What's new in recent Windows 10 updates

November 16 • 1:44 pm

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New features in recent Windows updates will help you customize your PC, increase security, and get more creative with Windows 10. With these updates, it’ll also be easier to get things done on your PC and across your other devices, including syncing to Android phones (7.0 or later).

Ready to start? See Get the Windows 10 October 2020 Update.

Choose your favorite color mode

The Colors page in Windows Settings shown in dark mode

Make your apps and app tiles stand out by switching to Light or Dark mode. Select Start > Settings > Personalization > Colors . Under Choose your color, select either Light or Dark mode.

Keep tabs on your website tabs

A preview of two webpages in Microsoft Edge that have been pinned to the taskbar

When you’re on a frequently-used website and have a lot of tabs open, pin that site to your taskbar. Then, just hover over the pin to see a preview of all the open tabs.

To pin website to the taskbar, in Microsoft Edge, go to Settings and more > More tools > Pin to taskbar .

Quickly jump between open webpages with Alt + Tab

Toggling between open webpages in Microsoft Edge using Alt + Tab

Select the Alt key and tap Tab to toggle through all the apps and items you have open, including website tabs in Microsoft Edge.

Go passwordless with Microsoft accounts on your device

The option to use Windows Hello to sign in for Microsoft accounts turned on.

Keep your device even more secure by removing passwords when signing in to Windows with Microsoft accounts on your device. Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options , and then turn on Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts.

Have Magnifier read text aloud

Magnifier reading text aloud.

Magnifier, the screen-magnifying feature that comes with Windows 10, can also read text aloud. To use it, turn on Magnifier by pressing the Windows logo key‌   + Plus sign (+), select Read from here, then use your mouse pointer to select where you’d like to begin.

Make your text cursor easier to find

The Settings page for text cursor

The text cursor indicator adds a splash of color to your text cursor, making it easier to find in a sea of text. To turn it on and change its size and color, go to  Start   > Settings   > Ease of Access  > Text cursor.

Create events quickly

A calendar entry field on a PC taskbar

Add an event or reminder to your calendar right from the taskbar. On the taskbar, select the date and time, then enter your details in the text box that says Add an event or reminder.

Get to notification settings from the taskbar

The manage notifications option on the notifications menu.

To choose where notifications show up and how to sort them, select Notifications > Manage notifications on the taskbar.

Add emoji from your keyboard

Shortcut emoji panel

Express yourself however and wherever you want. Press the Windows logo key + period (.) to open an emoji panel. Use kaomojis to create faces with text, and symbols—like punctuation and currency—to make a statement.

Bring the Microsoft experience to your Android phone

Bring a Microsoft experience to your Android phone with the Microsoft Launcher app

Open the Google Play Store app on your Android phone, type Microsoft Launcher in the search box, and then install it. Once Microsoft Launcher is installed, you can get beautiful Bing wallpapers that refresh daily, sync your Office docs and calendar, and more.

Make your pointer easier to see

Change the size of your cursor or pointer in Ease of access settings.

If you’re having trouble spotting your pointer on your screen, make it bigger or change the color. Select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Cursor & pointer.

Change cursor & pointer settings

Make things on your screen larger

Make text bigger slider

To make just the text on your screen bigger, select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Display , then adjust the slider under Make text bigger. To make everything bigger, choose an option from the drop-down menu under Make everything bigger.

Use Snip & Sketch to capture, mark up, and share images

Screen sketch is now called Snip & Sketch. Open Snip & Sketch to take a snip of what’s on your screen or to mark up and share a previous image. In the search box on the taskbar, type Snip & Sketch, then select Snip & Sketch from the list of results to open the app.

To quickly take a snip, press the Windows logo key +Shift+S. You’ll see your screen darken and your cursor displayed as a cross. Choose a point at the edge of the area you want to copy and left-click the cursor. Move your cursor to highlight the area you want to capture. The area you capture will appear on your screen.

The image you snipped is saved to your clipboard, ready for pasting into an email or document. If you want to edit the image, select the notification that appears after you’ve made your snip. Snip & Sketch offers options to save, copy, or share and includes a pen, highlighter, and an eraser, all with variable line widths.

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What’s new in recent Windows 10 updates