Hidden features to try now on your Windows PC or Mac
I’m often asked if the latest Mac or Windows update is ready for prime time. Unfortunately, most of us have dealt with enough buggy software that we’re hesitant to hit “install” on a significant upgrade.
If you haven’t jumped up to macOS Monterey or Windows 11, I can safely say it’s time. Before you update, take one important step and make sure you have enough space for it. Tap or click here to see how much storage is available on your computer.
Updates don’t just bring new features. They protect your machine from known exploits and security issues, too. Tap or click here for five more smart ways to get your digital life in order.
Once your machine is updated, let’s jump into a few new tricks to try out.
Windows: Realign the Start button back to the left
With Windows 11, the Start button is centered in the taskbar, which may throw you off if you’ve been using Windows for years. Moving it back to the left is easy:
- Press the Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
- Choose Personalization and Taskbar.
- Select Taskbar behaviors, then click Left under Taskbar alignment.
Mac: Copy and paste text from a photo
This feature is seriously cool. Say there’s an image with an email address. You can add it to your contacts list, send out an email, or even start a FaceTime call. This trick also works for website addresses within images. You can open a link on your browser or use Quick Look to see the site’s information.
To try it out, open an image with text in the Preview app on your Mac.
- Hover your pointer over the text. Then, drag to select it. From here, you can copy, translate, look up the meaning, search the web, or share the text.
Windows: Customize quick settings
Windows 10: PCs not booting up after latest update
Software updates are a normal and necessary part of owning tech gadgets. Whether it’s an update to your phone’s operating system or a software program on your computer, it’s imperative to download them when they roll out.
Tech how-to: Roll back to a previous version of Windows 10
Windows offers updates to improve security and sometimes to introduce new features or app improvements. Unfortunately, some of the more recent Windows 10 updates have been less than stellar.
Despite the latest issues, the NSA has urged users to ensure they keep up with Windows updates. Tap or click here to see what the NSA had to say. But what if the latest update breaks your machine? Suddenly programs aren’t working and things are glitching out. Now what?