What’s New in Windows 10 May 2020 Update

Microsoft’s next feature update is almost done. Known as the May 2020 (version 2004) update, this new version is an update that makes Windows 10 even more perfect. There isn’t much new in terms of features, but there are a lot of changes and improvements. In this article, we’ll explore all the notable new changes and improvements.

This release will be released as a full version rather than as a cumulative version like Windows 10 1909. This is due to last minute changes at the time of release. So, let’s find out the Windows May 2020 update with us.

Video review

Would you rather watch a video than read this article? Check out this 15-minute video review that showcases all the new changes that are noticeable in this version of Windows 10.

Windows 10 has a new Cortana

Cortana has seen the most significant changes in the Windows 10 May 2020 update. Now, Cortana is an OS-independent updated system app through the Microsoft Store, just like other apps like Mail and Calculator. This means that Microsoft can update Cortana with new features and changes without having to wait for a new version of Windows 10 to launch.

The new Cortana has a user interface that focuses on putting typing experience first (I’m also afraid to talk to Cortana, but it’s okay to be alone). Because Windows 10 is used mainly on devices with keyboards. Not everyone feels comfortable talking to their PC, especially at school or work, so being able to chat with Cortana by text is greatly appreciated. You can still use voice control if you prefer.

Since text controls are at the heart of Cortana, the UI (user interface) emphasizes threaded chats. Just like texting with friends, your conversation with Cortana will be displayed via text bubbles (genuine). The user interface will be cleaner and simpler, providing text suggestions to start tasks with Cortana. It also supports both light and dark modes (Light and Dark Mode), which is great.

When you first open Cortana, you will be asked to sign in and agree to the terms and cortana will appear where it was. But then you can resize, move, and even go fullscreen if you want, as cortana is now a separate app. This is a welcome improvement, and I also checked the option to put it in the taskbar like the old Cortana.

The only remaining problem is that Windows doesn’t actually close the Cortana app when we exit it, because Cortana needs to hear the “Hey Cortana” command to work. so Windows let Cortana run in the background to listen to commands from the user. It’s a minor issue, but a bit annoying in terms of user experience.

And that’s just the beginning of another series of Cortana deficiencies (preparing to unmask Cortana). The new user interface is great and the ability to move windows is a nice plus, but if you use Cortana regularly you’ll notice feedback in this new set of features, the ability to use skills and smart home control commands will be gone, just like Cortana Notebook. Microsoft has been working to turn Cortana into a digital assistant that enhances your work. It’s therefore inexplicable why Microsoft has dropped most of the home-assistance functions, such as turning your lights or appliances on and off, and music streaming, too. Now Cortana only has features like schedules, scheduled events, hatch reminders, emailing, and other work-related tasks. All smart home and skill commands are no longer supported.

It’s like Microsoft forgot that users are not always working. Users also have a personal life, with family and things they want to do beyond turning Microsoft 365 on and off. The app even recommends users sign in with their work or school account if they’re using it. Use Cortana with a personal Microsoft account.

The ability to control smart home appliances or your computer’s audio with Cortana would be handy, but Microsoft has deemed these features unnecessary on Windows 10. Before that, it would have been nice to deal with them. Manage meetings and open Office documents while you can still ask about Mount Everest’s altitude, but you won’t be able to control lights or commands based on other skills. Maybe I guess these features will return in the future. But for now, Cortana is an exclusive productivity assistant, and to be honest, it does it pretty well (did anyone open p*rnhub with Cortana).

Virtual Desktop

Virtual Desktop is one of the features that should be used. However, being able to create multiple desktops for different working environments is a big problem for power users. And with this update, Virtual Desktops has received a little love from Microsoft.

These are not huge changes, but they will be appreciated by the people who use them. You can now rename them and have them save state at reboots. Previously, if you needed to reboot, you would lose all your workspace.

Settings improved

Microsoft is continuing to improve the Settings app to get rid of the Control Panel, and this release welcomes new additions like cursor speed control as well as updates to existing settings in the Settings app. There are a few highlights that need to be mentioned here.

First, there’s a new option in the Accounts section that disables your Microsoft account password on the lock screen if you’ve set up Windows Hello. Microsoft says this is more secure, because Microsoft account passwords are so common on Windows and so it’s a weakness if your password is hacked (the more common something is, the more it gets noticed). ). Windows Hello is specific to each device you set up and is not something that can be easily attacked by an attacker. On previous versions of Windows 10, if someone had access to your Microsoft account password and your PC, they could access your data.

Also new is that this version has the ability to download Windows from the Cloud if you need to restore your PC. This is useful if you have misconfigured settings and the reset system cannot use the pre-installed image to factory reset the device. Now you can just download a new image through recovery.

Other areas that have been updated include the Network & Internet area, which has been updated with a new design with quick access to network properties. There is also an improved Optional Features and Languages ​​& Region area with a cleaner user interface.

Swift Pair – Connect devices

Microsoft has made some sensible changes to the Swift Pair feature that was first introduced in Windows 10 version 1903 last year. Swift Pair allows you to pair a Bluetooth peripheral with one click, but it requires a bit of work. The user will press connect on the Swift Pair window, then the Settings app will open and the user must click OK on another window to confirm the pairing.

With Windows 10 2004 version, this process has been streamlined, just a window pops up to ask the user to connect to the device. When the user taps it, the notification will remain until the pairing is completed. That’s much better, but the problem with Swift Pair now is that it only supports a handful of Bluetooth devices.

If you’re using Bluetooth devices made by Microsoft, chances are that they will work with Swift Pair. You will know because the system will automatically ask you to connect. If the message doesn’t show up, it doesn’t support Swift Pair and you’ll have to go into Settings and pair it manually via the old method. This isn’t a big deal, but I’d love to see more Swift Pair enabled devices in the future.

Task Manager

Task Manager is another improvement in the Windows 10 May 2020 update. You can now see your GPU temperature in the Performance tab when you tap on the GPU. This feature only works with dedicated GPUs that support WWDM 2.4 or later, so if you don’t see GPU spikes that’s why.

The other notable change in Task Manager is the ability to see what type of hard drive you are using in your PC. Below each drive will be an additional line “SSD” or “HDD”. This is useful for people who may not know what type of hard drive their PC is using.

Search

Microsoft has added a few quick searches along the bottom of the Windows Search interface for quick access to popular sites like weather and the latest news.

There’s also a new Bing image search button that lets you quickly take screenshots and search Bing for more information. This feature is very useful if you have already viewed an image and still want to know more of the same. Just take a screenshot and ask Bing to analyze it, it will provide more information for you.

At the top of the search UI are buttons for quick access to your Microsoft Rewards. You can see how many points you have and click on it to go to the Rewards website to get the points you have. This feature is very useful for those of you who like to use Microsoft Rewards, as it is the easiest way to get free Xbox Live Gold or Microsoft Store credit.

Conclusion

Those are all the most important and notable changes to the Windows 10 May 2020 update. Overall, it’s a good update for most users, but without much improvement, that is. something that Windows 10 definitely needs to do these days. The new Cortana is like taking a step forward, a step back. It has a great user interface, but the features that users find useful are gone.

I like a lot of the improvements Microsoft is making with this release. But it seems that Microsoft is so focused on the user interface that it forgets that something needs to be improved very much inside Windows 10. For example: folder structure, optimization, services, …..

For developers, there are also a lot of improvements, including Windows Subsystem for Linux 2.