Every October, Microsoft releases a major update to Windows that (hopefully) fixes the biggest bugs and bugs, and brings new features to this OS-as-a-service product.
While there were quite a few issues with the 2018 “1809” update causing a two-month delay, it will now be available through the regular update service.
If you’re running 1809 or just looking forward to it, here are some standout features you can look forward to in the latest version of Windows.
Table of Contents
Finally Dark Mode for Explorer!
Microsoft provided the Dark theme in a previous update, but unfortunately Windows Explorer itself kept its white background.
Dark modes and themes are pretty much everywhere these days. They not only make the screen easier to read in the dark, but also reduce the power consumption of the screen. Most importantly, they look pretty cool to boot.
Enabling Dark Mode for Windows apps couldn’t be easier. The first day Go to Settings – Personalization – Colors.
Now, scroll to the bottom of the window.
Below Default application mode choose Dark. Now Windows Explorer will have a dark background and your eyes will thank you.
Screen Capture Tool Snip & Sketch
Windows 10 has much better support for editing screenshots than previous versions. However, the tools available are a bit fragmented, and with the 1809 update there is now one tool to rule (and replace) them all. The Snip and Sketch tool.
You can find this tool with all your other apps, or just type its name in the search bar in the Start Menu. With it, you can easily capture and edit screenshots with ease.
Your phone app for Android users
Like it or not, smartphones are now part of most people’s daily lives. So Microsoft decided to integrate Android phones into Windows Desktop with a new app called Your phone.
There’s no indication when or if other phone operating systems will be fully supported, but if you have an Android smartphone, you can now send text messages and view photos. There is also some limited iOS functionality. Namely sending web pages from your iPhone to Windows.
You can find this app among your other Windows apps. The fastest way to access it is to search for “Your Phone” in the Start Menu.
To link your phone just click “Begin” and follow the prompts. afterward enter your number here.
Enter your number and click To send. You will receive a text with a link to the Your Phone Companion app. Install it and then open it.
Now you just need to sign in with your Microsoft account to complete the linking.
Now you’re ready to start sharing content between your phone and Windows desktop.
Start Menu Search Upgrade
The search functions in the Start Menu have been significantly expanded. Now when you search for something, you will see several tabs to categorize the results. There are also more relevant web results, with shortcuts to downloading or installing apps.
The search itself is now much faster, appearing at the same time the Start Menu appears.
Supercharged Clipboard, Cloud Support
The humble Clipboard has also received a major overhaul. Now, when you copy something to the Clipboard, you can do more than just paste it somewhere.
For example, you can now stack your copied items by activating Clipboard History. If you press Windows + DRAW then you can view that history and select the item you want to paste.
You can also choose to sync your clipboard data to the cloud and then to your other devices.
Windows, Reload
The Windows 10 of today is much more mature and refined than when it first came out. Despite a rough start, the 1809 update has brought some really useful and welcome changes to the system. Interesting!
