Windows 10 versions 1909 and 1903 get Meet Now button in the Taskbar with new optional patch

Microsoft is starting to bring its new Meet Now Taskbar button to older versions of Windows 10 this week. Yesterday, the company released new optional patches yesterday for the Windows 10 November 2020 Update (version 1909) and the May 2019 Update (version 1903) which will add this new Meet Now button to the system tray.

For those unfamiliar, Meet Now is a new Skype feature that makes it easy to set up a video call with other people without requiring to download or sign up for Skype. Microsoft first tested this new Meet Now button with Windows Insiders last month, and the company is now getting ready to bring it to regular Windows 10 users. It’s a relatively unobtrusive feature that can help Windows 10 users stay in touch during this ongoing pandemic.

Here are the changes Microsoft highlighted for this optional update (KB4590836) for Windows 10 versions 1909 and 1903:

Introducing Meet Now in the Windows 10 Taskbar

Earlier this year we introduced Meet Now in Skype. Meet Now makes it easy to connect with anyone in as little as two clicks for free and each call can last up to 24 hours. Today, we’re excited to share that we will be extending this capability in Windows 10 by bringing Meet Now right to the taskbar. In the coming weeks, you will be able to easily set up a video call and reach friends and family in an instant by clicking the Meet Now icon in the taskbar notification area. No sign ups or downloads needed.

• Updates an issue that might prevent a Microsoft Xbox Game Pass user from playing certain games that are eligible for play.
• Updates a reliability issue that causes the screen to flash constantly.
• Updates an issue that causes a USB printer port to disappear after restarting when the printer device is turned power off.

As usual, all the changes included in this new optional patch will end up in next month’s Patch Tuesday. We expect this new Meet Now button to also make its way to the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004), which could get it with an optional patch before the end of the month. The October 2020 Update, which started rolling out yesterday, also doesn’t have this new Meet Now Taskbar button yet.