Windows 10 19H1’s Latest Build Brings Improved Focus Assist, Improved Action Center, New Emoji

Microsoft is releasing somewhat of a major new Windows 10 build today. The company started rolling out build 18277 to Insiders in the Fast Ring that brings a number of new features.

First up, Microsoft’s updating Focus Assist in Windows 10 with a new option: Windows can now automatically enable Focus Assist and mute your notifications when you are using an app in full-screen mode, so if you are watching the new House of Cards on Netflix, you won’t get distracted by the random notifications from Twitter or anything else.

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The bigger update is the improved Action Center experience. Microsoft is completely revamping the way Quick Actions within the Action Center work, now letting you edit and remove actions on the fly. So once you go into the new Edit UI, you can remove actions, and rearrange them by dragging and dropping them around. You can also add new actions right from the Action Center without having to manually open the Settings app. And remember the brightness action? It’s no longer a button — instead, it’s an actual slider. Yes, finally.

The update brings a lot of the new Emoji 12 as well, though Microsoft says the design is yet to be finalized, so things you could change before the final release. Either way, if you want to get a look at everything else that’s being added and fixed today, make sure to check out the full announcement post here.  

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Conversation 18 comments

  • SherlockHolmes

    Premium Member
    07 November, 2018 - 1:32 pm

    <p>Who needs Emoji on a Windows 10 PC? Focus on the important things, Microsoft! </p>

    • EZAB

      07 November, 2018 - 1:37 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#361678">In reply to SherlockHolmes:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree. Is anyone focusing on 1809/10/11? LOL!</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      07 November, 2018 - 1:50 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#361678">In reply to SherlockHolmes:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don't think Windows 10 is simply about PCs at this point. There is cross integration occurring with phones, Hololens, Surface hubs, Go, etc. If a mobile solution is in the pipeline they are most likely seeding the OS for those types of devices. I don't think it is anything to get torqued over; MS clearly has an internal road map and we will see everything come together. I appreciate having the worlds best PC OS being updated regularly with zero cost to me. The other OS alternatives just don't come close to what Windows 10 is currently.</p>

  • Dan1986ist

    Premium Member
    07 November, 2018 - 1:42 pm

    <p>How many 19H1 builds have been released now since 1809 was released to Seekers then was pulled? </p>

    • TroyTruax

      07 November, 2018 - 2:26 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#361680"><em>In reply to Dan1986ist:</em></a><em>&nbsp;It does make you wonder if they are&nbsp;contemplating skipping the fall update and just moving on with the spring update.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • Dan1986ist

        Premium Member
        08 November, 2018 - 8:02 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#361711">In reply to TroyTruax:</a></em></blockquote><p>1903 is months away at this point. Besides, they are testing the CUs for 1809 in release preview and slow ring. Why test CUs if one intends to skip the version of Windows 10 they intend to update? I think 1809 is still coming out to everyone, eventually.</p>

  • Winner

    07 November, 2018 - 2:06 pm

    <p>I wonder where release 1809 is right now as they work on the next one?</p><p>I wonder when they will rationalize the Control Panel versus Settings?</p><p>I wonder why I still get messages like "There is a large amount of data on the Clipboard, do you want to save it?" when we have machines with 16GB of RAM and terrabytes of storage?</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      07 November, 2018 - 2:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#361699">In reply to Winner:</a></em></blockquote><p>All good questions.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • mestiphal

    07 November, 2018 - 2:31 pm

    <p>I get that Windows Homegroup never really worked, but with Windows 10 they removed the only notion of networking to instead give us new emojis… wtf</p>

    • warren

      08 November, 2018 - 1:53 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#361712">In reply to Mestiphal:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Homegroup was replaced with Nearby Sharing. You can send a file to another machine (via Bluetooth or Wifi) by right-clicking on it and choosing "Share".</p><p><br></p><p>If you prefer using file shares, that capability is still there, same as it's always been. Also, if you log into multiple machines on your local network with the same Microsoft Account, you can connect to the other machines without a password.</p>

  • Richardsona39

    07 November, 2018 - 6:19 pm

    <p>While they're at it, I hope they update the Focus Assist icon, which is still a partial moon as a holdover from when it was oriented to minimizing alerts outside of daylight/work hours. It's anachronistic given the broader scope of what Focus Assist is now about.</p>

  • bluvg

    07 November, 2018 - 7:01 pm

    <p>Seriously, these and most emoji are terrible. They should use the ones from Skype–they're the best by far (maybe even better than those in the old Yahoo Messenger).</p>

  • NT6.1

    12 November, 2018 - 3:18 pm

    <p>Useless features.</p>

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