Windows 11 was released last fall, but it’s still new to many users. Windows 11 itself took a few months for a wide rollout and many users did not get the update due to hardware restrictions. But as many users are switching to the new hardware, they are getting Windows 11 either pre-installed or through OTA updates. And so today we will be sharing a guide to help you master Windows 11.
Here you will find Windows 11 tips and tricks along with some important shortcuts. Even if you have been using Windows 11 for a long time, you will come to know about some hidden tips and tricks.
Microsoft recently released the 22H2 update to the public. As the new Windows 11 22H2 update is now available, check out the latest working Windows 11 tips and tricks which will enhance your Windows experience.
Windows is a very popular OS that is being used by people all over the world. Whenever a new version of the operating system comes out, new features are seen in it. At times, you may also notice that the way of accessing some features may have been changed as well. And here comes the role of Windows 11 tricks and tips. Well, it is always good to see various changes in the new version of the operating system and, the same can be said about Windows 11. It packs a whole bunch of new features and comes with more Windows 11 22H2 updates.
So, if you wanted to know about the new features and how you can use them for your day-to-day usage, this is your ideal resource. Let’s dive into the deep world of tips and tricks that you need to know when using Windows 11.
Table of Contents
Windows 11 Tips and Tricks
Let’s first start with the Windows 11 tips followed by the best Windows 11 tricks and shortcuts.
1. Reposition Start Button
The central start button and Taskbar icons don’t go hand in hand for everyone. Thankfully, you can change it back to its older position in Windows 11. Here are the steps you need to follow to make the change.
- Right-click on the Taskbar and choose Taskbar Settings. The Settings page for your Taskbar will now open.
- Head over to Taskbar behaviors and select the Taskbar Alignment option.
- On the right, you will see a drop-down menu. Click on it to change it from Center to Left.
- The taskbar will now be positioned towards the left of the screen.
2. Turn Off Sticky Keys
Sticky Keys is an accessibility feature that lets you use a combination of keys by pressing them individually rather than pressing them all at the same time. While it’s a good feature for those who have trouble using the keyboard, it can sometimes be a headache when using either the Shift, Control, or ALT keys repeatedly while you are gaming. When you repeatedly press them, a popup appears on your screen and this can be annoying. Here is how you can turn the Sticky key settings off.
- Open the Start menu and launch the Settings app.
- On the left side of the Settings app, select the search bar. Now, type in Sticky Keys and choose it from the suggestions.
- You will be taken to the Accessibility page for Sticky Keys.
- Switch the toggle to Off next to where it says Keyboard Shortcut for Sticky Keys.
- Once you have it Off, you will no longer have the Stick Keys message popup when repeatedly pressing the Shift, Control, or Alt keys.
3. Enable Night Light Schedule
If you are someone that uses their PC for quite long hours, it is advisable to take a break and give your eyes a rest from all the harsh white light coming off the screen to your eyes. Window’s Night Light is what you need to be using. You can manually set it up or choose to automatically enable it as and when you want. Here is how you can enable it and set a schedule.
- Open the Settings app by launching it from the Start Menu.
- Using the search bar t the left, type in Night Light and click on the suggestion.
- You can choose to turn it on or switch the Schedule Night Light toggle On.
- It lets you adjust the strength of the light as well as let you set your hours when you want it to automatically turn on.
- With this feature set to a schedule, you can now give your eyes an easy rest and at the same time have a goodnight’s sleep.
4. Set Display Refresh Rate
It’s happened to so many people when they buy a new display that has a high refresh rate and realizes that something seems to not be right. Well, the thing is you need to manually set your display’s refresh rate to the one you desire. You can get this Windows 11 trick working by following the steps below.
- Open the start menu and type in Advanced Display Info.
- When you see the result, click on it.
- When the Settings page opens, you will see an option that says Choose Refresh Rate.
- On the right, you can see a drop-down menu.
- Simply choose the refresh rate that you want and you are good to go.
5. Enable Focus Mode
Notifications are an integral part of our day-to-day life. However, it can be problematic when you receive way too many notifications from several different apps and websites. Just like how your mobile device has a DND mode, your Windows 11 PC comes with a Focus mode. This mode lets your device receive notifications but, without displaying them to you or making alert sounds.
- Press the Window key to pull up the Start menu and type in Focus.
- Click on it when you spot the result.
- You can click on the Start Focus session button and adjust the session’s duration.
- You can also click on Notifications to disable notifications and enable the DND mode.
6. Adjust System Sleep Times
As we all know about laptops, the important factor about them is the battery percentage. So, if you are keen on saving your battery life, you must adjust the sleep behavior of your laptop. You can choose after how long your system’s screen turns off as well as when you want the device to sleep. The adjustments can be done by following these settings.
- Open the Start menu and type in Sleep Settings.
- When you get the results from the search, click on it to open the Power and Battery settings page.
- Under the Screen and sleep option, you will find various settings.
- Adjust how you want your device to behave after inactivity whether it’s plugged in or running on battery.
7. Cleanup Storage Space
Storage Sense is a very useful tool for when you want to trash out temporary files, update files, some cache, and even rubbish that you might have left forgotten in the Recycle Bin. Best of all, you can even set it to automatically clean your storage, check out our debloat Windows 11 guide as well. It is one of the best Windows 11 tips of 2023 on this list, so let’s see how you can enable it.
- Open the Settings app and type in Storage Sense.
- Once you open up Storage Sense, you will see an option to switch the toggle On.
- Also, click on it to enable auto cleanup, and choose whether you want to clean up the Downloads folder. You can also set the timing to delete files from recycle bin.
8. Use your Screen as Wireless Display
While Windows 11 does have a good number of features that are present right away, there are a few features that are optional and you have the liberty to install them or uninstall them as you wish. For example, the ability to use your PC’s screen as a wireless display is not enabled by default. So, if you plan to use it that way, these are the steps.
- Launch the Settings app and search for Optional Features using the search bar. Open it when you spot it from the suggestions.
- With the Optional Features page open, you can now take a look at all the optional features that have been installed.
- If there are none, you can click on the View Features button.
- Type in Wireless Display and select the check box to install it to your system.
- Once it has been installed, you might be asked to restart your PC to complete the installation.
9. Additional Mouse Settings
Did you know that you can adjust various parameters of your mouse? Apart from changing the mouse size and mouse color options, Windows lets you adjust your double click speed enabling mouse pointer precision and also the ability to snap the mouse pointer to the default button. Follow these steps below.
- Open the Control Panel on your PC and type Mouse in the search bar at the right.
- Click on Mouse Settings to open the Mouse Properties Window.
- Now, click on the Pointer Options tab. Here, you can adjust the speed, enable pointer precision and also enable the Snap to default button option.
10. Disable or Enable Startup Apps
Ever noticed that your PC always took so much time to boot into Windows and noticed that a ton of apps and programs are up and running right away? Well, you can disable all of the start-up apps that you don’t need to run right away. Here is how.
- Hover your mouse pointer over the Start button and right-click on it.
- A context menu should now be displayed on your screen.
- Click on Task manager from the list.
- Now, select the Startup Apps tab to see the list of all apps that launch as soon as you start Windows.
- Select the programs that you do not want to launch by right-clicking them and selecting Disable.
- If you want to enable any app to launch at startup, you can do the same.
11. Enable Auto Correct and Typing Insights
Just like how your mobile device’s keyboard has features such as auto-correction, spellings, and suggestions, you can now enable the same within your Windows 11 PC. Whether you make use of the on-screen keyboard or type in with your own keyboard, you can use this feature. It is one of the best Windows 11 tips of 2023, make sure to try it out.
- Open the Settings app, and select Time and Language from the left panel. Now, on your right, click on Typing.
- You can switch the toggles to On for Highlighting misspelled words, Autocorrect misspelled words, and even enable suggestions to be displayed.
- To see how this feature has helped you after using it for some time, you can click on Typing Insights.
- Enable Typing Insights to see a report of how the auto correct and suggestions by Windows has helped you out.
12. Enable and Adjust Live Captions
earlier, Windows had a feature where you could view Closed Captions that were present within a video. Now, in Windows 11, you can enable Live Captions. What this means is that you get live subtitles for videos on the spot. This is indeed a good feature and is a must, especially for those who depend a lot on captions and subtitles. Here is how you can enable and customize them.
- With the Settings app open, click on Accessibility followed by the Captions option on your right.
- You need to switch the Live Captions toggle On.
- It will also to download a few packages. So, click on the Download button.
- You can adjust the Caption style by choosing the different styles that are available right away.
- Live Captioning currently works on devices that have the language set to US English.
13. Enable Clipboard history
If you are someone that copies a lot of important text from one place to another on your PC, having the Clipboard to save your previously copied text is useful. In Windows 11, you can make use of the cloud-based Clipboard History tool. Here is how you can do it.
- Access the System menu in the Settings app and select Clipboard.
- Now, switch the Clipboard History toggle On.
- You can also share the Clipboard History with other devices that are signed in with the same Microsoft account.
14. Adjust Privacy Settings
In this modern connected world, everyone is concerned about their privacy and worried about companies tracking them to obtain that sweet user information. Well, the same can be said about the Privacy of Windows 11. However, there are a few settings that you need to change right now too.
- Launch the Settings app and select Privacy and General. Now select the General option on the right.
- Here you will see options for Advertising ID, Display Suggestions, Show Locally relevant content, and tracking app usage.
- You can simply switch all of the toggles to Off.
15. Pause Windows Updates
Windows Updates are great, while a lot of them bring in features and bug fixes, some updates can be responsible for a number of crashes, bugs, and issues. So, when you get such information about a new update that is causing such issues, it is best to avoid downloading it. To stay on the safe side, you can pause the updates for up to seven days. Here’s how.
- Open the Settings app and click on Windows Update.
- Now, on your right, you should see the option that says Pause Updates.
- Click on the Pause for one week button.
- After seven days, the updates will be resumed. To prevent the updates from downloading to your system, you can pause the updates for another seven days.
16. Enable Camera Protection
Now, a good number of devices, especially laptops, have a safety slider to cover the camera lens. This is useful so that hackers don’t get access to your camera to snoop around. But, if you have a device that doesn’t have a removable camera, it is best to have these camera settings enabled. So, let’s take a look at another Windows 11 Tip.
- From the Settings app, select Privacy and Security. Under App Permissions, select the Camera option.
- You will be able to toggle the Camera access On or Off.
- If you have the toggle set to On, you can individually grant or deny permissions to apps to access your camera.
- You can also take a look at the recent activity to see if any app has recently used your camera.
Windows 11 Tricks
Now that you have the best of Windows 11 Tips above, it’s time for the Windows 11 tricks that you need to know to make your experience easier.
1. New Window Snap Layouts
Windows 11 has this new cool feature where you can organize and arrange multiple open windows on your screen. This feature is present by default and you can use it by simply hovering your mouse over the maximize button. When you do that, you can move the window and other windows into six different layouts on your screen. The best part about this is you can use the Windows and Arrow keys (Up, down, left, right) to move the window to different parts of your screen.
2. Minimize All Windows
If you are someone that has a number of open windows and programs, minimizing all of them to view your desktop is not ideal. So, the best solution to minimize all of your open windows to view the desktop is by clicking on the Show Desktop button. This button is present at the right end of the Taskbar. However, if you cannot see the button, you can follow these steps to get this Windows 11 Trick working.
- Right-click on the Taskbar and click on Taskbar Settings.
- When the Taskbar settings page opens, scroll and click on Taskbar behavior.
- You will see an option at the end that says Select the far right corner of the Taskbar to show desktop.
- Checkmark the box and the button will appear instantly at the end of the taskbar.
3. Add Widgets to Xbox Game Bar
The Xbox Game bar is a great tool that many PC gamers make use of. It has options to take screenshots, record gameplay, and even communicate with other friends who have signed in with a Microsoft account. There are a good number of additional widgets that you can add for free to make your gaming experience even better. You can head here to read how to install these widgets and, head here to see the ten best Xbox Game Bar widgets.
4. Display File Extensions in File Manager
The File Manager is a great place to browse all your files that are stored locally or being accessed on an external drive. By default, the File Manager will display the File types when set in Details View. But, if you want to see the file type along with the name of the file, you can easily enable it by following these steps.
- Open the File Manager by pressing the Windows and E keys.
- Now, at the Menu bar, click on the horizontal three-dot menu.
- From the context menu, click on Options to open the Folder Options window.
- Click on the View tab and scroll a bit till you see Hide Extensions for Known File Types.
- Uncheck the box and then click on Apply, followed by the OK button.
- You will now see the file extension at the end of the file’s name.
5. Enable Checkboxes for Files and Folders
It is one of the most useful Windows 11 Tricks. If you were to select various multiple files or a folder, you would usually select them by pressing the Control Key and left-clicking the mouse to select alternate files and folders. There is an easier way for you to select files and folders- just by using checkboxes. This is how you can enable the checkbox features.
- Launch the File Manager and click on the three dots on the menu bar.
- Choose Options to open the Folder Properties window.
- Select the View tab and scroll till you see the Use Checkboxes to select items.
- Click on the Apply and OK buttons to see the checkboxes on your files and folders.
6. Disable Visual Effects
If for some reason you aren’t a fan of the visual effects and animations in Windows, there is a way that you can follow to turn them off. When you turn these animations off, you will notice that your menus and other elements of the OS respond a bit faster as the delayed animation is no longer present. Follow these steps to disable these animations.
- Open the Settings app and click on Accessibility.
- Now, click on the Visual Effects option.
- You can choose to disable the Transparency Effects as well as Animation Effects.
- Once both settings have been turned off, you will notice that the windows and menus on your PC open up faster than before.
7. Enable Color Filters
This is an incredible feature for those who have difficulty in differentiating colors, have some sort of vision loss, or for that matter are color blind. With this filter enabled, users can easily differentiate between colors. A great feature that you can share with people you know who have issues with vision. Use these steps to enable Color Filters on Windows 11.
- Launch the Settings app and select Accessibility.
- Now, choose Color Filters under the Videos section.
- Switch the Color Filters toggle to On and choose the type of color filter that helps you to see colors better.
8. Control Mouse Using Numeric Keypad
The mouse is a great input tool that is a must-have for everyone, except for touchscreen devices. Anyways, now, what would you do if your touchpad or the external mouse simply refused to work? This can be a headache. So, if you are missing a muse, you can make use of the Numeric keypad of your keyboard to control the mouse pointer. Sure it might seem odd, but, it can be useful in certain scenarios. Follow these steps to use your Numpad to control your mouse.
- Open the Control Panel and click on the Ease of Access option.
- Next, click on the Ease of Access Center, followed by Make the Mouse Easier to Use.
- Scroll down a bit till you see the control mouse with the keyboard option.
- Once you have selected the checkbox, you can use the Numpad to control your mouse.
9. Use Power Modes
Power Modes in Windows 11 are useful to change how your PC performs based on the performance you want to run it at. You can choose between power efficiency, balanced mode, and performance.
- From the Settings app, click on Power and Battery.
- You will see the Power Mode option on the screen.
- Simply choose the one that suits best for your need using the drop-down menu.
10. Clear Cache Files
When you are running out of space or find that your program is not running properly even after installing the latest update on it, you need to clear the cache files. There are three different ways you can follow to clear the cache on your Windows PC.
- Press the Windows and R key to fire up the Run command box.
- Now, you can type Prefetch or Temp or %temp% and hit the enter key.
- This will open up the respective folder that has the cache and temporary files stored.
- Simply select all the contents inside it and hit the delete key.
- Repeat the process two more times by using the other folder names mentioned above.
11. See Pointer Location
The next Windows 11 trick is to see the pointer location. If the mouse pointer that you use is the default one, there can be times when it simply is difficult to see where it is. Especially if you use a really big screen and either your program or your background is white. AImlessly moving your mouse around to find the pointer is not ideal. But, there is a way that you can use to find where your mouse pointer is currently at.
- Launch the Control Panel and search for Mouse at the top right corner.
- Click on the Change Mouse Settings result.
- With the Mouse Properties window open, click on the Pointer Options tab.
- At the bottom, you will see an option that reads Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key.
- Select the checkbox and now press the CTRL key on your keyboard. You can easily see where the mouse pointer is.
12. Prevent Windows Updates from Downloading
Now, everyone has a problem with Windows updates. Be it bringing in new issues or the updates installing right in the middle of your work etc. The best way that you can prevent updates from downloading on your network is by setting it as a metered network. Once your PC is connected to a metered network, it will not download updates for your PC, and neither will the app updates on the Microsoft Store be downloaded. Follow these steps to set your internet connection as a metered one.
- Click on the quick access panel present on the Taskbar.
- Now click on the right side of the WiFi icon provided that your device is connected to the network.
- It will display a list of available networks as well as the network you are connected to.
- Right-click on the connected network and choose Properties.
- The Properties window for the network will now appear.
- Simply switch the toggle to ON where it says metered connections.
13. Enable Developer Mode
Your Windows PC allows you to install programs from the web and apps from the Microsoft Store. What if you wanted to install an app that is from a third-party source on your PC? Well, Microsoft has you covered. For this, you can simply enable developer mode to allow third-party app installations.
- Open the Settings app and select the Privacy and Security option. At the top under the Security tab, click on For Developers.
- Toggle the Developer Mode switch to ON It will display a prompt asking if you wish to turn it on. Select Yes.
- On the same page, you can also choose your default terminal app between Console Host and Windows Terminal.
14. Adjust Windows Update Settings
There are even more settings that you need to adjust to ensure that the updates do not suddenly begin to install while you are in the middle of something on your PC. Adjusting these settings will make you feel less stressed about updates suddenly showing up in the middle of your work.
- Launch the Settings app and click on Windows Update.
- Now, choose Advanced Options.
- Make sure that the toggle for Get me up to date has been switched off.
- The other setting you need to do is to adjust the Active Hours time.
- By default, it will show you the active hours times. You can change it by clicking on the drop-down arrow and selecting Manual.
- You can input your active hours and Windows will not install any updates during these particular hours.
15. Different Screenshot Methods
Taking screenshots in Windows 11 is super easy. There are so many ways you can follow to take screenshots. Whether you plan to use the good old PrintScreen button or the combination of the Function or Windows key together with the PrintScreen button. In Windows 11, there is a handy tool called Snipping Tool. This replaces the old Snip and Stitch tool that we see in Windows 10. You can access the Snipping Tool from the Start menu. If you want to read about the alternate screenshot methods, this guide has the details for all of them.
16. Adjust Command Prompt Colors
By default, the color scheme for the Command Prompt is a regular black background with white text. However, if you want to make it look better like the similar kinds that you see in movies when a hacker is trying to gain access to a system, that can be done. Here is how you can do it.
- Open the Start Menu and type in Command Prompt.
- Now open it as an Administrator.
- At the title bar of the program, right-click to pull up the context menu.
- Choose Properties and finally click on the Colors tab.
- Here you can choose the colors for the screen text and background as well as the colors for the popup text and background.
- Once you have decided on your colors, simply click the OK button.
- You will the changes reflected on your screen right away.
Windows 11 Shortcuts
Now that you know all of the tips and tricks in Windows 11, it is time to know the shortcut keys. You see, knowing the shortcut keys is helpful as it reduces the number of steps required to perform a particular task. Here is the list of Windows 11 shortcuts that you need to know.
Shortcut Key | Function |
---|---|
Alt + Tab | Switch between open windows |
Alt+ F4 | Close Window? Open Shut down menu |
Alt+ Tab | Switch Windows |
Ctrl + C | Copy |
Ctrl + X | Cut |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl +A | Select all items |
Ctrl+ Alt+ Del | Open Task Menu |
Ctrl+ D | Delete Items |
Ctrl+ V | Paste |
F2 | Rename file or folder |
Win + + | Open Magnifier |
Win + , | Quick Peek Desktop |
Win + . | Open Emoji Keyboard |
Win + A | Opens Quick Panel |
Win + Alt + Enter | Open taskbar Settings |
Win + Alt + OrntScrn | Take a screenshot of the active Window |
Win + B | Select icons at the right of the Taskbar |
Win + C | Microsoft Teams chat screen |
Win + Ctrl + C | Open Color Filters |
Win + Ctrl+ Enter | Opens narrator |
Win + Ctrl+ Shift+B | Wake system from black screen |
Win + Ctrl+O | Opens OnScreen Keyboard |
Win + D | Minimize or Maximize the window |
Win + Down Arrow | Move Window to the middle? Minimize Window |
Win + E | Opens File Explorer |
Win + Escape | Close magnifier |
Win + G | Xbox Game Bar |
Win + H | Opens Microsoft Speech Services |
Win + I | Opens Settings app |
Win + K | Cast to Wireless Display |
Win + L | Lock Windows |
Win + Left Arrow | Move Window towards Left |
Win + M | Minimize current window |
Win + N | Open Notifications Panel |
Win + P | Connect to the projector screen |
Win + PrntScrn | Takes a Screenshot |
Win + Q / Win +S | Opens Search in Start Menu |
Win + R | Opens Run Dialog |
Win + Right Arrow | Move Window towards the right |
Win + T | Cycle through open apps on Taskbar |
Win + Tab | Open new Virtual Desktop |
Win + U | Opens Accessibility Settings page |
Win + Up Arrow | Move the current window up |
Win + V | Clipboard |
Win + W | Opens the Widgets Pane |
Win + X | Start Button Menu |
Win + Z | Opens Snap Layouts for the active window |
And these are all Windows 11 tips and tricks you need to know when using a Windows 11 PC. These tips and tricks help you to improve your experience with Windows 11 in many ways. If you have any other suggestions or questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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