Microsoft has released a firmware update for the Surface Pro 4 that finally enables on-screen support for the Surface Dial. The Surface Dial was introduced back in 2016 alongside the Surface Studio all-in-one desktop PC. The company promised that on-screen Dial support would be coming to the Pro 4 sometime in 2017, but as it turns out, it has taken longer than expected.
To those not in the know, the Surface Dial, which the company describes as "a new tool for the creative process" is a small cylindrical device that provides contextual functionality either via Bluetooth or by being placed on the screen (limited to certain Surface devices). Pushing down on the Dial results in a radial contextual menu popping up on the display that can be used to interact with app-specific commands, such as selecting a brush color or scrolling through pages.
Though the screen on the Pro 4 is much smaller than the Surface Studio, having the on-screen functionality is a neat addition for owners of the device and might actually be useful for some users.
As per the release notes, here’s what’s new for the Surface Pro 4:
| Windows Update History Name | Device Manager Name |
|---|---|
| Surface – Human Interface Device – 2.0.313.0 | Surface Digitizer Integration – Human Interface Device 2.0.313.0 enables on-screen support for Surface Dial. |
| Surface – Firmware – 105.0.106.8 | Surface Touch – Firmware 105.0.106.8 enables on-screen support for Surface Dial and improves touch accuracy. |
| Surface – System - 2.0.2.0 | Surface Dial Detection - System 2.0.2.0 enables on-screen support for Surface Dial. |
| Surface – System – 1.0.821.0 | Surface Touch Servicing ML – System 1.0.821.0 enables on-screen support for Surface Dial and improves touch accuracy. |
Microsoft typically releases firmware updates for the Pro 4 and first-gen Surface Book devices together. However, this update seems to be just for the Pro 4, considering it is specific to just the Dial support for that device. You can also find apps that are compatible with the Surface Dial in the Microsoft Store.
As always, you can grab these updates via Windows Update. Additionally, these updates can also be manually downloaded from the Download Center here.