Just three days after it delivered its biggest-ever Windows Insider build, Microsoft is back with a new build, 15007. And this time, it’s for both PC and Mobile.
As impressive, this build is also chock full o’ new features. One wonders what’s the water in Redmond these days. But whatever, here’s what’s new…
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Microsoft Edge improvements. Microsoft’s web browser picks up a number of interesting new features, including a “Share tabs” option that integrates with the newly-improved system Share feature, a revamped import favorites feature that is now called “Import from another browser” (and now includes browsing history, saved passwords, and other data in addition to just favorites), a new “Run” option for downloads, and improvements to Web Notes.
Windows Hello improvements. Windows Hello now supports improved facial recognition and some “exciting” changes to how this feature is discovered and configured. (Though there is no explanation about how that looks or works.)
Cortana improvements. Cortana is finally picking up cross-device support, meaning that you can begin a Cortana task on one PC and then complete it on another. “When you switch computers, Cortana will display quick links in the Action Center to help you easily get back into the Microsoft Edge websites and SharePoint (or other cloud-based) documents you used most recently,” Dona Sarkar writes. “Perhaps you’re browsing recipes in Microsoft Edge on your PC downstairs, and grab your laptop to go bake up a storm in the kitchen—Cortana will be there for you and have a link to that recipe ready to go.” Additionally, Cortana now supports notification grouping in Action Center.
Notifications improvements. In this build, notifications can now support inline progress bars. So when you’re downloading an app from the store, for example, you can see the progress right in the pop-up notification, for example. (Windows Store downloads don’t actually support this feature yet, but that is coming in a future build, Microsoft says.)
Snipping Tool improvements. The Snipping Tool now supports new keyboard support: ALT + N will trigger a new snip, and you can then use the keyboard to select a snip type, select an area, start the snip, and so on. This functionality also works with the new OneNote-based screen capture functionality, which you access by typing WINKEY + SHIFT + S.
Scrollbar improvements. Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps are getting an improved scrollbar design that takes up less space and is only visible when you need it. “With these changes, the panning indicator now appears when you move a mouse over a scrolling region and the full scrollbar appears when you want to directly interact with it,” Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar explains. “This improvement will be visible in any app that uses the Windows 10 Creators Update SDK.”
Rainbow flag emoji. Yes, one new emoji was called out as a new feature. Kind of like Apple does with shipping products. Yay diversity.
Support for new Bluetooth APIs. With this build, Windows 10 now supports new Bluetooth APIs that enable GATT Server, Bluetooth LE Peripheral role and unpaired Bluetooth LE device connectivity. A new SDK, coming this week, will let developers target these technologies in their own apps.
Microsoft Edge improvements. Microsoft’s web browser now lets you zoom into a web page separately from the zoom settings defined for the website, and up to 500 percent zoom.
App reset. This feature, added to Windows 10 for PCs with version 1607, lets you reset an app back to its original state. To do so, navigate to Settings > System > Storage, find the app, and access the new “Reset” option in advanced settings.
Cortana improvements. Cortana can now control music playback (US English only) with iHeartRadio and TuneIn Radio.
There’s a lot more. But, Mobile. Whatever.
Because you can see it in the UI, Microsoft is teasing that the Insider versions of Windows 10 will soon support the ability to download themes from the Windows Store (on PC only). “This isn’t working yet in today’s build and you’ll see a Store icon that does nothing at the bottom of the themes setting page,” Dona Sarkar explains. “However, you can go to the Store page for themes here to try out downloading themes from the Store.”
Both PC and Mobile have a number of other minor changes, improvements, and fixes for PC and Mobile, plus some known issues. Check out the Microsoft blog post for more information.