Windows 11 is here, and it came with a lot of new changes like a completely new UI, Android apps compatibility, improved resources management, and much more. While Windows 11 has all these new changes under the hood, it is pretty much the same as Windows 10. But yes, Windows 11 will still give you a completely new experience. So if you have recently installed Windows 11 and want to get used to it quickly, here are some of the best Windows 11 tips and tricks to get you started.
Best Windows 11 Tips and Tricks
Below are some of the top tips and tricks that will help you to be better at using Windows:
- Change Taskbar & Start Menu Alignment
- Simplified Right-click Menu
- Customize the Quicks Setting Panel
- Minimize every Window except the active one
- Show file extensions in File Explorer
- Focus Assist
- Use background scrolling for multiple Windows
- Use Widgets & Chat App
- Customize Windows Terminal
- Type With Your Voice
- Disable Recommended Files And Apps
- New Keyboard Shortcuts
Now let me talk about these tips in brief one by one:
1. Change Taskbar & Start Menu Alignment
Windows 11 has centered the taskbar and Start Menu like what we see in macOS. However, if you prefer the old Windows-style Start Menu aligned at the left side of the screen, you can switch to that.
But unlike previous versions of Windows, you cannot align the Start Menu at the left side or the top side of your screen since that feature has been removed in Windows 11.
So if you don’t like the center placement of the Start Menu, you can switch to the original position by following the below steps:
- Right-click on the Taskbar and select Taskbar Settings.
- From the Taskbar alignment dropdown menu, select Left.
That’s it. Windows 11 Taskbar will now move to the left. Also, if you want it to be in the Center, follow the same steps and select Center from the dropdown menu.
2. Simplified Right-click Menu
The Windows 11 right-click menu is now more simplified. It only focuses on the most important things. If you need additional settings, you can go to Show more options.
Features like Cut, copy, share, rename and delete features are now displayed as an icon at the top of the menu. It makes completing the basic tasks pretty quick.
3. Customize the Quicks Setting Panel
In Windows 11, the Quick Settings appear in the Action Center. To access the Quick Settings area, you have to click on the Wifi icon, Speakes icon, and others, and it will launch the quick settings. You can also use Win + A to open it.
The quick Start Menu features different settings like Wifi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and others. Now you can add or remove your preferred settings.
You have to click on the little pencil icon at the bottom of the menu to do so. Then you can unpin the ones you don’t need. Or click on the Add button to add newer settings to the Quick Settings menu.
4. Minimize Every Window Except The Active One
If you have opened too many windows at once, you can quickly minimize them all except the one you are currently working on.
However, this feature needs to be on. You can do that by going to Settings > System > Multitasking. Over here, turn on the Title bar window shake.
Once the feature is on, click and hold the active Windows’s title bar and shake the Window back and forth quickly.
That’s it. You will soon notice that all the other Windows have now been minimized.
5. Show File Extensions In File Explorer
By default, Microsoft hides the file extensions. But what if you are looking for a file based on its file type? Well, you can see file extensions in File Explorer by following the below steps:
- Go to the Windows search menu.
- Type down File Explorer Options and click on it. And a small window will pop up on your screen.
- Go to the View tab.
- Over here, look and uncheck the option that says Hide extensions for known file types.
- Finally, click on Apply and then the OK button.
Now you should be able to see the file extensions in File Explorer.
6. Focus Assist
If you are trying to focus hard and get interrupted by notifications, you can use this handy feature called Focus Assist.
You can set the feature up by going to Settings > System Focus Assist.
Over here, you will find three options: Off, Priority Only (see only selected notifications from the priority list), and Alarms only (hide all notifications except for alarms).
Also, you can choose to turn this feature on during certain hours. For instance, when you are in a meeting or using an app in full-screen mode.
7. Use Background Scrolling For Multiple Windows
Windows 11 comes with another cool feature which is scrolling for multiple windows. You can scroll on a Window that you are not currently working on.
This feature comes in really when you have a lot of windows open that you want to look through at the same time.
You have to go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse to use this feature. Over here, toggle on the Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them.
That’s it. Now you can place your mouse over a Window in the background and use the scroll wheel to scroll.
8. Use Widgets & Chat App
Windows 11 comes with Widgets which is an AI-powered customizable feed. You will get info like news, weather, calendar, to-do list, and others through these widgets. Also, you can customize your Widget feeds to see things you are interested in.
To access Widgets, you can press Windows key + W. To customize the Widgets, click on your profile picture at the top left.
Similarly, there is a chat app integrated with Windows 11 called Teams. It is Microsoft’s video chat platform that is integrated into the OS. You can use teams to connect with others on Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS.
To access the Chat app, press Windows key + C. Then follow all the steps and set it up.
9. Customize Windows Terminal
Say bye to the old and boring command prompt. Instead, spice up your command prompt experience by customizing the Windows terminal. So you can experience a modern interface and change it according to your needs.
To customize Windows Terminal follow the below steps:
- Go to Windows search, type Windows Terminal and launch it.
- Click on the Down arrow icon from the title bar and select Settings.
- Over here, you can change the Theme. Also, you can enable acrylic and play around with the colors of windows.
Similarly, you can switch to color schemes, interactions, and other settings to customize the Windows Terminal as per your needs.
10. Type With Your Voice
Windows 11 now lets you type with your voice. So if you are tired of typing for hours, this little feature makes it super easy to get done with your work.
To access this feature, you have to follow the below steps:
- Press Windows Key + H to launch the Voice typing feature.
- Then, click on the Microphone icon to start voice typing.
- Now whatever you are speaking out will get typed.
- To stop it, you can say stop listening or click on the Microphone icon again.
11. Disable Recommended Files And Apps
In the Windows 11 Start Menu, Windows now recommends files and apps. Windows mostly display your recently opened file or installed apps.
While this feature can be pretty handy, not everyone would like it. Luckily, you can display recommended files and apps by following the below steps:
- Go to Windows settings
- Click on Personalization from the sidebar > Go to Start.
- Over here, toggle off Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer.
12. New Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows 11 comes with a few new keyboard shortcuts, which makes using Windows pretty easy. Like you can access Widgets, snap layouts, action centers, and other features using keyboard shortcuts. These new keyboard shortcuts are:
- Open Widgets pane: Win key + W
- Access Quick Settings: Win key + A
- Launch Notification Center: Win Key + N
- Open Snap Layouts: Win Key + Z
- Launch Teams Chat App: Win Key + C
Does Windows 11 Enhance Gaming?
Microsoft claims that Windows 11 is the best Windows operating system yet for PC gaming. It not only comes with a wide range of UI and other changes. But on top of that, it comes with many different integrations of gaming-centric features that make gaming on Windows a pretty incredible experience. It also comes with an Xbox Game bar which you can use for recording or broadcasting gameplay videos.
Can You Upgrade To Windows 11 For Free
Microsoft is offering a free upgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 users. Everyone running Windows 10 will upgrade to the latest OS offering. However, unlike the previous versions of OS, Windows 11 requires your PC/Laptop to have specific recommendations. You can use the Windows PC health check app available on the Microsoft website to check the requirements.
So those were some of the best Windows 11 tips that you can try out. I hope the above tips did help you to make your Windows experience better. If you want to know about a specific Windows 11 feature, let me know through the comments.