Microsoft's Windows 10 touch keyboard is a handy way of typing when you don't have a keyboard, but there's always room for improvement. Fortunately, Microsoft is on the case with a fresh new update for Windows Insiders.
What's in the New Touch Keyboard Update?
The touch keyboard changes are part of Build 21301, which Microsoft announced on Windows Blogs. A lot is going on in this update, so it's worth a read if you're interested to see what fixes and features will arrive on Windows soon.
As for the touch keyboard, Microsoft shares the following patch notes:
When undocking the keyboard, it now switches to the Small keyboard layout, and you can easily move the keyboard around using the gripper region at the top of the keyboard. Small and split layouts will now feature an updated symbol’s view based on the default layout. The settings menu now has a nested structure for improved clarity and less clutter.
The touch keyboard is also getting a touch-up for when you use it to enter passwords. You can now turn on visual keypress feedback when you're in a password field, which is handy when nobody is watching, and you want to ensure you typed the right thing.
Other Additions to Windows Insider Build 21301
Of course, the keyboard is not the only star of the show in this update. It also sports a few other handy additions which Insiders should check out.
For one, jump lists are getting a handy tweak. If you're unsure what a "jump list" is, it's what appears when you right-click a program icon on your taskbar. You may notice that if you right-click an app like Microsoft Word, it'll show you all the previous files you've opened in the program—that's a jump list.
Beforehand, if you right-click an entry on a jump list, Windows would let you open it. However, with this update, you can now choose to open the file's location in File Explorer instead.
The update also changes the N'Ko keyboard to include currency options, makes the touchpad toggleable via Windows 10's settings page, and some spellchecking and predictive text tweaks.
Just remember that this update isn't available for the main branch of Windows 10 just yet. You'll need an Insider build to give them a try, which you can join over on the Windows Insider webpage.
The Insider build is a great way to keep tabs on what the software giant is cooking up for Windows 10. For instance, we recently saw an improved Windows 10 taskbar on the Insider build.
A Small Touch-Up for the Touch Keyboard
If you enjoy using the touch keyboard, the Insiders build is getting a bundle of useful features just for you. We'll have to see what else Microsoft will do with the keyboard in future updates.
Did you know that the touch keyboard can act as an emergency Numpad when you need it? It's a nice little trick if you use a laptop without one.
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