Microsoft have just released a new version of the HoloLens operating system, version 1809. During development, it was codenamed Redstone 5 and here are my favourite new features in the release:

Menu Changes

The start menu has had some changes with this release. There is a new Start Video / Stop Video button for recording video from the HoloLens. Previously video recordings would stop if you bloomed so you could not select new apps to record. Now you recording do not end, you can just click on the stop button on the menu.

Also when in immersive apps if you bloom you now get a popup menu where you can select to take a screenshot, video recording or head out of the app and back to the start menu

Miracast

One of best new features of the update is Miracast support. This means you can stream what the HoloLens sees directly to a Miracast dongle or a PC (via the Connect app). I found this works much better than streaming via the device portal, which frequently dropped out.

New notifications

The update adds a new toast notification feature. When you get an app notification from an app like Twitter or Mail you get a notification in your view, you can tap on the interact with the notification like you do on a PC.

New HoloLens overlays

When in immersive apps you now see HoloLens overlays like the file picker or text input panel without leaving the app.

View 3D models alongside apps

The Mixed Reality Viewer has been renamed 3D Viewer and now 3D models from sites like Remix3d.com can be viewed in your HoloLens environment along with your UWP apps and app short cuts. It replaces the Holograms app and means you can bring in a lot more content.

New bootup UI

A small change but helpful, there is now an animated logo while the HoloLens is booting up.

Nearby Sharing

You can now easily share pictures and other items to a nearby device using Nearby Share.

Share from Microsoft Edge

You can share from Microsoft Edge just as you can from a Windows PC. You can share to a nearby device, Twitter, email or any other app that supports Windows Sharing.

Developers

For developers where is a new Camera Capture UI API and there is improved Mixed Reality Capture

How to get the update

Once Microsoft releases the update, you can go to Windows Update in settings and tap on Check for Updates. This will bring down the update and after a reboot you are ready to go.

Hands on with the new HoloLens OS October 2018 Update (RS5)

In this video I look at the changes to the HoloLens RS5 update:

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