Microsoft just announced a huge new update to Windows 10 — here's what's new
Microsoft CEO Satya NadellaStephen Brashear/Getty ImagesOn Friday, Microsoft is starting to push out the April 2018 Update to Windows 10 — a free upgrade to the operating system that makes lots of small tweaks, while also adding a bunch of new features.
The flagship new features in the Windows 10 update include Timeline, a nifty way to keep track of what files you were working on, when, and from what devices, and Focus Assist, which makes it so you only see the notifications you want to see while you're working.
If that's all you need to hear, you can manually download the update straight from Microsoft starting later today, by way of the Windows Update tool. Otherwise, Windows 10 will start bugging you to upgrade beginning on May 8, and pushing it out as part of the normal update process.
Microsoft releases these big updates twice a year. This time, though, one thing is a little different: The nomenclature. In the past, they've come with flowery names like "Anniversary Update" or "Creators Update." The more straightforward "April 2018 Update" name is just so people can keep track, says Microsoft.
Notably, the April 2018 Update was widely expected to launch earlier in the month. However, Microsoft delayed the launch a few weeks after some members of the Windows Insider preview program discovered the update had a glitch that caused the dreaded Blue Screen of Death on some PCs.
Now, Microsoft is confident that it's stamped out the bugs, and it's ready for prime time.
