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Windows 10 October 2018 Update: The Best New Features

 & Michael Muchmore Contributor

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At an event in New York yesterday, Microsoft not only unveiled updated Surface computers and a new noise-cancelling headset, but it also announced that the next version of Windows 10, the October 2018 Update, would be immediately available.

The update will begin rolling out to users with automatic updates enabled starting on Oct. 9, but users can grab it on-demand now.

Windows Insiders have been testing this update for a while, so the new features are not a surprise to Windows 10 aficionados. These aren't the kind of updates that completely change the face of Windows, and there are fewer marquee features than we've seen in some previous updates, such as the Timeline, My People, or the upcoming Sets feature.

The October Update continues with Microsoft's theme of tying your PC to your smartphone. While iPhone users get some integration, Android users, especially in this Windows update, get far more capabilities for interaction between their phone and PC. Company spokespeople told me that Microsoft is working with Apple to try to get more integration, and things like the Timeline will indeed be coming to iOS through apps like the mobile versions of Edge and Cortana. Android is far more open, especially with its replaceable launcher.

There are quite a few more minor updates, not even included in this list, that should help with security, accessibility, and productivity features. Alongside the Windows features, Microsoft has added new functionality to Office, such as integration of To-Do tasks in Outlook. There are even new and redesigned emoji—who doesn't love those? Read on for our picks for the best new features in Windows 10 October 2018 Update.

Your Phone App

This is probably the biggest new piece in Windows 10 October 2018 Update. It should make Android users happy, but it will be a disappointment for iPhone users like myself (and the vast majority of my contacts).

The best capabilities of the new app are: (1) it lets you see photos shot on the phone and drag and drop them from the Your Phone app into Windows apps; (2) it lets you send text messages in the PC app; and (3) it lets you see your Timeline on the phone. You just need to be signed into the same Microsoft account on the PC and in the Microsoft Launcher app on the Android device. Android 7.0 or later is required for full functionality.

Apple users will smirk to think that they've had these capabilities between iPhone and Macs for years; Your Phone gives Android and Windows users parity. Microsoft reps indicated that they're working with Apple to try to get similar capabilities in Your Phone for iPhones. And the Timeline will be coming to iOS through the Edge app. Another upcoming feature is support for multiple phones—now it's just one-to-one.

An even cooler feature coming to Your Phone for Android users is app mirroring, which will basically let you run Android apps on your PC. Try that with iOS apps, Mac users!

Cloud Clipboard

This revamped clipboard lets you access several previously copied items—a convenience that's long overdue on all computing platforms. You access the list of copied items using Windows Key-V instead of Ctrl-V. Syncing the clipboard to Android phones is on the way, as well.

New Screen Capture Utility

Screen capture has long been a point of pride for Mac users, despite Windows having made good advances in the area over the last few years. Most probably still don't know that you can select an area for capture with Windows Key-Shift-S, or that you can set OneDrive to store PrintScreen captures to the cloud as a PNG file.

New for the Windows October 2018 Update is both the ability to see and use your clipboard history and to sync it among PCs signed into the same account.

There's also a new clipping utility, called Snip & Sketch, that lets you mark up screenshots you've snapped and use a digital pen. The new utility, which takes over from the Snipping Tool, pops up a window in the lower-right corner after you use Shift-Windows key-S to take a screenshot, asking if you want to mark up the screenshot. It's very similar to macOS Mojave's new screen capture tool, except with the digital inking capability added.

You can still hit the good-old Print Screen key (or combine it with Alt for just the current window) and get your screen capture in the clipboard. And it will appear in the clipboard history list, as discussed in the previous slide.

New Search Panel From Start Button

The simple Cortana search panel has been completely redesigned. It's now wider, with clear information about what type of items you've searched, whether documents on the PC or web results. Its sports clear tiles for Apps, Settings, Documents, Photos, and Web. When you enter a search for, say, a Word document, you'll see choices for opening it, opening its folder location, and copying its full path.

Dark Mode for File Explorer

Apple introduced a more consistent dark mode in its Mojave update to macOS. And while Windows 10 has offered dark mode even before Apple did, it didn't apply as consistently across the board as it does on macOS. Before the October 2018 Update, you could get a dark Start menu, Taskbar, Action center, Settings app, and Store.

Finally, we get a dark mode for the frequently used File Explorer window. There are still, unfortunately, some legacy interface pieces that hew back to Windows XP's less attractive design, such as the Device Drivers window, the Sound configuration dialog, and the many Troubleshooter utilities.

Stop Autoplay in Edge Browser and More

The Edge web browser is fast, great-looking (with Fluent design, especially in dark mode), and has unique tab capabilities, a reading mode, and built-in online sharing. The Windows 10 October 2018 Update brings plenty of new features to the browser. Of interest to most people is a new setting to prevent web videos and sound from playing automatically. Chrome used to offer this option, but now the lords of search advertising think they should decide for you.

The browser also sports a redesigned Settings panel that's clearer and resembles the main OS Settings design, complete with Fluent design transparency. Tab design has been tweaked to make which tab is active clearer. You can also now customize toolbar icons.

Also new for the browser are color Themes, Learning Tools, Grammar Tools, Line Focus (to help reading comprehension), and an offline dictionary. Edge's PDF display capabilities have also been revamped, with a new menu.

Swipe Touch Text Entry With SwiftKey

Mobile phones have long had swiping keyboards to enter text more quickly. Windows 10 October 2018 Update brings this capability to touch-screen PCs and tablets. SwiftKey learns your writing style to make better predictions about what you're writing. If you want to be hands-free, don't forget that tapping the mic icon or Windows Key-H lets you type with your voice.

New Game Bar

The Game Bar, summoned with Windows key-G or from the Start menu, lets you switch to gaming mode (which pools system resources to the game and turns off notifications and lets you record and broadcast your gaming), is now an app. It's been redesigned, and now includes audio controls and suppresses Windows updates during gaming.

New Sticky Notes

The previous version of Windows' Sticky Notes had a fatal flaw: When you closed one, it was gone forever. The October 2018 Update not only saves a history list of your Sticky Notes, but lets you sync them between PCs.

New Skype Features

Skype comes with Windows, though it's still a separate app you can use on any platform. You can now share directly from File Explorer or Edge to the redesigned Skype without even opening the app. Skype also now lets you record calls, integrates with To-Do to create tasks, offers encrypted calls and messaging, and lets you customize your chat bubbles.

Ease of Access Improvements

The new Make Everything Bigger choice in Ease of Access's Display settings will be welcome to anyone who's used to squinting at their screen. Microsoft has also made improvements to Narrator and Magnifier.

Windows Security

Windows Defender is now called simply Windows Security. Its virus and threat protection has been improved, and made more understandable in the redesigned Fluent interface. Ransomware protection locks your folders to trusted apps. The Windows Security window now has a Security providers page that gives access to your Norton, McAfee, ESET, or whatever protection tools you have installed.

About Our Expert

Michael Muchmore

Michael Muchmore

Contributor

My Experience

I've been testing PC and mobile software for more than 20 years, focusing on photo and video editing, operating systems, and web browsers. Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech and headed up PCMag’s enterprise software team. I’ve attended trade shows for Microsoft, Google, and Apple and written about all of them and their products.

I still get a kick out of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft misstep and win, up to the latest Windows 11.

I’m an avid bird photographer and traveler—I’ve been to 40 countries, many with great birds! Because I’m also a classical music fan and former performer, I’ve reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music.

Technology I Use

For everyday work, I use a good-old Dell tower with 16GB of RAM, a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, and an Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti GPU that runs on Windows 11. I pair it with a 4K Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-10 monitor and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. For offsite work, I use a 2024 Microsoft Surface Laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. Camera-wise, I moved to mirrorless from a Canon EOS 80D with a Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens. I now have a Canon EOS R7 with a 100-400mm lens, but I miss my DSLR for several reasons.

In order of usage, the software I turn to most frequently is the Edge web browser, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, Firefox, Brave, and WhatsApp. I use the Windows Phone link app to see everything on my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone, which has excellent telephoto capability.

For fitness monitoring, I have a Fitbit Charge 6 and use an Anker Smart Scale P1. I’m also a streaming fan, so I subscribe to both Amazon Music Unlimited (especially for its Dolby Atmos content) and Qobuz (for its high-res sound quality and classical catalog). I recently added a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE, which sounds surprisingly good given its low price. To holler commands instead of using a remote control, I have the Amazon Fire TV Cube in the living room, which lets me verbally tell the TV what I want to watch. It hooks up to an LG B4 OLED TV. I have a Sonos One speaker in my kitchen that also ties in with Alexa, as does the Echo Dot 2 With Clock in my bedroom. For serious listening, I have B&W 601 speakers plugged into a Conrad-Johnson Sonographe amp and preamp, with a Cambridge Audio AXN10 streamer as source. For reading, I also have a Nook GlowLight 3.

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