Daily News Roundup: Microsoft Accidentally Sent an Untested Windows Build to Insiders

Microsoft accidentally sent out an untested build of Windows to all Insiders on all rings. The build includes a stripped-down Start Menu without live tiles and a new gif search tool. Insiders should consider pausing updates for now.

When Microsoft sends out Windows Insider testing builds, it usually puts the build through a battery of tests. Even the fast ring builds (which are on the “bleeding edge”) typically sees at least five to seven days of internal testing before Microsoft releases them to users.

But today, Microsoft accidentally released build 18947 to all Insiders, whether they’re on release preview, fast, or slow rings. That’s problematic because it appears Microsoft compilied 18947 yesterday, which means it didn’t receive much if any testing at all. While initial reports suggested this only affected 32-bit users, some users on Twitter saw this on 64-bit machines as well.

If you install the build, you’ll find a shockingly different Start Menu—as shown by Twitter user NTAuthority—with all the live tiles stripped out and a Ninja Cat button. The emoji picker also has a new gif search function.

Windows Insider versions typically include a watermark with details about the build and NTAuthority’s screenshot reveals this is a build meant for Xbox, not Windows PCs. That could explain the drastic change to the Start Menu (which Xbox doesn’t have).

Dona Sarkar, chief of the Windows Insider program, says the company is looking into the problem. We don’t see the update on one of our Insider machines, but if you’re an Insider, you may want to pause updates for now as a precaution. To do that, go to Settings -> Updates and click “Pause Updates for 7 days.” [The Verge]

RELATED: Should You Use the Windows 10 Insider Previews?

In Other News:

Google Home won’t yell at you so much: If you’ve ever turned off lights late at night only to have your Google Home confirm the command far too loud, you’ll like this change. Going forward, if your lights or switches are in the same room as the Google Home or Nest Hub, it will softly chime instead of loudly confirming your command. [9to5Google]
You can keep VLC installed: Yesterday, reports started flowing of a critical issue in VLC that was bad enough to warrant many to uninstall the application. But as it turns out, the supposed remote execution flaw required playing a malformed MKV file, and VLC’s developers can’t even reproduce the issue. If you’re worried, then only play MKV’s you know and trust for now. [How-To Geek]
Nintendo quietly promises to fix malfunctioning Joy-Cons: Some Nintendo Switch owners have been complaining that their Joy-Cons are acting strangely. The controllers will act as though the joystick has been pushed ever so slightly, even when no one is holding them. Thankfully, Nintendo instructed its customer reps to offer free repairs to anyone reporting the issue. [Ars Technica]
Windows 10 will let you reply to Android notifications: If you’re an Android user, Microsoft’s Your Phone app is getting more useful. Soon, you’ll be able to reply to Android notifications directly in Windows (if the Android app supports replies). You can already reply to text messages, but this expands the capabilities to other apps. [How-To Geek]

RELATED: Why Android Users Need Windows 10’s “Your Phone” App