Everything you should know about the big Windows 10 update
Microsoft has released the latest version of Windows 10 for PCs and tablets called Windows 10 April 2018 update. It includes updates to Cortana, Edge, audio preferences, sharing capabilities, and is full of small new features that improve the overall experience without dramatically changing the platform. The free update particularly focuses on optimizing time and task management.
The update is a gradual roll-out and you will receive a notification from Windows Update when it is ready to be installed on your device. You can also manually update Windows 10 from the Settings app or download the latest version directly from Microsoft's website.
The biggest addition to Windows 10 is the Timeline feature. Replacing the Task View button, it not only now shows which apps are currently running, but also a history of the apps you've used in the last 30 days. The feature can sync across multiple devices, so you can leave a document mid-way on a laptop, and pick it back up on a desktop.
The Microsoft Edge app for iOS and Android are compatible with the Timeline feature. Through it, you can access your smartphone browser history on your PC. To alleviate privacy concerns, device sync on Timeline is disabled by default and you can also disable activity history.
Focus Assist, previously known as Quiet Hours, is Microsoft's updated version of the Do Not Disturb mode. It'll mute or block notifications, e-mails, and messages according to the schedule it's set on. Once it reaches the set time limit, it'll provide a summary of everything you missed. You can also white-list specific people and apps so that their messages and notifications still get through.
As the name suggests, this feature lets you dictate into any app or text box. Launch it with the "windows key + H" keyboard shortcut and start talking. The feature can be really helpful if you've got a good mic.
Cortana will now suggest tasks you might want to resume from previous devices. It has also become compatible with Google's Nest thermostat and music streaming app Spotify. Edge can now automatically filter out clutter when taking printouts from websites and mute audio for specific tabs. It has also added some new Grammar Tools, and improved upon e-book, design, and gesture support functionalities.
Similar to Apple's AirDrop, Nearby Sharing allows users to send files to other devices over-the-air. This can be used to share videos, photos, and documents to any nearby Windows 10 devices. Nearby Sharing is disabled by default.
In an extremely useful update, you can now go to audio settings and customize the audio input and output for every application. This means you can have Spotify coming out of your speakers and YouTube out of your headset at the same time. Further, Windows 10 will now detect a blurry app and attempt to automatically scale it up or down for better clarity.
