Microsoft adds hidden feature flags to Windows Insider builds

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Apr 10, 20262 mins

Users looking for an easier way to turn experimental features on or off will still have to wait for an official announcement.

image of Person using a Windows 11 laptop
Credit: Windows / Unsplash

Microsoft Windows Insider members will soon have an easy way to select which new features they test. Until now, Windows Insiders have had to wait for Microsoft to randomly assign them news features for testing through its Controlled Feature Rollout program or enable the features themselves through third-party software such as ViVeTool.

The new Windows setting, Feature Flags, will be a boon for administrators of Microsoft products who want to get a handle on the innovations relevant to their enterprise. Microsoft has not officially announced the new functionality, but an eagle-eyed user spotted the Feature Flags setting buried in the latest Windows Insider software build.

Microsoft Windows design and research leader Marcus Ash responded congratulating the spotter on their speed, adding that he would be “Excited to share more about WIP settings next week.”

He followed that up with a post to a Microsoft blog that changes were on the way, saying that users will “ have more control” over features they care about.

The Windows Insiders who wish to delve into the new settings are out of luck for now: They are not enabled yet. But messages contained in the latest build of the software say “these features are still in development and may change” and that “turning them on or off could affect performance or stability.”

So, while there are plenty of hints about the forthcoming release, users will still have to wait for an official announcement from Microsoft and there is no indication as to when that will be.

Maxwell Cooter

Maxwell began writing about technology in 1984, when mainframes ruled the world. Since then he has written for just about every business computing title in the UK, and for a few in the US, covering everything from Artificial intelligence to Zero-day exploits and all points in between. He has also been editor-in-chief of several award-winning titles, including Network Week, Techworld, and Cloud Pro, and a regular contributor to Whatsonstage.com. In his spare time he coaches a junior rugby team.

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