6 underrated Home windows 11 options I discovered that make my PC so significantly better

I have been utilizing Windows 11 day-after-day on each my laptop computer and desktop for over 4 years, and I nonetheless discover new features and tools to discover nearly each day. Though Home windows 11 gives many various options and settings that may be fairly useful, not all of them are instantly apparent, and generally you must dig via the settings menu to search out them.

Whether or not it is saving battery life, integrating your cellphone along with your PC, or staying on job with Focus Mode, listed below are six underrated Home windows 11 options that may transform how you use your PC day-after-day. They’re fast to search out and allow, and when you’re utilizing them, you may want you had discovered them sooner.

1

Title bar window shake

Clear your desktop in seconds

I’ve a foul behavior of opening too many applications and browser tabs directly, making my monitor look cluttered on a regular basis. That is why this Home windows 11 characteristic, known as Title Bar Window Shake, is so helpful. When you flip it on, you possibly can seize a window and shake it along with your mouse to reduce all different home windows behind it in your display screen. So, when you’re making an attempt to lock in and deal with one factor, it could possibly clear your desktop in seconds. And if you wish to deliver every little thing again, simply shake the window once more.

This characteristic is not new to Home windows 11 and was first launched with Home windows 7. Nonetheless, with Home windows 11, it is not enabled by default. To make use of it your self, simply go to Settings > System > Multitasking > Title bar window shake and toggle it on. Alternatively, you possibly can press the Home windows Key + House to get the identical impact, however I discover shaking my lively window to be extra enjoyable.

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2

Save battery with Dynamic Refresh Price

You may solely allow this when you have a laptop computer show with a 120Hz refresh price or increased

Many Home windows laptops these days include excessive refresh price shows. For instance, the Asus gaming laptop I am utilizing helps a refresh price of as much as 180Hz. These kind of shows are nice, and visually, they make your expertise smoother and extra responsive. Nonetheless, one of many drawbacks of utilizing a better refresh price show on Home windows is that it consumes extra energy, thereby impacting battery life.

Fortunately, Microsoft offers a characteristic akin to the iPhone’s ProMotion and Android’s Adaptive Refresh Price. This characteristic, known as Dynamic Refresh Price (DRR), routinely modifications your laptop computer’s refresh price relying in your exercise. Whether or not you are looking, watching movies, or gaming, DRR ensures a better refresh price for clean visuals. Conversely, when the system is idle or displaying a static picture, DRR lowers the refresh price to save lots of battery life.

To allow DRR in Home windows 11, your laptop computer show should help a refresh price of as much as 120Hz and VRR. You could find this characteristic beneath Settings > System > Show > Superior Show > Select refresh price > Dynamic Refresh Price to toggle it on.

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The Begin menu in Home windows 11 helps you rapidly entry your most-used apps or beneficial recordsdata. Nonetheless, by default, it does not embrace a characteristic that may make it extra helpful: your file folders.

In order for you a quick technique to entry your Paperwork, Downloads, or Photos, you possibly can add shortcuts for them on to the Begin menu, permitting you to open them in seconds each time wanted. These shortcuts seem to the left of the Energy choices when you add them.

So as to add your folders to the Begin menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Begin > Folders. You will see 9 choices you possibly can add, together with: Settings, File Explorer, Paperwork, Downloads, Music, Photos, Movies, Community, and Private Folder. Sadly, you possibly can’t add a customized folder shortcut to the Begin menu’s Folders, however hopefully, Microsoft will add this characteristic sooner or later. Moreover, beneath Personalization > Begin, I like to recommend adjusting the structure of your Begin menu to show extra Pins, permitting you to view extra of the apps you have pinned somewhat than file or app suggestions.

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4

Lock in with Focus Mode

Briefly halt notifications for a set interval

If it’s essential escape from all of the distractions round you and get some work performed, Home windows 11’s Focus Mode is ideal for that. By beginning a Focus Session, your PC will enter Do Not Disturb Mode, which means you will not obtain any notifications, hear any sounds, or see any alerts in your PC. That is all designed that will help you keep centered and keep away from distractions.

If you wish to begin a Focus Session, you possibly can go to Settings > System > Focus and choose Begin Focus Session. On the identical display screen, you can even regulate the length of your Focus Classes. Alternatively, you can begin a Focus Session from the Clock app or by deciding on Focus within the Calendar, situated on the backside proper of your display screen. I like to recommend utilizing Focus Mode from the default Home windows 11 Clock app, because it encompasses a dashboard with a number of useful choices, together with the flexibility to create duties on your focus classes and hyperlink to Spotify.

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5

Home windows Cellphone Hyperlink

Make cellphone calls and ship texts out of your PC

I began utilizing Windows Phone Link only a month in the past and remorse not making an attempt it earlier. This handy app connects your smartphone to your PC, supporting each Android and iOS units. After establishing the Cellphone Hyperlink app in your PC, you possibly can handle your cellphone’s notifications, ship and obtain textual content messages, and deal with calls fully out of your PC.

Moreover, Cellphone Hyperlink makes it straightforward to switch recordsdata out of your cellphone to your PC rapidly. I usually edit photographs on my PC, and with Cellphone Hyperlink, I can switch them in seconds as a substitute of utilizing a cable or cloud companies like Google Drive. Cellphone Hyperlink is included with Home windows 11, so it is pre-installed in your PC. Simply obtain the Hyperlink to Home windows app in your cellphone from the App Store or Google Play Store to get began.

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6

Unlock extra Home windows 11 options with PowerToys

It is free and formally from Microsoft

If you happen to’ve by no means tried Microsoft PowerToys earlier than, I extremely suggest giving it a shot. It isn’t included by default on Home windows 11, however you possibly can obtain it free of charge from the Home windows Retailer. PowerToys provides many additional options to Home windows 11, comparable to the flexibility to preview recordsdata with out opening them with Peek or discover any colour in your display screen with Coloration Picker.

My favourite characteristic is the Command Palette, which provides a search perform much like macOS Highlight. If it’s essential find a file or app in your PC, Command Palette may also help discover it. For extra particulars about PowerToys, take a look at my different Pocket-lint story, the place I discover a few of its most useful features.

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