Windows 10 Preview Build Adds Security, Smartphone Features

Microsoft has released a new test build for Windows 10, giving a preview of features expected next spring, including new Safe Mode and Your Phone features.

The firm released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18995 (20H1) to Insider beta-testers in the Fast ring, with support for Windows Hello PINs in Safe Mode and other tweaks.

Windows Hello allows users to use a PIN rather than a password for logging into local and remote resources, but the feature wasn’t previously available in Safe Mode.

The feature is now automatically available when rebooting in Safe Mode once Windows Hello is set up, Microsoft said.

Your Phone

The company has also begun gradually rolling out new features for its Your Phone application, which links smartphones to the PC.

The Link to Windows feature, which allows users to send messages, manage notifications, sync photos and mirror a phone on the PC, is now rolling out for Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G, and Fold devices in some geographic regions.

Phone Screen, which allows users to access apps running on an Android phone directly on their Windows PC, is also becoming available for the same range of S10 and Fold devices in certain areas.

“This is a gradual rollout, so stay tuned for more to come on additional markets and devices,” Microsoft said in a blog post.

Other new features include the ability to check the phone’s battery level via the Your Phone app on the PC and a new icon for the Your Phone PC app that displays the phone’s current static home screen wallpaper.

Bug fixes

Other changes included a number of bug fixes for Windows Subsystem for Linux, and a range of general fixes or improvements across the system.

Microsoft noted there are also several known issues with the build, including problems with older anti-cheat gaming software, an issue with the Search bar in Control Panel or File Explorer, and an issue with Night Light that causes some HDR displays to show a bluish tint.

Testers can obtain the new build directly via Microsoft’s Windows Insider programme.