The spring update is the first big Windows 10 update for the OS in 2018. In this update, Microsoft’s focus is on Timeline, its Edge browser, and the Fluent Design system, among other things.
Microsoft’s Windows 10 s pring update is around the corner, and thanks to the Insider preview updates, we know what to expect from it.
Microsoft is primarily focusing this update on Fluent Design – its new design language – and cross-device compatibility as enabled by Edge and Timeline, which we’ll delve into shortly.
First of all, while we expect the spring update to ship with the name ‘Spring Creators Update’, Microsoft has not yet issued a confirmation of this name. So while we can infer that it is most likely going to be called the Spring Creators Update, until its official, we’ll be using the more generic Windows 10 spring update to refer to it.
The Windows 10 spring update may not be the most exciting update, nor may it have the most creative name if our hunch is correct, but it is feature-packed with a lot of tools that – depending on how you use your PC – can make you more productive.
If the Windows 10 spring update were to have a headlining feature, Timeline would be it.
Timeline is a new feature in Windows 10 which allows users to keep track of all their work across various devices, Windows 10, iOS and Android included.
For example, I was reading a PDF in Chrome a few weeks ago. Should I want to resume that experience, I merely have to open Task View, and scroll down until I find Chrome and the linked PDF, and re-open it from there. This feature works best with Microsoft apps and UWP apps. You won’t see webpages opened in Chrome for instance, but you’ll see Edge pages.
This isn’t limited to Windows either, you’ll see webpages opened in Edge on Android and iOS, and you’ll also be able to continue work on documents started on your phone or tablet.
Fluent Design is Microsoft’s design language used on all platforms from Windows 10 to the Xbox to even Android with Microsoft Launcher. Fluent Design debuted in Windows 10 last year, and with the spring update, the company is continuing to make more elements of Windows 10 « fluent ».
The two most common elements of Fluent Design that users will notice in this update are the Acrylic and Reveal elements. Acrylic is the transparent frosted glass-like effect that Microsoft uses to simulate blur, while Reveal lighting is a neat effect that highlights the movement of the cursor across the screen.
Acrylic has been applied to the share flyout, the taskbar, Microsoft’s Edge browser, and the Settings app.
The Reveal element, on the other hand, now finds itself present in the Start Menu, the calendar flyout on the taskbar, and system apps like Edge and the Settings app.
Microsoft will also be updating the built-in Messaging app with Acrylic. While the app doesn’t do much at the moment, the rise of e-SIMs and Always Connected PCs means that users will probably be using this app a little more in the future for carrier texts.
Microsoft is also making a number of changes to Cortana in the Windows 10 spring update.
First of all, all contextual, proactive content has been stripped from the assistant’s interface. This means that Cortana’s home-screen will no longer offer you proactive tips on the news and the weather, Microsoft will be moving those to the Action Center instead, while Cortana’s interface will shift focus to showing you tips of what you can do, and expose activities it thinks you would want to continue.
For U. S. users, Microsoft will be changing Cortana a little more than that. The company has evolved the UX of Cortana’s Notebook so that users can make better use of Cortana’s Skills and List features.
There’s a new in-app destination called « Organizer » which lets users access Lists and Reminders which were typically segregated. Organizer will also include « Collections », which lets you save things like Recipes and Movies from webpages, think Pinterest, but from Microsoft.
Aside from Organizer, the firm has also added a new tab in the Notebook for Cortana skills like music providers, connected homes, etc. This is so users can keep track of all the offered skills and find more useful ones as they explore Cortana.
Microsoft says that they’ll be offering more skills to additional markets in time, but for now, the skills are being limited to Cortana in the U. S.
Microsoft has taken further steps towards support for Progressive Web Apps in Windows 10. The Redmond giant implemented support for service workers in Edge last year. Service Workers are a set of APIs which allow webpages to function when devices are either offline or have limited functionality. They’re also what enable your favorite sites to send you notifications about updates without having them open in a new tab.
Microsoft will be making Progressive Web Apps available in the Store later this year, and comprehensive support for the necessary APIs was the final piece needed to get this project off the ground.
Another user-facing feature is an improvement of the auto-fill functionality on Edge.
In Google’s Chrome, users can have the browser fill in their card details from their Google accounts and then have them automatically entered in online checkouts without having to retype the card number. Microsoft is finally implementing that feature into Edge. Any card linked to your Microsoft account is now going to be available for use in auto-fill in Edge. In another improvement to auto-fill, a user can also save address information so that it can automatically fill that in when needed for things like deliveries, address registration and so on.
Microsoft is paying a lot of attention to the reading experience and has revamped the reading view in Edge so eBooks, PDF files, and webpages in reading mode all look the same for a consistent experience.
Microsoft has also added a new full-screen button when in reading mode. This makes it display your content in full-screen without browser chrome clutter.
Speaking of browser chrome, Microsoft has redesigned Edge in the spring update to take fuller advantage of Fluent Design. While Edge already incorporated Fluent Design in the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is indulging in the liberal use of Acrylic in the spring update throughout Edge including the address bar, reading mode, and so on. For users who prefer dark mode, Microsoft has shifted Edge’s dark theme from a dark gray theme to a deep-black theme, which not only looks better but also provides better contrast.
In Reading Mode, Microsoft has a new feature it calls Grammar Tools, aimed at improving mastery of reading your language of choice.
When enabled, it will let you break down words into syllables or highlight certain parts of speech like Nouns, Verbs, etc. I would think it is most useful for readers who are learning a new language. It will work in Edge’s reading mode for webpages, or alternatively if you load up an ePub file. You’ll need to download a new add-on from the store when prompted, but there are no other barriers to using this.
For users who buy eBooks from the Microsoft Store, this update will improve the data roaming functionality for Edge.
This means that when you stop reading a book in Edge on one device and open it on another device, Microsoft will make sure that it has kept track of all the changes such as reading progress, whatever notes you’ve made, and all the annotations scribbled on the eBook and sync it to the new device.
For those who prefer to read free ePub files on the web from Project Gutenberg or similar sites, you can now save your files from there to your PC.
Microsoft is also making some small tweaks to Edge’s InPrivate mode. Extensions will now work when browsing privately, so you can still use your translator and Adblock extensions while in InPrivate mode.
This has long since been supported by rival browsers like Google’s Chrome and has been requested ever since Edge first offered extensions.
Finally, Microsoft now lets users mute tabs in Edge. By selecting and clicking the audio icon, users can now mute tabs which are actively playing audio, and mitigate the scourge of auto-play video.
