The Windows 10 Anniversary Update release date has been announced. Microsoft says that the new feature packed update will arrive on August 2.
Microsoft has also said that the update will be free, available for anyone running Windows 10. This is also the largest update to Windows 10 since its release. Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 OS is running on over 350 million devices.
The update was announced earlier this year during the Microsoft Build Developer conference. It includes a lot of new features and visual changes. Most important of these features include a redesigned Start Menu, improved Action Center, Notifications, Cortana, and Edge browser.
Users of Windows Ink will be able to do a lot more with Windows 10 now, thanks to improved pen support and other features. Sticky Notes have been improved as well, with support for Cortana. There’s a new screen capture tool and a whiteboard for quick drawings that can be accessed from anywhere.
Windows 10 Anniversary Update Features
Here’s a list of most of the new features and changes coming in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
- Windows Ink is getting a lot of new improvements with enhanced pen support. New API’s will allow developers to make better Ink related apps.
- The Start Menu gets a redesign, which according to Microsoft, will make it easier and faster to find and launch apps.
- Microsoft has added a new Dark Mode.
- Skype lovers will be happy to know that Skype now has a Universal Windows Platform app.
- Cortana gets plenty of improvements. You can summon Cortana in apps, it can be used to send notifications from your smartphone to your PC. Android smartphones will also be able to send notifications to a Windows PC.
- On a laptop or tablet, you can switch between virtual desktops using four finger swipe.
- The latest build also supports Biometric Authentication to sign in to websites, apps, etc.
- Cortana will work even before you log in with your id.
- Several small UI changes along with new icons for certain Windows apps.
- Universal windows apps on the Taskbar now support notification counts and badges.
- Notifications that appear via the Action Center and as popups, can now show images and other information in detail.
- Microsoft Edge browser will finally support extensions and navigation gestures.
- Developers will also love the update, as Microsoft has added native support for Ubuntu Bash. This means that you can run Linux code on Windows using a Unix terminal.
- The update will allow you to play with gamers on Xbox One. It will feature better support for DirectX 12 games. Gamers will really like this update, says Microsoft.
Overall, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update will provide better security, Cortana improvements, Windows Ink, improved Microsoft Edge, better gaming, and new tools for School.
Windows 10 Anniversary Update Release Date
If you’re a Windows Insider, you can try out some of the new features by download the latest Windows 10 update. Microsoft notes that all the features will not be available at launch. Some of the features will be released in a new update some time in 2017.
For now, the Anniversary Update is releasing on August 2nd, and it is a free update for anyone running Windows 10.