Windows 11 Build 27898 Adds Small Taskbar Icons, Quick Recovery, Smarter Sharing
Readers help support Windows Report. We may get a commission if you buy through our links.
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team. Read more
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 27898 to the Canary Channel. This update comes with some long-overdue changes, with some entirely new ones.
Small taskbar icons are finally here. You can now shrink them down to save space, set them to change only when the taskbar is full, or keep the default size. The new setting is tucked under the usual taskbar appearance options in Settings.
Another standout is Quick Machine Recovery. First teased during Ignite 2025, it’s meant for fixing Windows installs that can’t boot. It runs through Windows Recovery and applies patches without needing a full reinstallation. You’ll find it under System > Recovery.
Accessibility is also getting smarter. Voice Access now supports training for hard-to-pronounce words, and it works in English, French, German, Spanish, and Chinese. The narrator feature gets a Screen Curtain toggle, which blacks out your display while keeping narration active. Just press Caps + Ctrl + C to turn it on.
There’s more polish across the OS, too. The context menu now has visual dividers to separate actions, while Share dialogs preview links before you send them. Privacy prompts now dim the app they pop over, making things clearer.
For those watching power usage, a new adaptive energy saver can automatically turn on without dimming your screen, depending on load and power state. It’s a subtle addition, but one that might help stretch your battery life without being annoying. Not to forget, this build has introduced Vista chime once again.
