10 Windows features you aren’t using, but should

Windows is full of useful features, and new elements are constantly coming into the mix. To be sure, Microsoft’s given us plenty of features that aren’t particularly useful. Some things even blink into existence for a short while before vanishing completely. (Remember Paint 3D, or when Cortana was the Copilot of its day?)

But don’t let that give you the wrong impression. Microsoft has added all sorts of awesome options into Windows in recent months, and many likely aren’t yet on your radar.

Here are the ones you should be using — and, statistically speaking, probably aren’t.

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Windows feature #1: Security code magic

Many websites and online services send you a security code via SMS when you log in. You don’t have to pick up your phone to find it, though — there’s a better way.

Assuming you’ve set up Phone Link and given it access to your text messages and notifications, you can do it all in a few clicks. Simply click the code in the notification on your screen and then paste it into whatever website you need. It’s incredibly convenient and fast.

Just note that this only works if you have an Android phone. It won’t work with iPhones. Apple doesn’t give Microsoft a way to integrate with iPhones at such a deep level. For iPhone users, this kind of magic will require a Mac.

Chris Hoffman, Foundry

Windows feature #2: Voice typing

You can easily type with your voice within any Windows text field using Windows Dictation. To get started, just press Windows+H. The Windows Dictation program will pop up, and you can then use Windows+H to toggle dictation on and off whenever you want to speak into your computer’s microphone. 

It’s incredibly easy and doesn’t require any complicated setup.

Windows feature #3: Virtual desktop shortcuts

You’ve probably seen the Task View button pinned to every Windows PC’s taskbar out of the box. That button can help you manage multiple desktops —  but there’s something about clicking it multiple times that makes things clunky.

To use virtual desktops properly, you need keyboard shortcuts. Try pressing Windows+Ctrl+Left arrow and Windows+Ctrl+Right arrow to quickly move between desktops. This is the key to properly integrating multiple desktops into your workflow in a clean-and-quick way.

Windows feature #4: Smarter snipping

Windows 11’s Snipping Tool is particularly powerful. It now has built-in optical character recognition, too, so you can use it to convert words in any application into copy-pasteable text. To do so:

• Press Print Screen or Windows+Shift+S. Take a screenshot of your entire screen, a window, or perhaps just part of your screen.
• Click the image thumbnail when it appears in the notification.
• Click the “Text actions” button on the bar — it may appear at the top or bottom of the window, depending on your window’s size.

You can now select any text you like or click the “Copy All Text” button. Easy.

Windows 11’s Snipping Tool also lets you record a video of your screen — that’s another useful feature many people may not know about.

Chris Hoffman, Foundry

(Windows 10 has an older version of the Snipping Tool, and these features aren’t available in it.)

Windows feature #5: Clipboard history

Windows can keep a history of things you copy to your clipboard — both text and images. To give it a try, and turn it on if it isn’t already, just press Windows+V. The system is pretty self-explanatory, but you can also “pin” things you’ve copied to your clipboard history to make them easily accessible in the future.

Don’t miss the emoji picker, either. It’s somewhat integrated with the clipboard history, but you can press the Windows key and either the period or semicolon key to open a pop-up emoji menu directly.

From there, just type to search for an emoji. Let’s say you want to insert a ghost emoji, just press the Windows key and the period key and then start typing “ghost.”

Windows feature #6: File Explorer tab toggling

With the release of Windows 11, File Explorer gained tabs. But I’ve seen a lot of people who don’t use them very often.

Here’s a way to make it easier: You can middle-click a folder in File Explorer to open it in a new tab. Then, you can click that tab or use Ctrl+Tab to switch to it. 

Want even more tricks for File Explorer tabs? No problem. (That middle-click-to-open-a-new-tab trick works in web browsers, too!)

Windows 10’s File Explorer still doesn’t have tabs, notably — unless you turn to third-party software.

Windows feature #7: Nearby sharing

Windows has a built-in “Nearby sharing” feature that lets you wirelessly transfer files between Windows PCs. It’s kind of like Apple’s AirDrop — but just for Windows computers.

To find it, head to Settings > System > Nearby sharing. Then, whenever you select a file in File Explorer and activate “Share” on the toolbar or in the context menu, you’ll have the option to send files to nearby PCs.

This only works between Windows PCs. If you want to transfer files wirelessly between Android phones, too, you can install Google’s Quick Share app. (Unfortunately, there’s no good way to use AirDrop with an iPhone from a Windows PC.)

Windows feature #8: Advanced pasting

Microsoft’s free PowerToys package is full of useful tools you should be using. One especially unappreciated one is PowerToys Advanced Paste. After installing PowerToys, you can copy text and then press Windows+Shift+V to open the PowerToys Advanced Paste window.

One of the options you’ll find is “Paste as Markdown.” Markdown is a formatting language that many modern applications use. This makes it a great “bridge” — you can copy formatted text in Microsoft Word and then use PowerToys Advanced Paste to paste it into an application that supports Markdown formatting, keeping all that Word formatting. It’s a great trick.

Chris Hoffman, Foundry

Windows feature #9: Snappier snapping

Windows lets you snap windows to different areas of your screen by pressing the Windows key along with an arrow key. That’s an old keyboard shortcut many people know, but there’s something new you might’ve missed.

On Windows 11, things get a little more interesting with Snap Assist. You can now press Windows+Z to see a menu of various window positions you can snap the current window to — complete with suggested windows to snap alongside. Then, you can press one of the arrow keys displayed on the Snap Assist popup to choose how you want to snap the window.

Try it — it’s powerful.

Windows feature #10: Automatic cleanup

Assuming you don’t use your Recycle Bin for long-term file storage, you may want to have Windows automatically clean it. Windows can get rid of old files for you — for example, you could have it automatically clear files 30 days after you send them to the Recycle Bin.

It’s all part of Windows’ Storage Sense feature. Here’s how to set it up.

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