Windows 10 fills up with new features in build 16215

While Microsoft was deploying a new Windows 10 pre-release "by mistake" last week, and almost immediately removed it from its servers, the publisher is gracing us with a new build, the 16215. And once is not Custom, this build takes advantage of an impressive amount of novelties.


Windows 10 first benefits from an update to the Action Center, which partially changes the look. The Start menu has Acrylic mode and sees some corrected display bugs. The sharing tool, accessible from the Windows shell, has a new feature: if you share a link, such as a Web site in Microsoft Edge or an application in the Windows Store, Microsoft has added an option to copy this Link in the clipboard. It is therefore possible to retrieve the link in any application.

The Settings module takes advantage of a new option, accessible from the Custom function and dedicated to video playback. Photos, Groove Music, Movies & TV applications better detect local content. In addition, Windows 10 now incorporates a setting tool dedicated to HDR (provided of course to have a compatible screen).

Assistant Cortana also benefits from some innovations. Cortana can detect in your photos whether an event is announced (if you take a photo announcing a concert, for example). If you are using a stylus, circle an on-screen event: Cortana will automatically detect the date, so you can save it and offer a reminder when the time comes.

Microsoft Edge also benefits from some new features. It is now possible to pin a site in the taskbar, directly from the browser. The browser has a new full screen mode by pressing the F11 key (yes, the current version of Edge does not have one, unless you switch to tablet mode). Finally, you can now annotate EPUB books viewed from the browser (adding comments, highlighting, etc.).

The games section has some improvements: The Game Bar has a button to enable or disable Game Mode from any game. It is now possible to make HDR captures.

Windows Ink and the stylus are not to be outdone and are enriched with multiple features. Windows 10 recognizes more gestures, allows better editing and better handwriting detection. In addition, you can now scroll directly to a page using the stylus, without going through the scroll bar.

Finally, the virtual keyboard also makes a new skin, and delivers a new prediction method when the user types text. Microsoft has also integrated a new emoji panel, which allows quick access to an icon when sending a message.

All these updates are accessible from the Windows Insider program, which is totally free. To take advantage of this, go to the Windows 10 Settings module, then click Update and Security and Windows Insider Program. Accept to subscribe to the program in question, and set the update frequency to Fast. The computer will restart. Go back to Settings> Update and Security and launch an update search from the Windows Update.

Currently in beta, these new features will be officially incorporated into the Windows 10 Fall Update, which will be released by the end of 2017.