Skip to main content

The next Windows 10 update launches in November. Here’s what to expect

After months of testing with Windows Insiders, Microsoft has announced the official name and release schedule for the next update of Windows 10 — code-named 19H2. Now dubbed the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, it will be coming to PCs everywhere sometime this November.

According to Microsoft, build 18363.418 is the final preview build of the November 2019 Update, which was previously tested last week with Windows Insiders. Though the company says it will continue to improve on the experience of the November 2019 Update with regular patches, this build is now part of the final steps of getting the update ready for release. It could likely be what most consumers will see in Windows Update when the November 2019 Update finally exits beta testing in the coming weeks.

Recommended Videos

As we’ve previously explained, this year’s November 2019 Update is quite different. Rather than appearing as a full-on new version of Windows, it will show up in Windows Update in a similar matter to a cumulative update or security patch. This means that the download size will be smaller, and the install time will be significantly faster than before.

The November 2019 Update is also light on new features, as Microsoft has shifted the second (fall time) Windows 10 release to bug fixes and servicing the (first) spring release. This comes after Microsoft faced heavy criticism for the way it rolled out the Windows 10 October 2019 Update. That update plagued many consumers’ PCs with bugs, caused data deletion issues, and forced Microsoft to pull back the official release well into the month of December.

If you’re willing, you can install the November 2019 Update right now in a few ways. The safest method is to enroll your PC in the Release Preview Ring of the Windows Insider program. This can be done by heading to Windows 10 Settings, clicking Update & Security, then Windows Insider Program, and then the Get Started button. You can end the process by choosing Just fixes, apps, and drivers. Finally, you must reboot your PC and then head back into Windows Update to install and check for new updates.

The few new features in the November 2019 Update include an ability to access third-party assistants on the lock screen, an ability to enter calendar events from the taskbar clock, and some new ways to manage Windows 10 notifications.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Microsoft is axing support for its own apps on Windows 10
The Surface Laptop 7 on a table in front of a window.

Microsoft has announced that support for Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 will end this year on October 14, as reported by The Verge. This is also the end-of-support date for Windows 10 as a whole, but the move is still a little surprising considering that Microsoft is now offering the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) Program.

Anyone who joins this program for $30 can continue to safely use Windows 10 for a whole extra year -- so you might think that Microsoft would let them continue to use the Office apps too. That said, it's not like the apps will disappear, they just won't receive any more updates. According to Microsoft, this could cause "performance and reliability issues over time" but whether these issues will pop up within the ESU program's duration or not is anyone's guess.

Read more
The next iOS 18 update is on its way. Here’s what we know
The iPhone 16 sitting on top of orange mums.

When iOS 18.2 released just over a week ago, it unlocked a lot of long-awaited features like Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, and improvements to writing tools. Now, it seems like another update could be just around the corner: version 18.2.1.

MacRumors found evidence of the update in their analytic logs, a source that has supposedly revealed quite a few iOS versions before release. Given that this is a minor update, it isn't likely to come with new features or anything groundbreaking. Instead, it will most likely be targeted at bug fixes, although no specific problems have been named. You should expect this update to drop either in late December or early January, but a year-end release is more likely.

Read more
Here’s why some PC gamers shouldn’t install the latest Windows 11 update
Overwatch 2 running on the LG OLED 27 gaming monitor.

The latest Windows 11 update, codenamed 24H2, has been a troubled rollout for Microsoft, but one thing's been clear from the beginning: PC gamers should wait to install it. Let's add another issue to the list, shall we?

As spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft has confirmed in an update to its Windows 11 24H2 problems page, that Windows 11 24H2 is causing issues with its Auto HDR feature. The result of the bug is that incorrect colors are being displayed or, even worse, are breaking games entirely and causing them to not be responsive.

Read more