Why You Should Install The Windows 10 Update Next Month

Security and reliability, plus new features expected

Next month will see a major update for Windows 10 users. How do we know this is coming in October? Because Microsoft has cunningly labelled it the October 2018 Update. While we don’t yet know the exact date, rumours are suggesting that it could very well be upon us at some point during the first half of the month.

While Windows Updates are a frequent event, providing security patches and other minor improvements and fixes, this October update is going to be more significant. Officially announced at Microsoft’s IFA Keynote event in Berlin, the Update is said to be bringing “new features and enhancements” to the nearly 700 million devices using Windows 10, with these improvements helping “people to make the most of their time”.

With little specific at this stage, do we know anything about what to expect? Thanks to Microsoft’s Windows Insider program, which sees users signing up to test pre-release builds of the operating system, we do know that the release is eradicating various bugs, such as errors leading to crashing apps and system errors. Any update that can render the user experience a more reliable one is good with us.

As for the actual new features that users can expect to see, there’s clipboard syncing, which, thanks to the cloud, will sync the user’s clipboard content across any Windows 10 devices. The clipboard itself is also reportedly getting some enhancements and a bit of a facelift, while File Explorer is being given a ‘dark mode’, something that many users have been crying out for for a while.

One key feature that’s expected to come with the Update is the ‘Your Phone’ app, which will allow users with Android or Windows phones to access photos and SMS messages on a Windows 10 computer, also allowing those users to reply to communications directly from their system. The app will also work with iPhone devices too, although at a more restricted level.

The Update is additionally expected to bring improvements and enhancements to features such as the Notepad and the Edge browser, plus it will bring the introduction of SwiftKey, which lets users write on virtual keyboards by using swiping movements rather than tip-tapping away, while also using AI to better predict what you’re going to write.

While the October Update is going to provide users with some new tools and features to play with, the real reasons why Windows 10 users need to install the update can be summed up in three words: performance, reliability and security.

As a major update, Windows 10 will provide a raft of changes behind the scenes that should deliver performance improvements for users. Alongside those performance enhancements, the Update should also mean a more reliable and efficient operating system, which is naturally a bonus for all users.

And then there’s security. All Windows Updates provide users with security patches, and the October Update should be no different. Protecting your business from malware and other security threats should be a high priority, and Windows 10 has made that easier thanks to having automatic updates installed as standard. If, for some reason, the October Update doesn’t install as expected, you’ll be able to download and install it manually by heading for the Update and security section under the Settings menu, clicking on Windows Update and then selecting Check for updates.

Contact TMB if you need help getting your business upgraded to Windows 10.