Twice a year, Microsoft releases what it calls a Feature Update to its market-leading desktop operating system, and its latest, Windows 10 May 2020 Update, is now available. It could take months for the rollout to reach all PCs, but impatient users can check Windows Update to see if their PC is ready for the update.
Though it’s a Feature Update, the May 2020 release doesn’t introduce any completely new features, but it does add capabilities and changes some existing OS components. We’ve been following its genesis based on the release channel preview builds, and we’ve rounded up the most important upgrades below. A lot of what’s new affects only specialized uses of the operating system, such as corporate, developer, or accessible environments.
There are plenty of minor fixes and specialized capabilities not included here—things like better Bluetooth pairing, more Kaomoji with Windows Key-period, improved Sandbox support, Virtual Desktop renaming, updates to Notepad, and more international language support. You can find more details on Microsoft’s Windows Experience blog.
Microsoft won’t force the update on anyone, and previous update glitches have put many in a wait-and-see posture when it comes to Windows updates, even though it has already been tested by over 10 million Windows Insider beta participants. The only machines facing a mandatory upgrade are those running a version that’s more than two years out of date.
To get the update, open the Settings app, select Update & Security, and then click the Check for Updates button. If your PC configuration is deemed capable of running the update, you can then choose to install it.
If you’re not content with just the current version of Windows, join the Windows Insider Program to see features that will appear in future releases. Of course, as it’s pre-release software, you may run into snags, so don’t run the preview version on essential PCs. Windows Insider offers Fast, Slow, and Release Preview builds, in order of stability.
