Microsoft dropped Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27924 into the Canary Channel on August 14, 2025, and it arrived with a payload that Insiders have been anticipating—and dreading—for months. The standout: a staged rollout of Recall, the controversial AI-powered snapshot feature, now available to testers on Copilot+ PCs. Alongside it come Click to Do, improved Windows Search, live captions with real-time translation, and an “Agent in Settings” assistant. The release also overhauls the Advanced Settings page with developer-friendly toggles and adds window-mode screen recording to the Snipping Tool.

This isn’t a routine flight. It’s a deliberate escalation in Microsoft’s Copilot+ strategy, pushing experimental AI tools from closed previews into the hands of Canary ring users. But the build arrives with ominous known issues—including a sign-in halting PIN and biometric loss on Copilot+ devices—that demand every tester’s attention before hitting the update button.

What’s new in Build 27924

The build, available as both a Windows Update download and ISO, activates a collection of Copilot+ experiences on qualifying hardware. Microsoft confirmed the features are being switched on gradually, so not every eligible device will see them immediately. Here’s what’s being enabled:

  • Recall (Preview): An opt-in timeline that captures encrypted local snapshots of your activity, letting you search past work by describing it (“the spreadsheet with the Q3 revenue chart”).
  • Click to Do (Preview): Contextual AI actions on highlighted text or images—summarize, extract, edit—triggered by Windows key + click.
  • Improved Windows Search: Natural language file search across local content and Recall snapshots, powered by the NPU.
  • Live captions with translation: Real-time speech-to-text with language translation for accessibility.
  • Agent in Settings: A new AI assistant integrated directly into Windows Settings.

Recall makes its Canary debut

Recall’s appearance in the Canary Channel marks its broadest Insider test yet, though the feature has lurked in Dev builds since late 2024. Tom’s Hardware reported that Recall launched to general availability for Copilot+ PCs earlier this year, but that rollout was staged and cautious, limited by the controversial privacy debates that have dogged the feature since its announcement. Build 27924 accelerates that rollout among testers willing to shoulder the risks.

“Recall is opt-in and encrypts snapshots using the device’s TPM,” Microsoft’s blog reiterated, adding that Windows Hello authentication is required to change settings. The feature filters sensitive data like passwords and credit card numbers, but early Insider testing—covered by The Verge and Tom’s Hardware—revealed gaps. Some sensitive information slipped through filters, and the security community raised alarms about local snapshot storage. Microsoft responded with additional hardening, but the final safeguards are still being validated.

For Canary testers, the immediate concern is less about surveillance and more about stability. On Copilot+ PCs, upgrading to Build 27924 can trigger error 0xd0000225, wiping your Windows Hello PIN and biometric enrollment. Microsoft acknowledges the bug and notes it can be fixed by recreating the PIN after the update, but losing sign-in credentials mid-upgrade is a stressful experience for anyone relying on passwordless authentication.

Click to Do and Improved Search: AI actions at your fingertips

Click to Do arrives in preview with a known regression: text and image actions may not work at all, and the feature can crash. Microsoft promises a fix in the next flight, but the bug renders one of the build’s marquee additions nearly useless for now. When it works, Click to Do provides a floating toolbar with actions like “Summarize” or “Remove background” for selected content. Tom’s Hardware notes that text actions currently require a Snapdragon X processor; Intel and AMD Copilot+ support is still months away.

Improved Windows Search leverages the NPU to parse natural language queries locally. Instead of exact file names, you can type “presentation from last month with sales numbers,” and the system returns relevant results from File Explorer and Settings. Microsoft has been testing this locally across Snapdragon, Intel, and AMD Copilot+ processors, and the capability is gradually expanding in this build.

Advanced Settings: a new home for power users

Build 27924 introduces a redesigned Settings > System > Advanced page, replacing the old “For developers” section with a cleaner, more discoverable layout. The page houses three notable controls:

  • Enable long paths: Removes the historic MAX_PATH limitation for Win32 apps. Developers working with deep directory trees will appreciate the toggle.
  • Virtual Workspaces: A master switch to enable or disable Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, and related platform virtualization services without digging into Windows Features.
  • File Explorer + Version Control: An integrated view that displays Git branch names, diff counts, and last commit messages directly in File Explorer for folders linked to repositories.

Microsoft is directing feedback for this feature to a dedicated GitHub repository (microsoft/WindowsAdvancedSettings), signaling a collaborative approach with the developer community. The File Explorer integration is the immediate productivity win, letting you see repository metadata at a glance without leaving your file browser.

Snipping Tool gains window-mode recording

Another practical upgrade: the Snipping Tool (version 11.2507.14.0 and higher) now offers a “window mode” for screen recording. When you start a recording, a new option lets you select a specific application window, and the capture area snaps to that window’s dimensions. The region is fixed once recording begins — it won’t follow the window if you move it — but it eliminates the need for manual cropping when you need a clean recording of a single app.

This update is rolling out to both Canary and Dev channels and, unlike the Copilot+ features, doesn’t require special hardware.

Fixes and known failures

Microsoft listed several fixes that shipped with Build 27924:

  • A UI glitch where progress wheel glyphs rendered incorrectly during upgrades has been resolved.
  • The Widgets panel no longer disappears for some Insiders.
  • Remote Desktop now correctly uses all selected monitors in multi-monitor configurations.
  • An underlying webauth.dll crash that could break passkey sign-in has been patched.

But the known issues list is sobering:

  • Copilot+ PC sign-in loss: As noted, the PIN and biometric wipe with error 0xd0000225 is the most disruptive bug. Have a fallback sign-in method ready.
  • Group Policy Editor: Users may see unexpected error popups.
  • dao360.dll crashes: Some apps may crash due to this underlying issue.
  • Click to Do (Preview) regression: Text and image actions are broken and the feature may crash outright. Microsoft says this will be fixed in the next flight.

These aren’t subtle bugs; they’re workflow-breaking gremlins that underscore the “experimental” label Canary carries.

Privacy, security, and the Recall debate

Recall’s journey from May 2024’s shock announcement to this Canary build has been turbulent. Security researchers quickly warned that local snapshot storage could be a goldmine for attackers, and early Insider previews showed sensitive information was captured despite filters. Microsoft delayed the feature multiple times, added TPM-backed encryption, and made Windows Hello a requirement for accessing Recall settings.

Tom’s Hardware’s coverage of the general availability launch emphasized that Recall remains a preview, with an emphasis on user control. You can opt out during setup, remove Recall entirely via Windows Features, or filter out specific apps and websites. Snapshots are stored only locally and are never used to train AI models. Still, the feature’s very nature—constantly taking screenshots of everything you do—makes many users uneasy.

Microsoft has directed Insiders to read Recall’s privacy settings carefully before enabling it. If you’re testing this build on a machine with sensitive data, consider leaving Recall off until the security model proves itself in wider use.

Who should install Build 27924—and who should wait

This build is designed for the Windows Insider equivalent of storm chasers. Install it if:

  • You have a Copilot+ PC and are eager to try Recall, Click to Do, and Improved Search in their current, imperfect state.
  • You’re a developer who wants the new Advanced Settings page and Git integration in File Explorer.
  • You accept that Canary builds can break critical functions without warning, and you have a full backup ready.

Skip it if:

  • Your PC is used for work, school, or anything you can’t afford to lose.
  • You rely on Windows Hello sign-in and can’t risk losing PIN or biometric access temporarily.
  • You’re not prepared to perform a clean install if you later decide to leave the Canary Channel.

How to get the build

Current Canary Insiders can check Windows Update; the build is also available as an ISO from aka.ms/wipISO. Microsoft recommends the ISO for clean installations or test environments. Insiders are also pointed to Flight Hub to track the full rollout picture across channels.

The bigger picture: Copilot+’s slow rollout continues

Build 27924 is more than a feature drop; it’s a signal that Microsoft believes its AI experiences are stable enough for Canary testers. But the bugs—especially the sign-in wipe—suggest the codebase is still volatile. Click to Do’s broken state diminishes the immediate value, and Recall’s privacy history will give thoughtful users pause.

Yet the direction is clear. Microsoft is pushing hard to make Copilot+ the defining differentiator of next-gen Windows PCs. The Advanced Settings overhaul and Snipping Tool update show the company is also polishing the underlying OS for power users. Whether these features will sway buyers, as Tom’s Hardware questioned, depends on stability and trust. For now, Canary testers get to kick the tires, file feedback, and help steer what comes next.