Microsoft has started rolling out the Windows 10 October 2020 update, and while it’s far from the biggest update to the operating system, there are still few new things worth noting.
First, there’s that Start menu change. Microsoft says it has a streamlined design and there’s a more uniform look for tiles, which now have a transparent background. You can add an accent color to jazz things up a bit through the Start, taskbar and action center in Windows settings.
Microsoft Edge is now baked a bit more deeply into the OS. If you pin websites to your taskbar, whenever you hover over the icon, you’ll see all the tabs you have open for that site. In addition, Microsoft has changed up how alt-tab window switching works. Not only will you be able to zip through the apps you have open, you’ll see all of your open tabs in Edge in that view as well.
The update has a number of other features, including an option to bump up your display’s refresh rate directly from the system settings, rather than doing so through your graphics card software. Notifications now include app logos, making it easier to see at a glance where that ping is coming from. On the flip side, you won’t get a notification when you shift to tablet mode on a 2-in-1 laptop. Meanwhile, Microsoft has cleaned some of the clutter out of the taskbar for new users.
If your device is immediately supported, then you can check for the Windows 10 October 2020 Update in the Windows Update section of settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update). Otherwise, this latest update should appear in the coming weeks.
