Start menu and lock screen improvements coming

Aug 1, 2015 07:51 GMT  ·  By

Windows RT doesn't seem to have a future in Microsoft's lineup, but after Redmond's marketing push to convince buyers to get tablets running this OS, the company cannot simply give up on the platform and stop supporting it.

So while Windows RT won't get the full upgrade to Windows 10, the company will make some features available for tablets running it.

And in a mention in the upgraded Windows 10 FAQ, the company confirms that the Start menu will arrive on Windows RT via an update coming next month.

Previous rumors indicated that Microsoft was aiming for a September 2015 release for this update, and the company confirms this is indeed the case. The Start menu will be offered in Windows RT too, along with some lock screen improvements, as it said.

Old Start menu

“If you’re running Windows RT, your device won’t upgrade to Windows 10. We will have an update available in September 2015 that will improve the Start menu and lock screen. Check Windows Update on your Windows RT device to make sure it is ready to download the update when available,” the upgraded FAQ reads.

And yet, Windows RT devices won't get the new Start menu that's currently available in Windows 10, but only the first version that was part of build 9841 and which used an API that can also work on Windows RT.

It's not yet clear what happens after this update and whether Microsoft plans to roll out other improvements for Windows RT in the future, but it's pretty much obvious that investing in such a limited platform is not part of its vision.

Windows RT was the product of Steve Ballmer's era, and under the guidance of Satya Nadella, Microsoft is aiming towards a lineup that simply makes more sense, so the future will be fully focused on Windows 10 on PCs, tablets, and smartphones.