Whether you’ve been using Windows 10 since it first came out or just recently, you’ve probably noticed how different it is from any previous version of Windows.
However, no matter how long people have been using Windows 10, there are always new features available in the operating system that people don’t realize are there.
Here are 15 great features in Windows 10. Some of these were there from the start, but many new features have been added to the operating system in the past year alone.
Table of Contents
1. Windows Launcher Android Integration
If you install the Microsoft Launcher app on your Android phone, it opens up an impressive range of ways you can sync and integrate your Android phone with your Windows 10 computer.
With this app installed, you can:
- View photos on your phone and drag them into your Windows apps.
- Send text messages from your phone using your computer.
- You can view your Windows 10 timeline from your phone.
- Mirror Android apps right on your Windows 10 PC
- Send web pages directly from your phone to your PC.
How to Link Your Android and Windows 10 PC
To set up this link between your phone and your Windows 10 PC, simply install Windows Launcher Apps on your Android phone.
Then, on your Windows 10 PC, click Begin menu, type Phone
and click Link your phone.
If you don’t see your phone listed, click Add phone to link your Android phone.
Next, install the Your Phone app from the Windows Store on your Windows 10 PC. Once you have provided all the necessary permissions to the app on your phone, you can launch the Your Phone app on your computer to interact with your phone.
You’ll be able to do things like view recent messages or send text messages right from your computer.
You can also view the photos on your phone and easily transfer them back and forth.
It’s a great way to enhance your mobile experience by combining mobile productivity and Windows 10 into one.
2. Cloud Clipboard
You’re probably used to pressing Ctrl-C to copy selected items to the clipboard. But now you can press Windows Key-V to paste selected items from the cloud clipboard that you have access to from any of your other devices.
Enable the cloud clipboard by going to Settingclick Clipboardand turn on both Clipboard and Sync across devices.
To use this feature once enabled, simply select the item you want to copy, press Ctrl-C as usual and then press Windows Key-DRAW to see the cloud clipboard when pasting.
Using this clipboard to copy items means that even if you shut down one Windows 10 computer, you can still sign in to another with your same Microsoft account and access the same items. in the clipboard.
3. Snip & Sketch
You’ve probably used Print Screen for years to take screenshots in Windows 10. But the Snip & Sketch utility takes screen capture to a whole new level.
You don’t have to turn on anything, as long as you’ve updated your Windows 10 installation with the latest updates. Press Change–Windows Key–S to start capturing your screen.
What makes Snip & Sketch special from the traditional Print Screen is that you can capture non-standard areas if you want (choose the freehand tool first) and after capturing the screen you can edit and mark it up. with your own sketches or notes.
Installing third-party screen capture software is now a thing of the past.
4. Type with your voice
For years, voice dictation was what you needed to buy expensive software. Now you just need Windows 10. Speech recognition and voice input are now built right into the operating system.
To enable this, just go to Settingclick Speechand activate Online speech recognition.
When this feature is enabled, any time you have any application that requires text input, you can tap Windows Key–H and type with your voice.
During testing, we found that the voice recognition is very accurate and does not require any training time at all.
Using this feature in Microsoft Word works well because Word automatically capitalizes sentences for you, and saying “dot” will automatically insert the correct ending character.
This feature is also great for quickly reading emails or IM chatting with friends.
5. Share to Skype
If you buy a new computer with Windows 10 installed, you’ll find that Skype comes pre-packaged. Whenever you right click on any file in Windows Explorer or click Share this page in Edge, you’ll see Skype listed in the options at the bottom of the sharing window.
You’ll also notice that there are a number of other apps that show up in the share window as well, including the Snip & Sketch tool, Facebook, Twitter, and OneDrive. Those apps need to be installed separately, though.
6. Secret Start Menu
One very frustrating thing about Windows 10 when it first came out was that it was difficult to find the basic areas of Windows that were so easy to find in the traditional start menu.
You haven’t lost that in Windows 10. It’s actually accessible through the “secret” start menu by right-clicking the Windows start menu. From here, you can access frequently visited areas such as:
- Apps and features
- System
- Equipment management
- Computer Management
- Workflow management
- Setting
- Data management program
You don’t have to be upset anymore. Just right click.
7. Display or Peep at the Screen
This feature is especially useful when you store information on the screen, such as when you are using on-screen widgets to view system specifications.
You can see through the screen by hovering the button’s small vertical slider in the lower right corner of the taskbar. Just hover to see through the screen or click on the screen to minimize all open windows and switch to the desktop completely.
Just click it again to restore all windows.
8. Slide to Shutdown
This is a very cool trick that only works in Windows 10. It is a utility that presents a full-screen slider that you can drag to the bottom of the screen to turn off your computer.
To set this up, just right click on your desktop and click New and choose Shortcut.
Paste the following text into the text field.
%windir%\System32\SlideToShutDown.exe
Click Next and End.
Now, when you want to shut down your computer, you don’t need to click search for the shutdown option. Just double-click the icon and drag the bar to the bottom of the screen to turn off the PC.
9. Windows 10 God Mode
Just like most video games have a “divine mode” that gives you superhuman powers, Windows 10 comes with a god mode that will give you superhuman computer skills.
Just right click on the desktop, select Newand click Folder. Rename the folder to:
GodMode. {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
After opening this folder, you will see a long list of advanced administrative features such as:
- Disk Management
- Work schedule
- View Windows event log
- Device and printer management
- Customize File Explorer
- More and more…
The contents of this folder are a power user’s dream come true. It’s everything you need at your fingertips.
10. Task View
Although Task View has been a part of Windows 10 for a while, many users don’t even realize it exists. Those who have realized some significant productivity gains.
The Task View icon is on your taskbar just to the right of the Cortana search field. It looks like a strip of film.
When you click it, you’ll see a list of all the open apps, and if you scroll down, you’ll even see all the files and apps you had open at some point before. You can switch to any open (or previously opened) application or file just by clicking it in the task view.
11. Virtual Desktops
If you want to take your productivity to a whole new level, pull up any open app New desktop at the top of Action View.
This creates a new virtual desktop session that you can switch to and focus on the task at hand. This is great for creating one session for your social media or browsing and another desktop to completely focus on your work.
Switch between screens in the Task View window or by using Control + Windows Key + Left Arrow / Right Arrow combination keyboard.
12. Transparent Command Prompt Window
Use command prompt window very common to work on your Windows system. But sometimes the command window itself can get in the way when you want to see the effects of the commands you type.
You can work around this by making the command prompt window transparent.
- Open a new command prompt window by clicking Begintyping requestand choose Command Prompt Desktop Application.
- Right click on the title bar and select Characteristic.
- In the Properties window, click Color navigation.
- Lower Opacity
level about 60%.
You’ll be able to instantly peek through the command window and see the effects of each command you type.
13. Nearby Sharing
You will no longer need to connect your device to your computer via a USB cable. Features of Windows 10 Share nearbyallows you to share content and files with devices connected to your Wi-Fi network or connected to your computer via Bluetooth.
To enable this feature:
- Open Setting.
- Option Shared experience.
- Allow Share nearby.
Now, when you choose Repost
in a Microsoft Word document or select Repost
from right clicking on the file you will see other Windows 10 computers connected to your network (or via Bluetooth) with which you can share the file. Remember that all computers must have Share nearby
enabled for this feature to work.
14. File Explorer’s Dark Mode
If you’re tired of File Explorer’s old interface, you can complicate things by switching to File Explorer’s dark mode.
To enable File Explorer’s dark mode:
- Open Setting.
- Option Color.
- Scroll down Choose your default application mode.
- Option Dark.
When this feature is enabled, all system windows (like File Explorer) will have a dark background. Not only does it look much sharper than a traditional File Explorer, but it’s also a lot easier on the eyes.
15. Notification area
Everyone is very used to receiving notifications on their mobile phones, but many Windows 10 users don’t realize that they also have access to a convenient notification area on their Windows 10 machine.
You can access the notification by clicking the comment icon in the lower right corner of the screen. This pop-up shows notifications from your apps like calendar, mobile notifications if you have synced your phone, and buttons to quickly turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, access Settings , etc
Features of Windows 10
It’s amazing how easy it is to get used to Windows 10. You get caught up in a certain working pattern and may not realize when Microsoft has introduced some innovative and new features into the Windows 10 operating system.
Test drive all the new Windows 10 features listed above and enhance your productivity and overall Windows experience.
