"Device Usage": Windows 10 gets a new personalization option

Windows 10 hasn't had any groundbreaking new features for a long time. Because both the autumn 2020 update and the upcoming version 21H1 are essentially service packs. But in autumn 2021 there will finally be something new.

Of course, it is not yet clear what version 21H2 will offer, but it seems clear that it will be a "real" update again. That means first and foremost (at least in all likelihood) that there will be the visual refresh known under the code name Sun Valley. But there should also be functional innovations and one of them is called Device Usage.

By whom and how is the PC used?

The Microsoft insider Albacore discovered this personalization function in Windows 10 Insider Build 21337 (via MSPowerUser). The respective user can use Device Usage to prescribe or specify how he usually uses his Windows 10 computer. The categories gaming, family, creativity, school, entertainment and business are available for selection.

These six usage scenarios should also be largely self-explanatory, but Microsoft also offers a brief explanation. Family is primarily about safety functions, creativity is the focus on the implementation of ideas, these range from novels and presentations to photos and videos.

Based on these settings - multiple choices should be possible - the users then receive personalized tips. What exactly these look like and how often they come is not yet known. If you do not need or want such help, you can switch it off completely using a main switch.