It’s easy to fall into habits with an operating system. Once something works, most of us stop looking for better ways to do it. For years, I used the same shortcuts, the same menus, and the same workflow, all while overlooking some of Windows 11’s best features. That changed slowly over time.
Nearby Sharing is convenient for wireless file transfers. The Widgets panel is now my go-to place for glanceable info. Virtual Desktop helps me separate work, writing, and personal tasks. These are just a few examples. There are plenty of other underrated features that I regret not using all this time.
Nearby Sharing
Send files without installing any apps
For the longest time, my “file transfer system” between PCs was a messy mix of USB drives, emails, and whatever cloud service happened to have enough free space. Nearby Sharing fixes that instantly. It uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to share files with nearby Windows PCs.
It supports sharing photos, videos, files, and even links. Since the feature comes built-in, you can simply right-click a file and choose Nearby Sharing from the share menu. It’s really that simple.
This feature doesn’t get much attention since it’s limited to Windows and doesn’t offer blazing fast speeds. But for small to medium-sized files, it’s the most convenient way to transfer files.
My personal dashboard at a glance
Honestly, the Windows 11 widgets panel doesn’t get the love it deserves. Like most people, I tried it once when it first launched, and never opened it again.
Recently, though, I decided to give it another shot, and now I can’t stop using it. I’ve set it up to show live sports scores, my favorite stocks, and even my Spotify playlists. What I like about it the most is that it also supports third-party apps. This is where it actually becomes useful.
I added MagicPods so I can see the battery levels of wireless earbuds. I’ve also dropped the PC Manager widget, which gives me one-click access to its Boost feature any time I want to free up RAM. I still don’t care much for its news feed, but thankfully Windows now lets you turn it off completely.
Virtual Desktop
Less clutter, more focus
Like most people, I used to struggle a lot with too many open apps and programs at any given time. With all my work apps, personal files, and random folders, I often found it hard to switch between everything efficiently.
Virtual Desktop fixes that smartly. It lets me create multiple desktops on the same PC, and each of them can hold its own apps and windows. Now I keep one desktop strictly for work, another for writing, and a third for personal stuff.
I’ve customized each desktop with a unique wallpaper, and Windows lets me move apps between them as needed. Using Virtual Desktop almost makes it feel like I’m running multiple PCs on the same hardware.
Clipboard History
Copy more, worry less
Clipboard history isn’t a feature I ignored. I just didn’t know it existed for the longest time. Pressing Windows + V on Windows opens a clipboard where I can see all the recently copied text and images.
As someone who works with text all day, this is a huge help. I’m no longer limited to one copied item at a time. Clipboard lets me store links, commands, notes, and even screenshots. There’s even an option to pin important items so they remain there even after a reboot.
Enabling clipboard sync takes it further by letting me access all my copied items across all my PCs. This means I can pick up where I left off when I switch to a different system.
I Can’t Use a New Windows Computer Until I Change These 9 Settings
I like to start off on the right foot with my new PC.
God Mode
Sounds like a gimmick, but it’s not
I don’t know about you, but I find the Windows 11 Settings app painful to navigate. Everything is divided into confusing sections and many options are buried several layers deep. And I absolutely can’t tolerate how it still redirects me to the Control Panel or the old interface for certain settings.
God Mode completely fixes that for me. It’s essentially a special folder that puts hundreds of Windows settings and controls in a clean, alphabetical list. If a setting exists, it’ll appear right there, and I don’t need to dig through menus to get there. I’ve pinned God Mode to my taskbar, which means I can find the exact setting I want without jumping between sections or clicking menus.
What I like about God Mode the most is that it even lets me create desktop shortcuts for specific settings. This is a huge help for anyone who needs to tweak a specific setting repeatedly.
Taskbar shortcuts
Making the taskbar work for you
The Windows Taskbar is something that’s visible almost all the time, but I barely used it for anything beyond switching apps. That was until I discovered how much the taskbar can do on its own. For instance, you can simply hover your mouse over the speaker icon and use the scroll wheel to raise or lower the volume.
Taskbar also supports keyboard shortcuts. Pressing Windows + a number key (1-9) launches a pinned app in that position. If an app is already open, Windows brings it into focus. Similarly, pressing Shift + Windows + a number key opens a new instance of the pinned app. Finally, the taskbar can also be handy for force-closing frozen apps and opening recently opened files using jump lists.
All of these features have been around for quite some time, but I didn’t really find the need to use them because my old habits “worked.” But now that I’ve tried them, going back feels almost inefficient.
