What's new in Windows 10 19H1

Microsoft is currently working on their next big feature update to Windows 10, codenamed 19H1 which adds some exciting new features and improvements to the platform. With this build, Microsoft is primarily focussed on the end user experience, improving the already existing features and offering a more stable OS experience for their customers.

Let's dive into the update and look over some of the key new features and improvements customers can expect from Windows 10 19H1 when it arrives.

A new light mode for Windows

While companies like Apple introduced a Dark Mode for the first time on macOS with Mojave, Microsoft is introducing its customers to a light mode. This visual change switches the usual dark taskbar, Start menu, Action Center, touch keyboard, popups, and related menus and buttons from dark to light. This is a refreshing change to the overall look of Windows, giving it a more modern feel. This also makes Windows more consistent across its interfaces, which in the past were a hybrid of dark and light.

Microsoft will make the new light mode default for Windows 10 Home devices that come with Windows 10 19H1 pre-installed. Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise PCs will have the dark mode on default, but customers will always be able to switch between the mode they like better.

An improved Start Layout

Microsoft has also updated the default Start Layout on Windows 10 19H1, by making it simpler. In previous versions, the Start Menu would appear cluttered with several unnecessary apps when the user set up their accounts for the first time. Starting with 19H1, this default layout has been simplified to just two groups of six apps in one column, placing the essentials first and foremost.

Microsoft will still continue to push third-party apps through the Microsoft Store by default, but these apps and games will be packed away in a folder on the Start Menu.

This new Start Menu is much more approachable by the user, offering a great starting point for using your new Windows device.

A more fluent design

Microsoft Fluent Design language has been adopted in even more places across Windows 10 19H1. Certain system elements like context menus and popups now feature a wonderful drop shadow effect, which looks excellent with the new light theme. In addition, jump lists and context menus in Start, Taskbar and modern apps now feature Fluent Design reveal and acrylic effects, which provide a nice blur aesthetic to many areas that uses modern context menu controls.

Microsoft is also adding acrylic blur to the login screen, which makes things look more modern and clean.

Improved quick actions in Action Center

Quick Actions are being updated in Windows 10 19H1, with improvements to the edit mode for quick actions in a major way. No longer will the user be thrown into Settings to edit what shows up in quick actions, instead of being entered into a dedicated edit mode that lets the user configure what quick actions are available directly from within the Action Center.

Additionally, Microsoft has changed the brightness quick action from a button to a dedicated slider that can be pinned to quick actions in the Action Center. Users have been requesting Microsoft add a dedicated brightness slider to quick actions for years, and Microsoft is finally doing it with 19H1.

Windows Sandbox

Microsoft is adding a new feature to Windows 10 called "Windows Sandbox," that gives users the ability to run a virtualized instance of Windows 10 on top of their live install. This is great for those who want to run a program that they're not so sure about, without putting their entire system at risk. Windows Sandbox is off by default, but once enabled will run a clean version of Windows 10 in a virtual machine every time you go to use it.

This feature is only available for Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions, as it's a feature aimed primarily at power users.

Improvements to Windows Update

Windows Update is receiving further improvements in 19H1, most of which are designed to make Windows updates less annoying. To begin, Microsoft is bringing the ability to pause updates for 7 days to Windows 10 Home, a feature that was previously only available on Windows 10 Pro.

In addition, a new feature called "intelligent active hours" will automatically adjust Active Hours so that Windows updates don't interrupt the user when using their PC when outside of Active Hours. For example, if you've set your Active Hours between 8am and 9pm, but one night you're working on something past 9pm, Windows will now automatically adjust Active Hours so that a pending update won't install while you're using your PC outside of Active Hours.

Finally, Microsoft has changed up the Windows Update UI slightly so that many configurable options and settings are available at the forefront of Windows Update. Features like the ability to pause updates is now available to the user without having to dive into advanced options.

A new Office hub app

The pre-installed Office for Windows app has a new look, which emphasizes recent documents and Office web apps. It's a much cleaner looking app and makes jumping into your recent documents very easy, as well as creating new documents on the fly.

These are just a few of the features you will come across when Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 this year. Besides that expect several minor improvements and underlying changes to the platform as Microsoft polishes the latest version of Windows ahead of its release. Windows Insiders will be the first to experience some of these features, and if you are part of the program, your feedback could help shape the future of Windows.