Windows 10’s first blockbuster update of the year is out now: How to download to your PC

The latest update to Windows 10 is now available to download on all PCs worldwide. Dubbed the Windows 10 May 2021 Update, this is the first of two planned upgrades set to release to Windows 10 users this year. However, unlike previous years, where both the spring and autumn upgrades have been bursting with new features, updated designs, and performance improvements, Microsoft is trying something different this year. Unfortunately, that new plan means the Windows 10 May 2021 Update is a little lacklustre.

That’s because the update scheduled to launch later this year, purportedly sometime in October 2021, will be the biggest visual overhaul to Windows 10 since the popular desktop operating system launched back in 2015. Codenamed Sun Valley inside Microsoft, the October update will include redesigned icons for every system menu and File Explorer item, all-new features – like the ability to instantly pair with Bluetooth earbuds, like Apple AirPods, and much more.

Unfortunately, with all of its effort focused on retooling and redesigning every inch of Windows 10 before the autumn deadline, Microsoft didn’t have many exciting new treats to hand for the Windows 10 May 2021 Update.

Of course, it’s always important to be running the latest version of the operating system, especially when working at home with customer data, sensitive files, and more. Microsoft always includes the latest security and privacy features in these updates, so be sure to install the update – even if there isn’t a shiny new app to test out inside.

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Elsewhere, the Windows 10 May 2021 Update does also include a few improvements under the bonnet. It adds support for external cameras for its facial recognition Windows Hello system – so if you use a USB webcam for improved video call quality, you’ll be able to login to your computer with a quick glance.

Microsoft has also upgraded its Windows Defender Application Guard. The latter is a clever feature that lets users open suspicious files or applications in a completely isolated virtualised container. This boosts security as even if the app turns out to be a virus – it can’t get to any of the important files, applications and more actually stored on your hard drive. According to Microsoft, opening documents from suspicious emails, in particular, should feel noticeably faster in Windows Defender Application Guard.

If you want to update Windows 10 now, head to the Start (Windows) button in the bottom-left corner of the screen, then find the Settings icon. Next up, click Update & Security > Windows Update. Then, choose the Check For Updates button.

If the Windows 10 May 2021 Update is available in your region, it will appear and begin downloading automatically.