Now that Windows 11 has been around for several months, following its rollout in October of 2021, it has, on the whole, been well-received and inevitable bugs noted and resolved.
As Windows 11 hasn’t been dramatically different from Windows 10, this upgrade has proved a relatively simple switch. The main focus being to help users tackle tasks faster and find things more easily.
For those of you who have been on the fence about whether to upgrade to Windows 11, we’ll try to run through the features we think you’ll find most helpful.
If you have already upgraded your machine to Windows 11 or purchased a new PC with the OS installed, don’t stop reading! You’ll want to make sure that you aren’t missing out on some productivity enhancers.
SNAP LAYOUTS
IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11?r=1
Many users have experienced frustration when trying to work in more than one window at a time on their PC screen. Isn’t it infuriating when you’ve taken the time to resize the windows to just the right size, then you need to open a window to full size to reach a scroll bar and end up back where you began?
Many users will app-switch, meaning they switch between one app window that is fully open and another that isn’t, pretty time-consuming!
In a study of user productivity, it was found that 56% of app users said that switching between apps makes it difficult to get essential work done and costs them at least 30 minutes per day.
Enter… snap layouts in Windows 11.
This feature is designed to solve this problem by giving the user several options for window arrangements that snap windows into place. The view is designed so you can reach all scroll bars and menu items in a particular app window.
This is one of the most time-saving features of the new operating system and it’s very intuitive and simple to use.
TEXTING & VIDEO CALLS FROM TEAMS ON THE DESKTOP
IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11?r=1
Does typing on your smartphone drive you crazy? Firstly, it’s so easy to type the wrong letter with fat fingers on a tiny keyboard, and secondly the dreaded auto correct/ predictive typing that results in you sending a message that doesn’t even make sense. (Yes, I know we should read it before pressing send).
If this is you too, you’ll find the new Teams integration in Windows 11 a welcome change.
Teams is now natively integrated on the taskbar, you don’t even need to install an application. Setup only takes a few minutes and involves you putting in your name and a mobile phone number. Using the Microsoft Teams icon from the desktop, you can instantly begin connecting to people via SMS or video/audio chat. You can even share a screen during your meetings.
THE TO DO WIDGET
IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11?r=1
While the widgets panel doesn’t appear to be fully finished yet, this does have a few basic applications in it, and more are expected to come, which will make it even more useful.
You access this panel through an icon on the taskbar, and the widget feed can be tailored with local weather, traffic, news, and more.
One of the helpful features you can use right now is the To Do widget. It allows you to quickly create a task list and check off those tasks without having to open another application.
The widget can be added in seconds to your panel and can be quite a time-saver as it is easily accessed from your desktop.
STREAMLINED START/SEARCH MENU
Searching for documents using File Explorer can be time consuming, so you’ll be pleased to hear you can improve your efficiency by using the Start/Search menu instead. Click the Windows icon on the taskbar (which has now been moved to the middle instead of far left) and type your search keyword at the top.
This is a master search that will bring up documents, settings, applications, and even web pages. Searching using the Start Menu is faster than trying to find a file in Explorer.
The newly streamlined interface also reduces the clutter of the old Windows Start Menu making it easier to get where you need to go.
TASK VIEW
Task view is the virtual desktop feature that was actually introduced in Windows 10. It’s worth a quick mention here as it remains a very handy feature for separating the different areas of your work to stay focused.
You can use the task view icon on the taskbar to create a different virtual desktop with different open applications and documents. For example, you could keep your email open on one virtual desktop and then use another when you’re in a video call and sharing your screen.
GET HELP WITH A SMOOTH UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 11
An upgrade of an entire company to a new OS can be time-consuming. Save time and skip any downtime by working with an IT professional to roll out a smooth upgrade and get users trained on the new features.
We hope you found this article useful. Our Managed IT Service is designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses in the North West of England, allowing them to focus on what they do best. So, if you run a small business and want more information then please get in touch.
