The latest operating system of Windows has just released its first major update in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. As this operating system has completed one year and is providing some new features so this operating system has given its name as an Anniversary Update.
The new Anniversary Update is available at free of cost for all Windows 10 users and it includes everything from visual tweaks and security improvements to brand new features like Windows Ink and other features. Want to know what other features are there that have been involved in the Anniversary Update, then kindly go through the below post:
# 1. A Funkier Taskbar:
In the Anniversary Update, the Windows 10 has got some new and cool tweaks including prettier right-click menus and a dedicated section in the Settings menu. You can find this new feature under Personalization => Taskbar.
The taskbar clock and the calendar have been combined after this update. For this, you can simply click the clock and can see the time and a list of your day’s events. Or in case, if you have more than one multiple displays set up then the clock now appears on all of them.
#2. A More Confusing Start Menu:
Another thing you will notice in the new update is the Start menu. You will find that it has been changed. You will also notice that there is no longer an “All Apps” menu. Instead, the complete installed apps appear in a list on the left side of the Start menu. You will then see icons for your account, File Explorer, Downloads, Settings and Power to the left of this list. And in the right side, you will find the live tiles and the normal tiles.
#3. Windows Ink:
Now with this update, Windows 10 will get more pen and stylus friendly with the help of Windows Ink which is a new pen-centric experience that will allow you to use your active stylus throughout the operating system. This new update comes with its own special workspace which can be easily accessed via icon in the system tray.
You will also find a new app including a screen sketch app that allows you scribble on screenshots in such a manner that it is quite similar to Microsoft Edge’s Inking feature. Now Ink will be easily integrated into existing apps and the key apps will have some special features like being able to draw custom routes in the Maps app.
Now it would be quite possible for stylus users to customize their pen’s buttons and settings from the Devices tab of the Setting menu.
#4. Edge Extension:
After facing so many complications, finally the new Edge browser gets support for browser extensions. The company selected to debut Edge sans extensions a year ago. Despite the fact that most other modem browsers like Safari, Firefox, Chrome support third-party add-ons and extensions because of security risks.
Some third party Edge extensions including AdBlock, the Pinterest Pin It Button and Evernote will be available at lunch, with some expectations to come with new features. Now extensions can be easily available via the Windows Store.
#5. Edge Improvements:
There is not only Browser Extension which need not to have a look forward to in the Anniversary Update. This will now receive different small enhancements that will hopefully make it more and more user-friendly. Some of the enhancements include:
- Swipe navigation
- Ability to pin tabs in the browser
- A paste-and-go option for the address bar
- Improved organization of bookmarks and favorites
- Web notifications from websites in your Action Center
- Ability to drag-and-drop folders to cloud storage services
- In-progress download reminders when you close the browser
- Click-to-play Flash video (videos will not play automatically)
- History menu that can be accessed by right-clicking the back or forward button
#6. Windows Hello for Apps and Websites:
Windows Hello has already their users to sign into their computer using facial recognition, which is a fingerprint or an iris scan. Windows Hello will be available on supported websites as long as you are browsing with Edge in the New Anniversary Update. This is the first browser that will offer you native support biometrics. It will also get worked on Windows apps which means that you will soon be able to sign into website with your face
Also, Windows Hello will allow you sign into your PC using a “companion device” like USB security token which is an activity tracking band or a smartphone.
#7. An improved Windows Defender:
If you are installing any third-party anti-virus program in Windows 10 then Windows Defender will disable the anti-virus program automatically. But just because of the new update in Windows 10 called Limited Periodic Scanning, this defender will now be able to act as an “additional lines to defense” to the anti-virus program exists in your computer. Windows Defender will turn itself on to scan your system periodically without interfering with your existing anti-virus program when Limited Periodic Scanning is turned on.
The Anniversary Update will bring Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection for enterprise users. It allows stopping advanced malicious attacks on networks and Windows Information Protection, it is itself designed to help protect corporate data.
#8. Xbox Play Anywhere:
Xbox Play Anywhere will let you bring universal gaming to Xbox and Windows 10 devices. Xbox Play Anywhere. This feature is limited to upcoming titles. However, the games are purchased on the Xbox can be played on Windows 10 systems and vice versa. Also, you will be able to move seamlessly between devices and you can start playing a game on your Xbox One and can easily pick it up later on your PC.
#9. A more useful Action Center:
All notifications are created not equally and the Windows 10 Action Center takes note of that in this new update. Some notifications are grouped now by an app and it can be easily dismissed in chunks. Also, you can now set priority levels for each individual app in the Settings menu as:
Settings => System => Notifications & Actions
To one of the three options available. Top displays at the top of them Action center while High is displayed in the middle above Normal and below top. Also, you can now customize the number of notifications which is to be shown from each app and the things like whether an app’s notifications appear as pop-up banners or sounds.
#10. Android Notifications in your Action Center:
In android devices, you will find now an app called Cortana which will allow you connect your Android devices with your Windows 10 systems for super convenient “universal” notifications. Once this device is connected, Cortana will be able to do things like mirror your Android notifications in the Windows 10 Action Center and can remotely locate and ring your phone from your PC. Also, you will be able to receive text messages from your phone to your Windows 10 systems.
#11. A Dark Theme:
All the time, Windows 10 is all white but this will no longer exists. You will now soon be able to pick a much more eye-friendly dark theme for default Windows apps like Settings menu, calculator app and the map app. Under the Settings menu, you will get Personalization tab, from there only, you can pick one of two app modes: Dark and Light where light is the default mode. The dark mode features a black background, dark gray scrollbars and white text and it also affects most default Windows 10 apps but excluding the File Explorer.
#12. Active Hours:
The new feature updates “Active Hours” that you can set to correspond to all the hours you are normally active on your system. Now, Windows will not restart your device to install updates during these hours. Now, you will see the Active Hours in the Settings menu under Update & Security =>Windows Update => Change Active Hours. This can only be designated up to 12 hours as “Active”.
If you use your PC during non-active hours then Windows still offers the option to temporary override active hours and you can also set a customer restart time.
#13. New Emojis:
In Windows 10, Microsoft has designed all of the emojis to be “detailed expressive and playful”. The new emojis are large and bold with bright colors, six different skin tone options and a two-pixel thick outline. If you want to find some new emojis on your Windows 10 system, you will need to use the on-screen touch keyboard. This can be easily accessed by clicking the keyboard icon in the system tray.
#14. Pin a Window or Program on all Desktops:
The virtual desktop of Windows 10 still has the room for improvement, but Microsoft has not completely forgotten about them in the Anniversary Update. Now you will be easily able to “Pin”, an open window for all windows from a specific program to all desktops. To do so, you will need to open virtual desktops by simply clicking the Task View button, right-clicking on the Windows/programs that you want to pin and then selecting Show this window on all desktops or Show windows from this app on all desktops.
#15. Bash on Windows 10:
Another most important and the biggest surprises announced for the Windows 10 Update is the addition of the Bash shell to the operating system. Microsoft has decided to partner with Canonical (creators of Ubuntu Linux) in order to expand the command line capabilities in Windows 10 by simply adding native Bash support for Linux commands. With this update, you will be able to open the Command Prompt and type Bash and then press Enter key to run the Ubuntu user mode on Windows. For this, you will have to access to Linux tools like awk, sed, grep and other tools like Ruby, Python, Git and others.
#16. Cortana:
Cortana will be now able to help also before you login into your account. The new update will feature a new version of Cortana available on the Lock screen as an overlay with a blurred background. When this new feature is enabled, users will be able to say “Hey Cortana” to use voice commands in order to perform tasks like to make a note, play music, set reminders and other while your computer is locked. Cortana will now be able to understand the natural conversations and automatically include additional information into the conversation.
#17. Full-Screen Start:
Tablet users have had it hard in Windows 10 as compared to what they were provided with in Windows 8. However, the optional full-screen Start in this latest OS has also been redesigned with rearranged tiles that better take advantage of the increased space. The new strip of icons also makes an appearance here.
#18. Improved Notifications:
Another features is the toast notifications that pop-up in the bottom right-bottom right-hand corner of Windows 10 can now be responded to in the Action Center. They are also more dynamic now with app developers that get the ability to include more information, clickable links and images in them.
#19. New Accessibility Features:
Another important feature added in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is the text-to-speech tool, thanks to the Au and the new voices in the narrator offer a much higher top sped of speech of approximately 800 words per minute.
Wrap Up:
While Microsoft focuses the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on attracting more developers, the Microsoft company is also planning to improve the other features that we already have in place that will unify the user experience across devices. But always keep in mind that while many new features are coming to Windows 10, Microsoft will not be able to make them available everything at once. However, apart from these above-mentioned features, Microsoft are trying to make some updates in their products like Skype, Xbox One, Hololens and others.