Windows 10 release information

In its constant mission to support Windows 10 with major overhauls, Microsoft has shifted its attention towards development of Redstone 5, or the Windows 10 October 2018 Update – now that the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, previously known as Redstone 4, has been released.

Just like past Windows 10 releases, the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is bringing a ton of new and exciting features to freshen up your PC experience. With features like a Window s01 News app and improved phone integration, Windows 10 Redstone 5 is going to revolutionize the way we use our Windows 10 PCs. 

We will likely see some improvements to Windows Mixed Reality, making that feature much more attractive to the common user. We may even see some Hololens improvements. If this sounds attractive, you can download and install the Windows 10 October 2018 Update now by joining the Windows Insider Program – though its full release is likely right around the corner.

And, while we don’t know precisely when the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is going to make its way onto our PCs, we do know that it’s going to release next month. Beyond that, we can still do some speculation on the exact release date. So, keep this page bookmarked, as we’ll update it just as soon as any new information finds its way to TechRadar.  

• What is it? The next major update for Windows 10

• When is it out? Possibly around October 2018

• What will it cost? As with previous major Windows 10 updates, it will be free

Windows 10 October 2018 Update release date

So, we know that the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is going to hit our PCs in October, but what about a definitive date? 

Well, looking back at the release of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, we didn’t get it until the very end of April – Microsoft kept pushing it back due to bugs. However, this time around, it looks like Microsoft is taking steps to prevent another rocky rollout. The tech giant has sent out a fix to users running older versions of Windows 10 to make updating to the latest version easier.

So, because Microsoft is putting the final touches on the October 2018 Update, we’re expecting Redstone 5 to launch by the end of October, with testing to roll out by the end of September. 

If you don’t want to wait the final couple of weeks for Microsoft to hammer out all the kinks with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, you can download and install it today. You’ll even be able to pick up the Windows 10 Redstone 5 ISO to repair your system in case you mess something up.

Microsoft seems to be on track to make its October release goal, so we’re hoping that the Windows 10 October 2018 Update can make it to our PCs without any crippling issues.

The Fall Creators Update came out in October

Windows 10 October 2018 Update name

While Redstone 5 is what it was called during development, the actual name is going to be the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. It’s not as catchy as past launches like the ‘Anniversary Update’, or the ‘Creators Update’, but at least it has a very clear title, we guess. 

Windows 10 October 2018 Update confirmed features

Because of the extensive testing process of Windows 10 Redstone 5, we have a good idea of some – but not all – of the features coming in the update.

We've also heard about features which are not coming to Windows 10 October 2018 Update, or are being cut from Windows 10 altogether.

It also looks like Windows 10 October 2018 Update could lose one of its best features before release. The smart update feature promised to prevent Windows 10 from updating automatically at annoying times, so it's a real pity if that feature, which was present in early versions of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, was cut.

However, these are the features we know will be included in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.

Intelligent multitasking with Sets

While Sets is one of the more hotly-anticipated new features, Microsoft recently pulled it from Redstone 5's preview builds.

According to Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar in a blog post announcing the 17704 preview build, “we’re taking Sets offline to continue making it great. Based on your feedback, some of the things we’re focusing on include improvements to the visual design and continuing to better integrate Office and Microsoft Edge into Sets to enhance workflow”. 

So what is Sets, anyway? Well, the basic idea is to bring the concept of tabs from the web browser to the entire interface of the OS in general, so you can have windows with tabs that contain web pages, apps, folders – a mix of everything essentially.

At Build, Microsoft showed off more about the potential of Sets in Windows 10, showing how you can have an open document, and clicking a web link will open the web page in a tab next to the document, with everything you open organized in that Set. 

You’ll then be reminded with prompts while your working about the tabs, which should give you intelligent help when working across a variety of documents, apps and websites.

It doesn’t look like Sets is going to make it into the final release of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but we might get it in the next major Windows 10 release.