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Windows 10 October 2018 Update
The Windows 10 October 2018 Update has available for almost 10 months now, which means that just about everyone has access to the new Windows 10 features that help make the OS better than ever. Even if there have been (and still are) some October Update issues, there’s still a lot to love. So, let’s break down the major and most vital features and enhancements that come with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
Cloud Clipboard and Clipboard History
If your day looks anything like ours, you’re most likely copying and pasting about a million things per day. Luckily, Microsoft made the process simpler for everyone with the latest Windows 10 update. In this October Update, a Clipboard History is on hand to keep track of everything you’ve copied. All you need to do is press Win + V to access different items you’ve copied, which saves you a bunch of time.
In addition to this Clipboard feature included in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, there’s also the Cloud Clipboard. This functionality syncs your Clipboard across different devices, saving you even more time, especially when you’re using multiple Windows 10 devices. Ultimately, it lets you have a more seamless workflow if you’re using those different devices for work.
Your Phone App
With the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, there is much more compatibility with your phone if you’re an Android user. Natively within Windows 10, you can add photos from your phone, respond to messages and quite a bit more. Lastly, Windows 10 and Android users have access to some of the cross-platform capabilities that the Apple ecosystem boasts with macOS Mojave and iOS 12.
This review pertains to the Home and Pro versions of Windows 10. For detailed Windows 10 system requirements and the various versions, check out the Microsoft website.
Snip & Sketch
Microsoft killed the Snipping Tool that we all knew and loved in the October 2018 Update, but replaced it with Snip & Sketch, which is significantly better. Instead of needing to open a program, hitting Ctrl+N and dragging a square over what you want to capture, you can simply hit Win + Shift + S to immediately jump into a partial screenshot. You can use a traditional box, circle or even draw a custom shape. In addition, your screenshot will immediately go to your clipboard, saving a ton of time.
It’s a large improvement, and an example of Windows 10 adopting some of macOS’ best qualities.
Storage Sense
One of the biggest downsides of any modern desktop OS, including Windows 10, is the sheer amount of clutter that can pile up on your hard drive over time. The Windows 10 October 2018 Update offers a fix – Storage Sense, an impressive new technology that will automatically archive old, unused files in the cloud, while getting rid of their local copies. This is a great middle ground between archival and free disk space, since you still have easy access to all the files that have been uploaded to the cloud.
Windows 10 News App
One of the main features of macOS Mojave was the iOS News app getting ported over to the desktop. Microsoft took notes and rolled out a revamped Windows 10 News app. This nice little news aggregator will gather all your news in one curated location, which you can customize however you want. The bonus? It looks amazing.
Dark Mode in File Explorer
The File Explorer is no longer limited to the all-white color scheme, thanks to the Windows 10 October 2018 Update finally implementing Dark Mode for File Explorer. And, it’s a stunner – not to mention a natural inclusion if you’ve had Dark Mode enabled this whole time like we have.
