Latest Windows 10 Insider build 17040 includes Windows Timeline features

Back at Build 2017, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore demoed Windows Timeline, a feature intended for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, meant to help a user resume apps and content from their other (iOS, Android, and Windows) devices. Unfortunately, the feature didn’t make the cut and instead is being developed for the upcoming Spring Redstone 4 release.

As expected, the latest Windows 10 Insider build includes some functions for Windows Timeline, putting in place the necessary settings and links to control future Timeline content (via ITPro.)

In Windows Insider build 17040, these settings are accessible by navigating to Privacy, and then selecting activity history from the sidebar. There’s a helpful explainer on the page, detailing the settings are for Activity History, eventually allowing the user to “jump back into what you were doing with apps, docs or other activities on your PC or your phone.”

Seen below, the user can turn this off from, or clear a device’s activity history altogether. Again, to be clear, there is still no user interface elements for Windows Timeline, but just a settings page for it, likely meaning the final feature could be coming soon.

Interestingly, the setting page also includes a link to manage activity information, which takes the user to an updated Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. This page shows all information which the user granted permission for Microsoft to collect, including the full audio playback of Cortana searches, Bing searches, and location history. The data can be deleted, and this is not some jaw-dropping stuff, but it is obviously the content which will be a crucial part of Windows Timeline in the future.

Given these settings and the updated Privacy Dashboard, one can hope that Windows Timeline will come to its full fruition soon in the Spring. For now, users interested in continuing their experiences across devices can try out the Edge app on iOS and Android, the Continue on PC app, or the new Near Share feature for Windows Insiders.