Windows 11 app permissions are about to get a lot more precise. In Insider Beta build 26220.9836, released on October 30, you can allow or deny camera, microphone and location access for each classic desktop app separately, instead of flipping one switch for all of them. It’s Insider-only for now, and Microsoft hasn’t announced when it reaches everyone else.
Here’s the short version before the details:
- Build: Windows 11 Insider Beta (25H2) build 26220.9836, released October 30, 2026
- Where: Settings > Privacy & security > Camera, Microphone or Location
- Who has it: Windows Insiders only; regular PCs still show one shared switch
- Your current settings: preserved, nothing resets
- Public release date: not announced
It matters because classic desktop programs finally get the same per-app privacy controls that Store apps have had for years.
Why one switch for every desktop app was a problem
Windows has long treated Microsoft Store apps and traditional desktop programs differently. Store apps get their own camera and microphone toggles. Everything else, from video-call clients to older editors and utilities, shared a single device-wide setting.
That made privacy an all-or-nothing call. If one old program needed your webcam, you had to leave camera access open for every other desktop app on the PC too.
Microsoft’s release notes say the new setup gives you “greater visibility into which apps are requesting access to sensitive resources.” In plain terms, you finally get a list of desktop apps and a switch next to each one.
Where to find the new Windows 11 app permissions
If you’re on the right Insider build, the controls live in the same Settings area you already know. Here’s the path:
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- Go to Privacy & security and scroll to App permissions.
- Open Camera, Microphone or Location.
- Find the desktop app in the list and switch it on or off.
According to Geek Rewind’s walkthrough, changes apply immediately with no restart, and apps only appear in the list after they’ve asked for access. The main device-wide switch still sits at the top of each page, so if an allowed app can’t reach your webcam, check that switch first.
What stays the same, and what changes on first use
Microsoft says nothing resets. Apps that already had access keep it, apps you denied stay denied, and you don’t need to do anything after updating.
The new part is the first-time prompt. A desktop app that hasn’t touched your camera, microphone or location yet now has to ask the first time it wants in, much like an app on your phone.
Here’s how the two setups compare:
| What you’re looking at | Regular Windows 11 | Insider Beta 26220.9836 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera, mic and location for desktop apps | One shared switch | Allow or deny per app |
| Microsoft Store apps | Per-app controls | Per-app controls (unchanged) |
| Your existing allow/deny choices | Not applicable | Preserved, nothing resets |
| Who can use it | Everyone | Windows Insiders only |
Businesses get a small reassurance too: Microsoft says existing enterprise policies “continue to function as designed,” and it’s exploring more management options.
The “Unsigned” label and other quirks to expect
Most desktop apps will show up under their proper names. Microsoft warns, though, that apps built on shared system components or browser-hosted tech “might appear under a different name than expected.”
Some will carry an Unsigned tag when Windows can’t verify who published them. That doesn’t automatically mean something is malicious, since a small utility from an independent developer may simply lack a verified certificate. It does mean you should only grant access to apps you recognize and trust, which is Microsoft’s own advice.
One practical catch: if you block an entry you don’t recognize and a video-call app suddenly loses its camera, that entry may have been a component the app depends on. Flip it back and test again.
This is the latest in a run of Windows changes that try to protect you without much effort on your part, like memory integrity turning on by itself. Per-app prompts are the opposite kind of change, though, because they put the decision in your hands.
When will everyone get it?
Microsoft hasn’t given a date. BleepingComputer reported in August that the controls first appeared in Experimental Insider builds, and that they belong to Microsoft’s “Windows Baseline Security Mode” and “User Transparency and Consent” efforts, which will roll out in phases.
Those efforts trace back to a February announcement of smartphone-style permission prompts. Windows platform engineer Logan Iyer said at the time that users will get “transparency and consent control” over how apps use their data and device features.
Landing in the Beta channel often means a feature is maturing, but that’s an inference, not a promise. Even if you’ve already installed 26H2 (we covered how to get it in five minutes), expect a single shared switch until Microsoft ships this to the public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get per-app camera and microphone controls on a regular Windows 11 PC today?
No. The controls are in Windows Insider preview builds, starting with Beta build 26220.9836. Public builds still show one switch for all desktop apps.
Will updating reset my camera and microphone settings?
No. Microsoft says existing permission decisions are preserved, so allowed apps stay allowed and denied apps stay denied.
What does “Unsigned” mean next to an app?
Windows couldn’t verify the app’s publisher. Check where the app came from before you give it camera, microphone or location access.
Do Microsoft Store apps get this too?
Store apps already had per-app controls. The change brings traditional desktop programs in line with them.
Is it worth joining the Insider program just for this?
Probably not. Preview builds can be unstable, and Geek Rewind advises against running them on a work PC. Waiting for the public release is the safer route.
Our take
If your PC matters for work, wait. This is a long-overdue fix, but it isn’t worth a preview build, and the labels may still change before release. When it does reach stable Windows, spend ten minutes on it the same day: start with the old utilities you installed years ago, and turn off camera and microphone access for anything that has no obvious reason to use them.
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