Windows 10 May 2021 Update now generally available

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What you need to know

  • The Windows 10 May 2021 Update is rolling out now.
  • The update doesn't include any major changes but does include some new business-critical additions.
  • The Windows 10 May 2021 Update also comes with the new Microsoft Edge preinstalled.

Microsoft released the Windows 10 May 2021 Update today, which is also known as Windows 10 version 21H1. While it is a feature update, the Windows 10 May 2021 is relatively small in terms of new features and noticeable changes. Microsoft designed the Windows 10 May 2021 Update to be minor since a much more significant update, which is codenamed Sun Valley, is on the way later this year.

The biggest change in this Windows 10 update is that it comes preinstalled with the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge rather than the legacy version of Edge. The new Edge has been available for over a year, but this is the first time that it's been preinstalled in Windows 10.

The Windows 10 May 2021 Update also allows PCs with multiple Windows Hello peripherals to set a default device.

Here's everything that's new with the update. We'll update this list as Microsoft releases the official release notes:

  • Windows Hello multicamera support to set the default as the external camera when both external and internal Windows Hello cameras are present.
  • Windows Defender Application Guard performance improvements including optimizing document opening scenario times.
  • Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Group Policy Service (GPSVC) updating performance improvement to support remote work scenarios.
  • Removes the Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop application that is out of support and installs the new Microsoft Edge.

Along with the short list of new features, the update includes several bug fixes and general improvements.

You can grab the Windows 10 May 2021 Update now through the Windows 10 Settings app, the Media Creation Tool, or the Upgrade Assistant. The update will roll out in waves, so you may not see it yet through Windows Update.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.