Windows 10 S is Microsoft’s lightweight and secure OS – here’s all you need to know about Windows 10 S Mode.
First revealed as a standalone operating system in May 2017, Windows 10 S initially faced some mixed reception. However, in the years since, the slim OS never stopped evolving. Most of the criticism it faced came down to the restrictions it places on anyone trying to install third party programs. But, now that you can switch out of Windows 10 S Mode, it’s a much more palatable OS.
Windows 10 S Mode will limit you to apps found on the Microsoft Store, rather than being able to install whatever you want. Fortunately, you can switch out of S Mode whenever you like it for free these days, so you’re not stuck with it.
But, Windows 10 S Mode makes a lot of sense for the right kind of user and device – either with the Surface Go or if you manage to get Windows 10 running on your Raspberry Pi 3. And, even for people using dual-screen devices, we’ve seen reports that Microsoft is working on “ Windows Lite” which would operate much like Chrome OS.
Windows 10 S Mode will also be able to take advantage of any Windows 10 updates, like the October 2018 Update (even though that update is being adopted pretty slowly), the upcoming Windows 10 April 2019 Update, and even the untitled 2020 update that just started beta testing .
That means you get neat features like the April Update’s “Light Mode” and useful storage space tools, not to mention the possibility of playing Xbox One games natively .
Windows 10 S Mode is a major component of the Windows 10 experience these days, so we thought it would be a good idea to dive in and explore everything the lightweight operating system can do. Be sure to keep this page bookmarked, and we’ll update it with any Windows 10 S news that shows up.
Windows 10 S first launched on May 2,2017, with devices using the OS trickling out over the following months. And, now, Windows 10 S is bigger than ever, a fact that we expect Microsoft to celebrate with new Surface devices at Tuesday’s press event – these lower-spec Windows 10 devices are more versatile than ever before.
There are plans to allow Windows 10 S users to switch out of S Mode through a UI toggle, but that’s not available at the time of writing. Luckily, you can still easily switch out of S Mode – just head to the Windows Store on your device and search for ‘switch out of S Mode’.
