Microsoft will use Feature, Online, and Web Experience Packs to deliver Windows features

Microsoft revealed this week how it plans to deliver content to Windows devices outside of the regular feature update and cumulative update process.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems will receive one feature update per year going forward and one cumulative update per month (not counting preview updates). Both can be used to deliver new features to users’ devices.

Company officials confirmed some time ago that the features could also be pushed to Windows devices through other means. Last month, Microsoft announced that it would be making some features available to the public, including the long-awaited integration of Windows Subsystem for Android.

A new blog post by Amanda Langowski on the official Windows Insider Blog sheds some light on how Microsoft plans to deliver features to Windows devices that don’t ship with Cumulative Updates or Annual Feature Updates.

We will offer feature and experience updates on builds from the development and beta channels by releasing feature, web, and online service experience packs in addition to these builds as well.

Langowski mentions the Dev and Beta channels, but the entire experience pack system is not limited to these channels.

• Feature Experience Packages — These push new features and updates to Windows devices when they are updated. They have been used for a while.
• Online Service Experience Packages — Smaller in nature than Feature Experience Packs, Online Service Experience Packs enhance specific experiences. Microsoft names the “new settings page for your Microsoft account” as an example of such an update.
• Web Experience Packages — Microsoft does not provide a description for the Web Experience Packs. It could be used to improve web features, for example, PWAs, Windows widgets, or support for new technologies.

closing words

12 months is a long time when it comes to introducing new features and improvements to operating systems. Microsoft will use Experience Packs in the future to deliver updates to Windows devices outside of the annual feature updates it will release.

Windows users will get faster access to the features Microsoft chooses thanks to new experience packs. The downside is that it can become more difficult to maintain control over updates and feature additions. Until now, Windows administrators could delay the installation of feature updates.

Now you: What is your opinion on the experience pack upgrade system?

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