8 Tips to Boost Windows 11 Productivity
Believe it or not, Windows 11 has the potential to significantly enhance your productivity. Uncover the hidden gems within the operating system by trying out these tips and discover how you can accomplish more in less time.
While you may have accumulated a wealth of productivity tips for your favorite applications over the years, the focus has likely been on optimizing individual tools. However, if you’ve overlooked the potential within Windows 11 itself, it’s time to reconsider. Contrary to common belief, there’s a plethora of features and tweaks available that can elevate your work efficiency. We’ve thoroughly explored the operating system to bring you these valuable productivity tips.
8 Tips to Boost Windows 11 Productivity
1. Enhance Your Focus with Windows 11 Focus Sessions
The modern workplace, dominated by technology, often hampers productivity by introducing constant distractions. The struggle to concentrate on a single task is a shared challenge for many office workers. Windows 11 offers a solution to this predicament through its Focus sessions feature.
Activated within the Windows Clock app, Focus sessions trigger the Do Not Disturb mode, silencing all Windows notifications and preventing taskbar apps from demanding attention. This feature is a game-changer for those seeking undisturbed, focused work.
To initiate a Focus session:
- Launch the Windows 11 Clock app (simply type “clock” in the Search box).
- Click on Focus sessions and, if it’s your first time, click “Get started.”
- On the Focus session page, set the desired duration for your session. Sessions under 30 minutes have no breaks, while those lasting 30 minutes or more include short breaks. Opt to skip breaks if you prefer continuous focus.
- If Microsoft To Do integration is desired, sign in to your Microsoft account and access your To Do list by right-clicking the three-dot menu in the To Do area.
- For background music enthusiasts, link your Spotify account by clicking “Link your Spotify” and follow the provided instructions.
- Click “Start focus session” to commence your distraction-free work.
Additionally, you can establish a daily goal for Focus sessions by right-clicking the three-dot menu in the “Daily progress” area. This allows you to track your adherence to daily focus goals each time you initiate a Focus session.
Transform your work routine and reclaim your focus with Windows 11’s powerful Focus sessions feature.
2. Effortless Typing: Unlock Your Productivity with Windows 11 Voice Typing
No matter how nimble your typing skills, keeping up with the pace of your thoughts or spoken words can be a daunting task. The faster you type, the more errors may creep in. Windows 11 presents an ingenious solution to boost your keyboard efficiency — the voice typing feature.
To activate this feature, simply press and hold the Windows key + H, invoking Windows’ built-in voice typist. Click on the microphone icon that materializes, and you’re ready to start speaking. On the initial use, Windows may install speech-recognition software to enhance its performance.
Experience the surprising speed and accuracy of voice typing by speaking clearly. However, be mindful of potential delays between your speech and on-screen text. Resist the urge to repeat yourself if there’s a momentary lag, as repeating may result in duplicated words.
During a voice typing session, refrain from making text edits like deletions or insertions, as this will automatically terminate the session. Should you need to make changes, simply turn voice typing back on.
By default, the feature does not include punctuation in your typed text. Rectify this by clicking the settings icon next to the microphone, activating the slider in the “Automatic punctuation” section. Now, you can verbally command punctuation marks such as saying “period” or “comma” during voice typing.
For those wanting to leverage voice typing within text boxes across Windows, enable the “Voice typing launcher” slider. Effortlessly transform your typing experience and heighten productivity with the convenience of Windows 11 Voice Typing.
3. Maximize Teams Efficiency with Windows 11 Taskbar Integration
With Microsoft Teams boasting over 300 million monthly active users globally as of March 2023, Windows 11 offers a seamless productivity enhancement for Team enthusiasts. The Teams icon, resembling a video camera, resides conveniently on the taskbar and serves as a quick access point. Alternatively, streamline your experience by using the keyboard shortcut Windows key + C.
Upon clicking the Teams icon or utilizing the keyboard shortcut, a window showcasing your recent Teams activities unfolds. Opt for a video call by clicking Meet or initiate a text conversation with a simple click on Chat. For those seeking the comprehensive Teams experience beyond this condensed version, access the full Teams app by clicking “Open Microsoft Teams.”
Empower your collaboration endeavors by effortlessly integrating Teams into your Windows 11 taskbar, providing swift access to your essential communication and collaboration platform.
4. Master the Art of Copy and Paste with Windows 11
Gone are the days of a stagnant Windows Clipboard; Microsoft has given it a significant upgrade. Now, instead of overwriting the previous clip with a new one, the Clipboard in Windows 11 intelligently stores multiple clips, providing users with a preview option to choose the content they wish to paste into documents.
To fully leverage this enhanced Clipboard functionality, follow these steps:
Activate Clipboard History Sync Across Devices:
- Navigate to Settings > System > Clipboard.
- Ensure the “Clipboard history” slider is turned on.
- In the “Sync across devices” section, toggle the slider from off to on.
Copy and Store:
- Employ familiar methods to copy items, such as pressing Ctrl + C or right-clicking and selecting “Copy.”
- The Clipboard will automatically save these clips as individual items without a fixed limit, based on your system’s memory capacity (with a maximum size of 4MB per clip).
Access Clipboard History:
- Press Windows key + V to reveal a window displaying your Clipboard history.
- Scroll through the clips, preview them, and select the desired content to paste into your document.
- For a quick paste of the most recent clip, use Ctrl + V.
Sync Across Devices:
- If enabled, your Clipboard history will be available on all synced Windows 11 or 10 devices.
Additional Clipboard Features:
- Explore icons at the top of the Clipboard for easy access to emojis, kaomojis, popular GIFs, and symbols.
Pin and Manage Clips:
- Permanently save clips by pressing Windows key + V, clicking the three-dot icon at the top right of a clip, and selecting “Pin.”
- Manage your Clipboard by deleting individual clips or clearing all clips at once using the three-dot icon.
This upgraded Clipboard functionality empowers users to efficiently manage and retrieve copied content, enhancing the overall copy-and-paste experience on Windows 11.
5. Elevate Your Windows 11 Experience with PowerToys
For seasoned Windows enthusiasts and productivity aficionados, the revival of PowerToys, reminiscent of its Windows 95 inception, is a delightful and powerful addition. Originally a collection of small, free utilities by Microsoft for tweaking and customizing Windows, PowerToys now exists as a single app boasting an array of handy mini tools. While it didn’t make its way into Windows 11 by default, you can easily download it for free.
As of my current knowledge, PowerToys offers an impressive suite of nearly two dozen tools, with Microsoft consistently introducing new ones. While a comprehensive exploration of every tool exceeds the scope of this article, I recommend experimenting with a few to discover their utility. Here are five standout PowerToys features:
Image Resizer:
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- Effortlessly resize multiple photos or images simultaneously by selecting them, choosing your desired dimensions, and clicking.
Always on Top:
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- Tired of productivity apps disappearing when you momentarily shift focus? Always on Top ensures your essential apps stay visible even when switching windows.
Keyboard Manager:
- Supercharge your productivity with customized keyboard shortcuts. If Windows 11’s default shortcuts fall short for your needs, Keyboard Manager empowers you to remap keys and create personalized shortcuts.
Paste as Plain Text:
- Bid farewell to formatting frustrations. Instantly remove formatting from copied text from various sources, ensuring clean and plain text when pasted.
Mouse Utilities:
- Gain mastery over your mouse with utilities that enable unique actions, such as shaking the mouse to focus its pointer, creating centered crosshairs, and seamlessly navigating your screen.
To experience the full potential of PowerToys and explore its diverse toolkit, download this versatile app and unlock a myriad of productivity-boosting features tailored for Windows 11.
6. Optimize Task Management with Virtual Desktops on Windows 11
Efficiently organizing your PC for various purposes can be a challenge, especially when juggling different sets of applications for work, presentations, video creation, or leisure. The constant search for the right apps in various scenarios can consume valuable time.
Enter virtual desktops, a powerful feature in Windows 11 that streamlines your PC usage for distinct purposes. By creating multiple desktops, each hosting a specific set of apps tailored to different needs, you can effortlessly switch between tasks and enhance overall productivity.
Here’s how to create and manage virtual desktops:
Initiate Virtual Desktops:
- Click the overlapping windows icon located to the right of the search box on the taskbar.
- If you haven’t created any virtual desktops, the top of your screen will display open windows, while the bottom will show “Desktop 1” (your existing desktop) and “New Desktop” with a + sign. Click the + sign to create a new desktop, labeled “Desktop 2.”
Configure Each Desktop:
- Customize the newly created desktop as per your requirements.
- Continue creating additional desktops for various purposes, such as working at home, working at the office, or gaming.
Switch Between Desktops:
- To toggle between desktops, click the overlapping windows icon and select the desired desktop.
Personalize Desktop Names:
- To distinguish between desktops, rename each one by clicking its name (e.g., Desktop 1) and typing in a customized name.
Harness the power of virtual desktops to streamline your PC usage and eliminate the need for constant app searching. Tailor each desktop to specific tasks, improving overall organization and efficiency on Windows 11.
7. Enhance App Organization with Windows 11 Snap Layouts
For a streamlined approach to managing related applications, Windows 11 introduces the Snap Layouts feature, allowing users to group open windows into predefined screen layouts. This feature provides versatility, with options like side-by-side configurations, vertical stacks, or a grid of up to four apps.
Follow these steps to utilize Snap Layouts effectively:
Open Desired Applications:
- Launch the applications you want to include in a layout.
Activate Snap Layouts:
- Hover your mouse over the maximize icon (upper right of the window, between minimize and close icons) of an application.
- A panel displaying layout options will appear.
Choose Layout and Position:
- Select your preferred layout and designate the position for the application within that layout.
- The app window will seamlessly snap into the chosen position.
Adjust the Layout:
- Access the remaining open apps inside a new window and click to fill in the layout accordingly.
Save as Snap Group:
- The configured grouping is saved as a Snap Group, allowing easy return even if you open additional apps or minimize windows within the group.
Retrieve Snap Group:
- Hover over the taskbar icon of any application within a Snap Group.
- Thumbnails of all apps in the group will appear.
- Click the desired thumbnail to swiftly return to the Snap Group.
By leveraging Snap Layouts, Windows 11 provides a dynamic solution for organizing and managing open applications, enhancing productivity and workflow efficiency.
8. Unlock Hidden Productivity Tools with the Windows 11 Secret Start Menu
Within the depths of Windows 11 lie a myriad of potent tools capable of enhancing productivity, from Network Connections for internet management to Device Manager for device control, and Terminal (Windows PowerShell) with robust command-line capabilities, particularly beneficial for IT professionals. Despite their power, these tools can often be overlooked due to infrequent use or obscure locations within the system.
However, there’s a clever workaround to swiftly access these tools – the secret Start menu. By right-clicking the Windows icon next to the search box or using the Windows key + X shortcut, a hidden menu emerges, revealing an array of powerful tools. This menu provides quick access to utilities like Task Manager, Network Connections, Device Manager, and more.
By employing the secret Start menu, you can effortlessly navigate to these tools without the hassle of delving into the Settings app, executing command lines, or searching through obscure locations. Uncover the full potential of your Windows 11 system with this convenient and efficient access point to essential productivity tools.
Bonus Tip: Stay Tuned for the Launch of Windows Copilot
In a significant advancement, Microsoft is integrating generative AI capabilities into its product lineup, including Windows, through a feature named Windows Copilot. As of the current writing, this feature has not yet been released to the general public. However, Microsoft envisions Windows Copilot as a tool that empowers every user, transforming them into power users capable of taking actions, customizing settings, and seamlessly connecting across preferred applications.
According to Microsoft’s blog post unveiling the assistant, Windows Copilot goes beyond basic copy and paste functionality. It allows users to request actions such as rewriting, summarizing, or explaining content. Although an early preview version of Windows Copilot has been made available to select members of the Windows Insider program, it primarily focuses on showcasing the Copilot user interface via a right pane on the screen, rather than fully demonstrating the features Copilot will eventually possess.
The potential of Windows Copilot as a productivity booster remains to be seen. Stay updated here for more comprehensive details as the feature unfolds and gets officially launched.
