Windows 10 Build 9926: Charms is Dead, Long Live Notifications

If you're a Windows 8.1 tablet user and have installed Windows 10 Build 9926, you may have noticed a somewhat frustrating turn of events. I admit, I'm a Windows 8.1 fan, and surprisingly, I'm not the only one. Over the last couple years I've gotten used to Windows 8.1. Don't hate me, but I enjoy how it works.

That said, I've seen and heard from folks who are a bit dismayed over the missing Charms bar in Windows 10. It's a big change for sure, but I'm slowly getting accustomed to it. In fact, after using Windows 10 Build 9926 over the weekend, I'm starting to finally envision a final product that will actually be useful to me. Microsoft is doing good things here.

EXTRA: SuperSite's Richard Hay is capturing some great feedback from those who aren't loving the new Windows 10 interface, so you might want to check those out there: Is Microsoft taking the Windows 10 Start Screen in the wrong direction? If for nothing else than to find a good support group. :)

Today, in Windows 10 Build 9926, swiping from the right on a touchscreen produces the new Notifications Center instead of the Charms bar, allowing you to view and manage the accumulated notifications but also give you quick access to commonly customized settings. Notifications Center has replaced Charms completely.

Here's a tip for those longing for the missing the Charms bar that should make the Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 transition a bit easier. If you use a Windows tablet, such as a Surface Pro 3, swipe to reveal the Notifications Center and select to keep Windows 10 in Tablet Mode. Tablet Mode is what Microsoft has been referring to as Continuum, which is a semi-intelligent way for Windows 10 to identify your preferred working environment. Tablet Mode essentially just forces the new Start Menu and all applications to run in full screen mode to make it easier to use touch. It doesn’t bring back the Charms bar, but it does seem to make long-time Windows 8.1 users feel a bit more comfortable in the new Windows 10 interface.

I'm still not digging the combination of All Apps with the Start Menu, but I'm sure Microsoft will work that out with my feedback.

It should also be noted that while the Charms Bar is gone now, the Charms actions are still available. At the top of every app, sites a dropdown menu, idealized in what most now call the "hamburger-style" settings menu. Click or tap the 3-lines at the top of any app and you still have access to app settings, Search, Share, and Print. Same commands, just in a different place.

P.S. Some have correctly suggested that the Notifications Center is actually named the Action Center. While that's true, any standard user looking through Windows 10 right now, will see "Notifications" emblazoned across the window. So, we'll leave it there for now.