In April 2023, Microsoft announced that Windows 10, its eight-year-old operating system, would no longer receive "big" updates with substantial changes or new features. However, it did not take too long for the company to revert its plans. Today, Microsoft announced two big features coming down from Windows 11: the addition of Copilot and the toggle to get updates faster.
Like Windows 11 users, those sticking to the good old Windows 10 will get a new toggle today for Release Preview users. It allows installing the latest updates as soon as they are available. That toggle lets the operating system download and install non-security updates without permission, just like mandatory cumulative updates.
The toggle is now available for Windows Insiders with the latest Release Preview update for Windows 10. After installing it, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and toggle on the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option.
Since the option is new to Windows 10 users, Microsoft provided a brief FAQ to explain how the toggle works:
Will Windows configuration updates be installed during active hours?
As with past updates, we respect your active hours. Changes enabled via the cloud take
a couple seconds to install, so they won't interrupt your work or spend device
resources. Restarting can be scheduled at any time that's convenient for you.What should I expect after turning the toggle on?
After you set the toggle to On, your device will be among the first to get the latest non-security updates, fixes, improvements, and enhancements at the time they’re available for your device. You only need to set this option once and it stays on (although you always have the option to turn it Off later.
Will I get security updates?
A: Because Microsoft is committed to keeping Windows devices around the world safe and secure, there are regular security updates. Whether you have the toggle On or Off, you'll still get these recommended security updates installed as usual on a regular basis.
Will my device restart more often?
If you turned the toggle to On, your device will be getting the latest updates, fixes, improvements, and enhancements. There may be more reboots per month—these reboots are needed to apply changes.
Can I turn the toggle off after I turn it on?
Yes, you can set the toggle to Off at any time. However, changes and updates that were applied before will stay on your device.
Is this option available on managed devices?
If the device is managed, the Get the latest updates as soon as they're available toggle control can be managed by the administrator with the AllowOptionalContent client policy.
You can learn more about the change from a blog post published on the official Windows Blogs website.
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