Microsoft accidentally leaks internal tool that can enable hidden Windows 11 features
StagingTool can enable hidden and unannounced features in Windows 11 preview builds.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
Microsoft has accidentally leaked an internal tool that can enable in-development and hidden features found in Insider preview builds ofWindows 11. The tool, dubbed “StagingTool,” allows Microsoft engineers and testers to try out features that are still being built, as well as override A/B testing to gain access to features regardless of if you got them “officially” or not.
The tool was spottedin a “bug bash” quest in the Feedback Hub, where a link to the StagingTool was included but only intended for internal testers. The quests have since been pulled, but the StagingTool is now already being shared around on the web.
The internal quests also made mention of “Moments,” which Microsoft still hasn’t publicly acknowledged as the name of its Windows 11 feature drops. I detailedMicrosoft’s plans for its new “moments engineering” schedulelast year, but the company has only ever publicly described these updates as “continuous innovation.”
The StagingTool is a command line interface that uses “feature IDs” to enable and disable features.Many feature IDs can be found on GitHub(thanks, Rafael, keep them coming) whenever a new Windows 11 Insider Preview build is released. Using those IDs, you can use the StagingTool to enable the feature easily.
Microsoft has previously proclaimed that its A/B testing methods are essential to Windows development. Still, this internal tool can override those methods for those who want access to new features immediately. Third-party tools such as ViveTool and Mach2 have been doing the same thing for a while, but StagingTool uses Microsoft’s “official” methods for enabling these hidden features.
Windows 11 Insiders are currently partaking in a “bug bash,” when Microsoft issues several tasks for people to complete and submit feedback on. The bug bash quests can be found in the Windows Feedback Hub, and partaking in the bug bash often concludes with a badge in the Feedback Hub that acknowledges your participation.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch onTwitterandThreads
