Redmond confirms Windows 10 S becomes “S Mode”

Mar 8, 2018 08:26 GMT  ·  By

Joe Belfiore, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President in the Windows group, recently confirmed on Twitter that Windows 10 S is becoming “S Mode,” and in a detailed announcement a few hours ago, he goes on to explain that all versions of the operating system will be able to enable it.

In other words, Windows 10 in S Mode will be available for absolutely all Windows 10 SKUs, and customers will be allowed to return to the full version of the operating system, they can do that free of charge.

Windows 10 S is currently a dedicated SKU that restricts Windows to Microsoft Store apps, blocking users from installing Win32 software. Microsoft says this makes the platform much more secure because only verified apps can be used, and common threats like malware typically spreading via Win32 software are no longer effective.

With S Mode, the same functionality will be provided to Windows 10 customers, regardless of the version they are running.

Confusing name

Belfiore explains the decision has been made because “the naming was a bit confusing for both customers and partners,” and says that devices with Windows 10 in S Mode will continue to ship.

“Starting with the next update to Windows 10, coming soon, customers can choose to buy a new Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro PC with S mode enabled, and commercial customers will be able to deploy Windows 10 Enterprise with S mode enabled,” Belfiore says.

New devices with S Mode running by default are expected in the coming months, Belfiore says.

Microsoft also launched its very own Windows 10 S-powered device, namely the Surface Laptop, and the company allowed customers to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro completely free of charge. The offer will continue to be available even after the transition from Windows 10 S to S Mode happens with the release of Windows 10 Redstone 4 next month.