Summary
- Finally: New Open apps maximized setting makes apps remember maximized state system‑wide (Insiders only).
- AutoPlay rebuilt in WinUI with native dark mode and Notification Center integration for external devices.
- Fixed: Feature Flags list no longer empty for Experimental channel Insiders after installing latest build.
Microsoft has released a new set of builds for Windows Insiders, including a number of improvements aimed at enhancing OS-level automation and modernising the user interface. The main feature in the August 21, 2026, update is a new accessibility option in the Visual Effects menu called “Open apps maximized”. This fixes a long-standing issue that has bothered desktop users for years — the fact you have to rescale your apps to fit your window every time you reopen them.
How to use “Open apps maximized”
It’s one of those annoying things we’ve just lived with
The best thing about this new setting is that it applies system-wide. Any application that can will now remember that you prefer your windows maximised, which removes the annoying need to manually adjust the window size you’ve had to do in the past.
The annoyance caused by window management is a recurring issue in the community. On the Windows subreddit, users have been lamenting the slight irritation associated with “window drift”, the situation where programmes continually fail to remember their previous state. One user recently expressed the atmosphere of the forum by saying, “I open a dozen applications as part of my morning routine and each day I spend the first two minutes just maximizing windows. That is objectively an inefficient way to begin a session.” I feel you, I’ve been doing the same!
This update is a direct response to the demand for a more predictable workspace; rather than requiring users to rely on third-party shell extensions to enforce certain window states, the operating system is finally incorporating this preference into its core accessibility framework.
How to set it up
To use the new feature, users in the Windows Insider program can go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and set ‘Open apps maximized’ to ‘On’. Although the feature is currently available only to Insider participants, its introduction will hopefully be rolled out to more users soon.
But open apps maximized isn’t the only thing in the August 21st Windows Insiders builds! Together with this change is a complete overhaul of the AutoPlay dialog box, which now uses WinUI to improve its responsiveness, supports native dark mode, and integrates smoothly with the Windows Notification Center for better monitoring of connections from external devices.
Microsoft has also fixed the issue that caused the Feature Flags list to appear empty for Insiders in the Experimental channel. You should now see Feature Flags reappear after installation of the latest Experimental build. Remember – this is only being tested as a Windows Insiders experiment, not guaranteed in a single dated public release. Fingers crossed though!