Skip to main content

Microsoft rolls out new ‘font store’ in latest Windows Insider Update

how to install windows 10 fonts
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s everyone’s favorite semi-monthly and sometimes semi-weekly event: Windows Insider update time. The latest build rolling out to Insiders in the Fast Ring aims to completely revamp how you discover, manage, and customize the fonts on your PC. That doesn’t sound very exciting, but it’s a big change to a part of Windows that has remained largely unchanged for years.

“You may be familiar with the Fonts control panel, which you could use to see the fonts that are currently installed, or to install or uninstall fonts. That control panel hasn’t been able to show off newer font capabilities, such as color fonts or variable fonts, and a refresh has been needed. In Build 17083, we’re providing a new Fonts page within Settings,” the Windows Insider blog reports.

The first part of the font revamp is a new and improved Font control panel. Here you can search the fonts installed on your PC and tweak the details of OpenType fonts on your system. You can set custom preview text, adjust its size, width, and other individual characteristics.

Additionally, the new font control panel is accompanied by a new font store which will show up in the Windows Store. Here you can search for, purchase, and install fonts right from the Windows Store.

“Along with the new Settings experience, we are introducing fonts as a new content type in the Microsoft Store. To find them easily, there is a link from the Fonts page in Settings directly to the Fonts collection in the Store,” the blog post reads.

There’s no word yet on which fonts will show up in the store, or if individual font foundries will be allowed to sell their fonts on the Windows Store — or if its just a curated selection of premium Microsoft fonts.

In addition to all the changes to the way Windows handles fonts, there’s an important behind-the-scenes change included in Build 17083. When was the last time an app on your PC crashed? Did you click the “send report” button on the error window your system popped open? Well, Microsoft is getting a little more transparent about what actually gets sent over when you click “send report.”

“We value your privacy. Our commitment is to be fully transparent on the diagnostic data collected from your Windows devices and provide you with increased control over that data. As part of this commitment, we’re adding two new features in this build for Windows Insiders which can be found under Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback,” reports the Windows Insider blog.

That’s right. Now you can dig into your diagnostic settings and have a look at exactly which information is getting sent to Microsoft. Not only is it a good move for the sake of transparency, it’s never a bad idea to get a closer look at what caused an application to crash.

As always, there are quite a few smaller updates included in this Insider build, the details for which you can check out over at the Windows Blog.

Editors' Recommendations

Jayce Wagner
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A staff writer for the Computing section, Jayce covers a little bit of everything -- hardware, gaming, and occasionally VR.
The latest Windows Update is reportedly causing Starfield problems
A man walking into a dusty town on another planet in starfield.

If you've installed the latest Windows 11 update and you've been experiencing all sorts of issues ever since, you're not alone And if you're still yet to install it, it's probably best hold off on it for now. Many users have been reporting problems following the recent update, including crashes, slowdowns, and blue screens of death (BSOD). Gamers appear to be affected most of all, with some reporting stuttering in Starfield and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. 

Following the latest update released on Patch Tuesday, various reports of problems started pouring in across social media and Microsoft's Feedback Hub. Microsoft itself hasn't spoken up about this yet, but considering the number of reported issues, we could soon hear an official comment on the situation. If you've already installed the update and aren't experiencing problems, you have nothing to worry about. If you have installed and are encountering issues, it's best to revert to the previous version and reach out through the Feedback Hub.

Read more
This new Windows 11 feature is a great addition for PC gamers
HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop on a desk with two monitors nearby displaying games and a keyboard and headset to the side.

Microsoft is developing improved controls for Windows 11 users, aiming to change how the operating system manages high refresh rate monitors. The latest Windows 11 preview build includes the ability to automatically adjust the refresh rate on multiple monitors based on what content is being displayed.

“We have improved refresh rate logic to allow different refresh rates on different monitors, depending on the refresh rate for each monitor and content shown on the screen. This will help most with refresh rate-dependent multitasking, like playing a game and watching a video at the same time,” said Microsoft’s Amanda Langowski and Brandon LeBlanc in a blog post announcing the new preview build.

Read more
The new Windows 11 Backup App takes another cue from the Mac
The Windows Backup App against a blurred background.

The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview includes a new Backup App that functions in a similar fashion to Time Machine in macOS.

The backup app will allow for more regular backups of most apps, settings, and data in Windows 11. This will allow for easier restore abilities, as well as the ability to transfer data to a new PC, NotebookCheck noted.

Read more