5 refined tweaks I make for a smoother Home windows 11 expertise

Out of the field, Microsoft configures Windows 11 in the way in which it sees match. This consists of toggling on quite a few arguably distracting person interface parts, whereas disabling different extra helpful ones that will in any other case be accessible for motion.

Whereas I am a fan of a few of Microsoft’s platform selections and visionary objectives for its Home windows 11 working system, others are merely head scratching. Consequently, I all the time discover myself tweaking a number of settings instantly upon organising any new PC.

Listed here are 5 settings I regulate immediately on new Home windows-based tablets, laptops, and desktops, with a view to streamline the expertise and to foster a calmer, extra environment friendly computing surroundings.

Climate circumstances on the taskbar are good, however information and shares are too distracting

As somebody who lives in part of the world with wildly fluctuating climate circumstances, I am an enormous fan of glanceable climate forecast tickers. On Home windows 11, Microsoft has turned the Widgets Board button right into a mini climate widget of its personal, which is good to have, nevertheless it tends to go rogue by default. The button regularly refreshes with distracting information updates, shares, sports activities scores, and different alerts, whereas additionally delivering its personal shiny crimson notification badges.

Evidently, I promptly disable these parts by navigating to the Widgets Board > Notifications > and toggling off each Present notification badges on the taskbar and Present bulletins on the taskbar. Moreover, I swap off Open Widgets board on hover, which I all the time appear to by accident set off on the most inopportune of moments.

2

Left-justify taskbar icons

Fitts’ legislation will all the time have the final snicker

A predictive human-computer interplay mannequin often called Fitts’ law dictates that the underside left-hand nook is the best placement for the Home windows Begin button. That is as a result of it acts as an ‘infinite edge,’ permitting customers to flick their mouse cursor in the direction of the recent nook with velocity, accuracy, and predictability.

You will discover that when enabling the left-justified taskbar alignment possibility on Home windows 11, the whole nook surrounding the Begin Button can be utilized to set off the button — not simply the floor of the button itself. That is by design, and it is a really perfect UX consideration that will get thrown out the window, so to talk, when aligning buttons to the middle of the display.

To change to a standard left-justified taskbar alignment on Home windows 11, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors > Taskbar alignment > and choose Left from the dropdown menu.

3

Configure a screensaver

It is not for saving the display, it is for selling a way of calm

Much to my dismay, Microsoft has all however forgotten about screensavers on Home windows. The corporate has uncared for the function for years, and the proof is within the pudding: the screensavers configuration dialogue is outdated from a person interface standpoint, and the listing of obtainable choices is haphazardly thrown collectively and in want of modernization.

This established order is an unlucky one, not as a result of most fashionable PC shows want saving (apart from OLED-based screens, burn in is not a problem lately), however as a result of screensavers are enjoyable and stress-free. Actually, with the suitable screensaver on deck, I discover I can promote a superior sense of calm and tranquility inside my work surroundings.

Personally, I tend to launch the mesmerizing Mica™️ app in full-screen mode after I wish to enhance my digital ambiance recreation, and typically I full display the stellar Lively Weather app to soak up the wonderful DirectX-based climate results in all their glory. In fact, I additionally go forward and configure native screensaver choices by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Lock display > Associated settings > Display screen saver.

4

Allow Presence Sensing (if accessible)

If a PC ships with human presence detecting tech, it is value toggling on

A rising development throughout the client PC area is the inclusion of presence sensors throughout the chassis of pill, laptop computer, and desktop computer systems. Human presence detection is a function built natively into Windows 11 that may decipher whether or not an individual is sitting in entrance of a tool or not, robotically turning the show on or off accordingly. Presence sensing is useful not just for saving battery life throughout idle, but in addition for preserving privateness by locking the gadget when its proprietor is not attentive to it.

Not all PCs ship with help for Presence Sensing tech, but when yours does, I extremely suggest toggling the function on and adjusting the parameters to your liking. To take action, navigate to Settings > System > Energy & battery > Presence Sensing. Extra privateness choices, together with the power to grant or deny third-party app entry to the sensor, will be present in Settings > Privateness & safety > Presence Sensing.

5

Swap to the Microsoft Retailer

Sure, I am being useless severe

The Microsoft Retailer has a nasty fame. Again within the Windows 8.x and Windows 10 days, it was a barren wasteland stuffed solely with shovelware and devoid of high-profile or modern builders. With the discharge of Home windows 11 in 2021, nevertheless, this all changed. Microsoft loosened its restrictions on the kinds of apps that may and cannot be revealed onto the storefront, it turned beneficiant in its third-party monetization choices, and it gave the inexperienced gentle to third-party builders to host their very own apps, storefronts, and replace wizards from throughout the Retailer itself.

The Home windows Retailer app has additionally obtained a serious glow-up for the Home windows 11 period, with it now being aesthetically pleasing, performant, and nicely organized with software program discoverability in thoughts. At this time, the Retailer is the best option to distribute and obtain Home windows software program, and it is house to simply about each main service or software from each notable developer that is not named Google (sure, even Apple publishes on the Microsoft Retailer).

With the Retailer swooping in to handle app updates, cross-PC syncing of my library and purchases, and extra, I’ve totally switched away from downloading installers straight from the online. To be clear, I don’t want to see sideloading ever go away as an possibility, however from a pure comfort and safety standpoint, I feel it is time we collectively wave goodbye to the stigma surrounding the Microsoft Retailer.