Windows 10 just borrowed a feature from Windows Phone

Windows 10 Action Center
The action center (right) joins the new start menu as additions in Windows 10

Those using the Technical Preview build of Windows 10 are in for a treat today, as the first update since the preview began has arrived.

And what does it add? None other than the "action center" found in Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, the Windows Blog has revealed.

The action center is essentially a notification center where alerts from all your device's apps appear in one handy location.

As a whole Windows 10 may be getting closer to resembling a desktop OS once again, but it's clear that Microsoft isn't forgetting the lessons it's been learning on other platforms.

Lesson learned

"We aren't limiting our view to one specific device type. We are looking across our entire product family to look at ways to bring great experiences to our customers across different devices," Microsoft Director of Windows Program Management Gabe Aul wrote in the blog post.

"This build is focused ONLY on enabling basic notifications - quick actions and cleaner UI will come later," he continued. "You'll see notifications from the system and apps - from new emails and invites to IMs, Facebook posts and more - all in one place, so you don't miss a thing. Click on the new Action Center icon in the notification area of your taskbar to check it out."

The update also adds an animation for switching desktops an easier way to move apps between monitors.

Windows 10 Build 9860 will download automatically for users who are in the Windows Insider Program. Windows 10 is still a work in progress, and some elements are still missing or broken even as Microsoft adds new features, but for users eager to try out the new OS the program is a boon.

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.

Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.