Today Microsoft have released the latest update to Windows 10. The Windows 10 October 2020 version number is 20H2. As with last year the 2nd update to Windows 10 is a minor incremental update to the OS rather than a full install image, but as you will see in my video there are a number of interesting visual changes to the OS.
20H2 Updated Start Menu
The visual change to the OS is the changes to live tiles. The tiles in the start menu are now transparent so they get a unified clean look. The items on the all app list also have the same look and it gives the UI a cleaner more modern look. The tiles support light and dark mode along with your accent colour. There are still the odd apps like the Office app and Skype that have a solid colour, hopefully Microsoft can get them cleaned up as they do stand out.
Notifications
With the Windows 10 October 2020 update Microsoft have made changes to the notification dialog. This looks very much like the one in Windows 10X and it shows the app name, icon and a close button.
Microsoft Edge
With this update Microsoft have included the new version of Microsoft Edge. This replaces the old browser, and you get the new Chromium based version. I have been using it for some time and you get the browse engine that is in Google Chrome but built for Windows 10. It has been available as a standalone update for a while but not it is included in the packege.
Alt-Tab
As part of the update Microsoft have updated Alt-tab so it can cycle through the open tabs in Edge as well as the open apps. The new option in Multitasking settings enables you to turn off this feature or set it to open show the most recent 3 or 5 tabs.
Other changes in 20H2
Some other changes which are minor, things like your PC details in Settings/About so no need to go into control panel for the details. Also out of the out of the box experience has been updated and now the default apps pinned to the taskbar are related to the services you have linked to your Microsoft account. So you may get Xbox icon, Your Phone or Mail depending on what services you have linked to your Microsoft account.
There are also the usual security updates and reliability improvements. Overall a worthwhile update that is quick to install.
How to get the Windows 10 October 2020 (20H2) Update
Head over to Windows Update in settings and check for an update. You should then see the Download and install option.
Here is my hands on video I recording a few weeks ago:
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