Windows 10 build 18917 (20H1) Start and Action center hidden changes

In addition to the features and improvements available on Windows 10 build 18917, as part of the 20H1 development, it seems that Microsoft continues to be testing some other changes with a select number of participants of the Windows Insider Program.

Alongside the new Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 and the improvements coming to Delivery Optimization, starting with build 18917, Windows 10 includes some Start menu and Action centers changes.

Start menu new search options

For instance, in the latest preview of the Windows 10 20H1 update, when opening the Start menu, you’ll notice a new list called “Start typing to search” with quick access to search for online results, apps, and documents, which should make it clear that users can simply start typing to search without the need to actually open the Search experience from the taskbar.

Also, the “Start typing to search” title sometimes changes to “Search for,” which is a different title aimed to lure users to select a search type from the list.

Action center new notifications options

As part of the Action center improvements, some users in Reddit are reporting that inside the Action center flyout, you can find a new “Manage notifications” option that opens the Notifications page in the Settings app.

Also, it appears that you’ll no longer need to open Action center to access the notification settings or disable notifications for apps individually, as a new gear button will allow you to control these settings from the toast notification.

Although these are welcome additions, they’re simply test features, and it’s unclear if they’ll ship in the final version.

Do you think that Microsoft should ship these changes with the Windows 10 20H1 update? Tell us in the comments.