Microsoft Delays Timeline Feature Beyond Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Microsoft has delayed its Windows 10 Timeline feature until beyond the release of the Fall Creators Update in autumn.

The Timeline feature was designed to allow Windows 10 users to switch between the using the operating system on multiple devices, including iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, with Timeline allowing them to pick up where they left off by keeping track of running apps and tasks.

Timeline achieves this through the integration of its smart virtual assistant Cortana to keep track of what Windows 10 users have been doing from device to device.

Such a feature already exists in Microsoft’s Edge web browser which uses Cortana to track browsing sessions across different Windows 10 devices.

Timeline delayed

While the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is expected to be rolled out in September, Microsoft was clear that the feature would not make it into that update, meaning Timeline will likely make its full debut in an 2018 update to Windows 10, likely around early spring time.

“Timeline won’t be in the Fall Creators Update,” explained Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore. “We’re planning for it to be in early insider builds shortly after Fall Creators Update is out.”

Little information is around on why Microsoft has delayed Timeline, but we could speculate that it still needs to get more third-party app developers on board and using it smart software, such as Cortana and Microsoft Graph, to enable the Timeline feature to be useful beyond native Windows 10 apps and the Office productivity software suite.

This could require developers to go back and essentially rework their apps, which may not be an appealing concept to software makers keen to create new applications rather than tinker around with older software.

Some people on Twitter are clearly keen for the feature as Belifore recived a decent dollop of criticisim on behalf of Microsft from Twitter users not content with Microsoft announincg new feature for Windwos 10 but not being delaying them from major updates.

“Our dilemma is how to show future work and describe our direction.. it’s good to do that! Need to get better at conveying timing will vary,” said Belfiore in response.

As such, people will either have to exercise a degree of patience or abandon Windows apps for Google alternatives.

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