The Microsoft Windows 10 May 2019 update can be downloaded now: here's how

If you want to be one of the first to experience the Microsoft Windows 10 May 2019 update, you can. The version is now available for Windows Insiders, a program that you can easily join.

Normally, Windows Insiders tests beta versions of the new features of Windows 10. But as Microsoft has inserted version 18362.30 in the ringtone of the Release Preview last night, it means that a stable version of the next version is waiting for you.

Officially, the May 2019 update (aka "19H1") will be sent to all computers at the end of May. The idea being that Microsoft has extended its final beta period by one month. That's why the term "stable" must be taken with a grain of salt: Microsoft thought the May 2019 update is complete and bug-free – but it was also updated with the October 2018 update, and we all remember what happened next.

If you are already part of the Windows Insider program, Microsoft makes the new version available to users it calls "seekers": those who click the button Update now button in the Settings> Update and Security> Windows Update menu. (Microsoft says that the May 2019 update should only work with insiders of the Release Preview ringtone, but version 18362.30 has also been downloaded to the Insider machine located on the Quick Ringtone.)

If you are do not is part of the Insider program, here's how to participate. As above, visit the Settings> Update and Security> Windows Update menu and click To start. You will have to choose a ring to join you. If you just want the stable update of May 2019 mentioned above, select Just patches, apps and drivers. (If you're wondering why Microsoft does not call this "version preview", we do not know it either.) You'll need to endorse legal jargon and then restart your PC. open documents.

Microsoft

Microsoft told PCWorld that the update should take about 22 minutes. We took about 24 minutes with a first generation Surface Laptop.

We will post our review of the Windows 10 May 2019 update after retesting some key features with the help of the updated version. For now, we can tell you not to expect dramatic changes. There are some exciting new features, such as Windows Sandbox and support for the kaomoji emoji complex. In general, however, this new version was designed to simply enhance Windows 10 that you already know.

What does this mean for you? If you are worried about trying a new version, relax: you do not have to. By the end of May, the Windows 10 May 2019 update will be deployed on all computers and you will need to follow the upgrade process. (Seriously, it's pretty simple.) For now, if you want to try the new features of Windows, use the tips above and dive!