Windows 10 Redstone 5 promises to bring yet more new features to Windows 10. Here’s everything we know so far.
Microsoft, as ever, continues to support Windows 10 with major overhauls, and now that the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, previously known as Redstone 4, has been released, Microsoft has shifted its attention towards working on Redstone 5.
Just like the previous Windows 10 updates, Windows 10 Redstone 5 will bring a large number of new and exciting features to the operating system, and we’ll collect all the information we know about the upcoming update right here in this article – so make sure you bookmark it.
We’ll also speculate on the release date for Windows 10 Redstone 5, and we’ll constantly update this article as new information emerges.
So, when will Windows 10 Redstone 5 grace our computers? While Microsoft hasn’t given us a definitive date, it’s pretty much expected that it’ll come out at the end of 2018, likely around September or October.
This would follow Microsoft’s pattern of releasing a major Redstone update for Windows 10 in those months, and then another Redstone update in March or April.
The Windows 10 April 2018 Update launched (just barely) in April, so we can be pretty confident about its follow up coming later in the year.
As Microsoft has been releasing early versions of Redstone 5 to some of its users who have signed up for the Windows Insider program, we’re able to keep an eye on how things are progressing with the update, and it appears to be on track for a release later on this year.
However, Microsoft did have trouble getting the April 2018 Update out on time, so we may see the release date for its successor slipping back as well.
Redstone 5 is just the codename for the next major update to Windows 10, so expect it to have a catchier name closer to release. Previous major Redstone updates were called ‘ Anniversary Update ’, ‘ Creators Update ’ and ‘ Fall Creators Update ’.
So, we may be in for another ‘Fall Update’ variant. However, while we expected Redstone 4 to be called the ‘Spring Creators Update’, it ended up being called April 2018 Update. So maybe Redstone 5 will be called October 2018 Update, or something similar, instead.
Because of the extensive testing process of Windows 10 Redstone 5, we have a good idea of some – but not all – of the features coming in the update. These are the features we know about so far.
Microsoft introduced elements of the Fluent Design user interface with the April 2018 Update, and at its Build 2018 event, it showed off more effects and features that will come in Redstone 5.
So, expect more apps, including standard Windows programs, using the Fluent Design interface, and there will be some eye-catching 3D effects for Mixed Reality experiences.
One of the most anticipated upcoming features, which many expect to arrive properly in Redstone 5, are Sets. These should make multi-tasking in Windows 10 better than ever.
The basic idea is to bring the concept of tabs from the web browser to the entire interface of the OS in general, so you can have windows with tabs that contain web pages, apps, folders – a mix of everything essentially.
At Build, Microsoft showed off more about the potential of Sets in Windows 10, showing how you can have an open document, and clicking a web link will open the web page in a tab next to the document, with everything you open organized in that Set.
You’ll then be reminded with prompts while your working about the tabs, which should give you intelligent help when working across a variety of documents, apps and websites.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are websites (or web apps) that are implemented as native apps and act just like a normal app would, giving users notifications, live tiles, and even working offline in Windows 10. At Build 2018, Microsoft showed how these web apps will integrate better with Windows 10 in Redstone 5.
They will look and behave more like standard Windows 10 apps thanks to an improved interface, and Microsoft also revealed that you’ll be able to download the apps directly from its Edge web browser.
Microsoft is making a big deal of having Windows 10 work with all manner of devices, and with Redstone 5, we should see a radically improved Your Phone app that will allow you to easily interact with your smartphone through Windows 10.
You’ll be able to read and reply to text messages from your Windows 10 device, as well as easily share files, photos and more between your PC and your phone.
A new feature spotted by people using an early version of Redstone 5 is the cloud clipboard, which will allow users to copy and paste across different devices thanks to the new cloud-powered clipboard. User can trigger the new function by simply hitting Windows Key + C.
The copied content will then be available in other Windows 10 devices, and in the future Android and iOS devices as well.
Another feature due to arrive with Windows 10 Redstone 5 is improved search previews. These now support apps, documents and other files, and should make searching Windows 10 even easier.
