Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 build today and with it comes a new mode that is designed to make it easier to use 2-in-1 devices. Sporting the build number 18970, if you are a Fast ring user, you can grab the bits now.

In this release, the company is testing a refined look for the desktop for users of 2-in-1 devices. The idea is to make it easier to use touch-enabled devices with Windows 10, an area that has regressed with the OS when compared to Windows 8. To be clear, this is not replacing the tablet UI, it’s an odd in-between mode for when a devicec is in tent mode.

These are the changes with this build that make it easier to use on 2-in-1 hardware:

• Increased spacing between Taskbar icons.
• Search box on taskbar collapsed into an icon.
• File Explorer switches to touch-optimized layout
• Touch keyboard auto invokes when you tap text fields.

Also being introduced with this build is the ability to reset a PC from the cloud. This new option allows you to re-download Windows when you need to reset your device which is handy for those times you can’t find the USB stick that has the ISO of Windows on it that you lost a long, long, time ago.

Keep in mind that if you use the cloud restore option, it will remove all the apps that you have installed on your device.

And finally, the new Cortana experience is now available for all insiders but before you install this release, make sure to check out the known issues log.

Tagged with Tablet UI, Windows 10