🖥️ Turn on dark mode in Windows 11: Out of the box, Windows 11 uses a light background with dark text. To switch it up, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode and select Dark. Want more control? Choose Custom to set dark mode separately for menus and apps.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Middle-click a link with your mouse wheel to open it in a new tab. Or middle-click an open tab to close it instantly. You’ll never right-click again.
Working late on your PC? Turn on Night light in Windows to reduce eyestrain. Go to Settings > System > Display > Night light. Enable Schedule night light, then choose Sunset to sunrise or Set hours. You can also adjust the Strength slider to control how warm the screen gets.
🖱️ Windows trick: A secret button on the taskbar minimizes everything you have open. Look in the bottom-right corner of your screen. It’s a small silver line. Click to clear your screen, click again to bring your windows back. Faster than closing them one by one.
🔄 Hang on, Microsoft: Don’t want a big update interrupting your work or restarting your computer mid-task? You can pause updates temporarily. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Pause updates. When you’re ready, go back and click Resume updates to keep your system secure and up to date.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On Windows, press Shift + Delete to skip the Recycle Bin. On Mac, use Option + Command + Delete. Careful with this one. Files are gone instantly, so double-check first.
Miss the old Start menu? With Windows 10 support ending in October, you might not love that Windows 11 centers the taskbar icons by default. Good news: You can switch back to the classic look. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and set Taskbar alignment to Left.
💻 Emergency Windows restart: If your PC is totally frozen, don’t just hold the power button. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del to open the security screen. Then hold Ctrl and click the Power icon in the bottom-right. You’ll get a warning about losing unsaved data. Click OK to restart right away.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Lost a file? On Windows, press the Windows key and start typing the name. On Mac, hit Command + Space bar and do the same. It’s the fastest way to find documents, apps or settings.
✍🏻 Need to concentrate? Windows 11 has a focus mode that hides notifications and those red dots on your task bar. Go to Settings > System > Focus, choose how long you want, then click Start focus session. A timer from the Clock app will pop up. Taking a break? Hit Pause.
🌐 Clear out old extensions: Unused browser extensions can slow things down or quietly collect your data. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu > Extensions > Manage Extensions. On Safari, go to Settings > Extensions. Remove anything you don’t need.
🌐 Share Wi-Fi from your laptop: On some networks or on an airplane, you can only connect one device. Quick fix? Turn your laptop into a hotspot. On Windows, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot. On Mac, head to System Settings > General > Sharing > Internet Sharing and switch it on.
📊 Set a data limit on Windows: On a capped data plan? You can add a warning so you don’t go over. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Data usage, select your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, then hit Enter limit. Choose a Limit type (like Monthly), enter your cap and click Save.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Want to reopen that tab you just closed? Hit Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or Command + Shift + T (Mac). Magic.
Control app access on Windows: On your PC, choose which apps can use your camera or mic. Go to Settings > Privacy & security, then scroll to App permissions. Tap Microphone, then toggle off any apps you don’t need using it.
📝 Need to brush up? Microsoft offers free online training for its Office programs, including video tutorials, interactive guides and practice exercises.
Finders keepers: Looking for a file? Hit the Windows key and start typing its name. That’s it. On a Mac, hit Cmd + space bar and start typin’. So simple and saves so much time.
Adjust text size on Windows: When you set up Windows 11, it picks the text and icon size for your screen. To change it, go to Settings > System > Display. Under Scale & layout, check your Display resolution, then try different Scale percentages (like 100% to 200%) until it feels right.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen the last tab you closed in your browser. Love that.