Windows 10 May 2020 update coming soon — Here's what we know

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Set your calendars: the next Windows 10 feature update could arrive between May 26 and May 28

windows 10
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft looks poised to release the next major update of Windows 10 by the end of May. We don't know the exact date for when the Windows 10 May 2020 update will roll out, but the company appears to have accidentally confirmed a three-day launch window. 

Posted on the Microsoft Tech Community forum (via Windows Latest), a "Driver Shiproom Schedule," reveals plans to begin rolling out the May 2020 Update between May 26 and May 28. The post shows a 2020 calendar color-coded by weekends, holidays and dates reserved for feature and minor updates. 

Windows 10

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Based on the calendar, the next feature update will be delivered on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of the last week in May. This aligns with what is being said in rumors: that the May 2020 update will arrive on May 28. 

Of course, these dates are always subject to change as Microsoft irons out bugs or finds new problems, as it did with the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool earlier this month.  

Unfortunately, the other months on the posted calendar weren't updated with expected feature update launch dates. 

Windows 10 May 2020 update features

When the May 2020 update arrives on Windows 10 laptops, it will bring several minor changes. 

What Microsoft is calling the "new Cortana experience" is arguably the biggest one. Cortana, the digital voice assistant currently embedded in the Search bar, will appear as a dedicated icon to the right of Search. 

Microsoft will also add quick search buttons to the bottom of the main Search bar, and some index tinkering could improve the speed of older laptops with hard disk drives (HDD).  

We might also see updates to Windows 10 icons. Microsoft revealed new icons as part of its efforts to modernize the operating system. Hundreds of icons, from the documents folder to the iconic mail envelope, will be refreshed. It's not clear if this will happen in the May 2020 update or later this year. 

Microsoft can't seem to release a new version of Windows 10 without breaking things along the way. So, as a word of caution, you might want to wait a few days or weeks before downloading the update -- just to be on the safe side. 

Phillip Tracy
Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.