phased rollout approach.
Every new build shipped to the Dev channel comes with a warning that the features available here are in an experimental phase and they may not end up being released, so presumably, Microsoft wants to provide users with more control over them from the Settings app.
“The Dev Channel receives builds that represent long lead work from our engineers with features and experiences that may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. It is important to remember that the builds we release to the Dev Channel should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows and the features included may change over time, be removed, or replaced in Insider builds or may never be released beyond Windows Insiders to general customers,” the company says.
At this point, it’s not yet known when the new experimental features toggles could go live in Windows 11 preview builds.