All eyes might be turned to the Apple event, but Microsoft is trying to spoil the show a bit. The Redmond giant just pushed out Windows 10 19H1 Preview Build 18237 to Skip Ahead Insiders. The build comes packed with some new features, so here’s what you need to know about what’s new.
First off, Microsoft has delivered acrylic to the Windows sign-in screen. It looks pretty nice and, oddly enough, is very reminiscent of what Apple has on the macOS login page. As explained by Dona Sarkar:
With today’s flight we’re adding acrylic, a type of brush from the Fluent Design System, to the sign-in screen background. The translucent texture of this transient surface helps you focus on the sign-in task by moving the actionable controls up in the visual hierarchy while maintaining their accessibility.
Next up, Microsoft is coming up with some name changes. The Microsoft Apps on Android is now getting rebranded as the Your Phone Companion app. The company says this is meant to bring the apps closer together, as the “Your Phone app on PC now links you to Your Phone Companion app on your Android phone.” Users of the Your Phone Companion app should also see a new UI which pairs up with what’s seen on PC. Explained in the blog post:
We heard your feedback on having both apps share a stronger name game. If you’ve previously installed Microsoft Apps on your Android phone, when the app auto-updates, you’ll see a fresh set of screens that maintain the mobile app’s visual connection to Your Phone app on PC. Loved the fact that the mobile app used to surface up other apps by the same maker, Microsoft? No fear, it’s still there. Tap on ‘Top Microsoft Apps’ to get 20 quick recommendations. Or click on the left menu button, and browse through mobile apps from Microsoft, organized by app categories.
It is nice to see these new features, but the changes are just coming in as development on Windows 10 19H1 has just started. So, fire up those machines now and get downloading. Once you’ve finished your download, let us know how this build is working for you by dropping us a comment below.
