Windows 10 May 2019 Update: 5 New Features You Should Know About

May. 7, 2019

Note: The screenshots attached below have been captured on a PC running Windows 10 Home Insider Preview build number 18875.1000 with all of the significant features in the update in tow.

I haven’t really used the light theme on my Windows 10 PC, but in the brief period for which I switched to it, made me realize that Microsoft has done a fairly decent job. It’s looking good with everything from the taskbar, start menu, Action Center, Settings and other UI elements turning to white – of course, with some translucency to it.

I still prefer the dark theme, to be honest, be it anything from my Windows 10 UI to all apps I have on my phone. If they have a dark mode, I flip the switch instantly.

The core search and Cortana experiences remain untouched in this update. Tapping the search bar now shows your top apps and recent activities while the Cortana icon simply pops up a voice-driven experience. You can no longer type your queries out to Cortana, which is a huge loss for users who preferred the same.

Microsoft hasn’t changed a whole lot in this department, except for splitting up the two features but I expect to see major changes here in the next update.

This is the one feature that users are certainly going to love in this update. Microsoft is finally fixing the biggest issue with Windows 10 updates, acknowledging all of the user complaints. It is no longer going to force new updates on you, restarting the PC out of nowhere but instead,you will need to “click on the install button” in Settings to trigger the update going forward.

Your Windows 10 PC is going to make you aware that a new update is available, but it’s totally up to your discretion to choose to download and install it or not. The update will, however, be forced on you when the support for the version you’re running runs out in eighteen months. This is an important step towards simplifying Windows 10 updates & handing control back into the hands of the users.

Apart from the light theme, this major Windows 10 update also introduces some minor changes to the Settings interface. Microsoft has only further streamlined and organized. The Settings page will now start showing the status of the Microsoft Account, OneDrive, updates, and a rewards option as well. If you link a smartphone to your Windows 10 PC, this new top banner will also show the ‘Your Phone’ status as well.

Microsoft is slowly pulling features from the legacy control panel and adding them to the Settings. This includes the cursor & pointer options, cleaner sign-in option listings, and a number of new ease-of-access options, along with Fluent Design improvements in tow.

Windows Sandbox enables you to run .exe programs, which you are not sure of whether they’re safe or not, to run in a virtual machine — isolated from your actual OS. This way you can test out programs and check on their safety (avoiding malware or ransomware) without impeding your original Windows 10 experience. If they turn out to be safe, then you can go ahead and install the program on your actual OS without any fear.