Windows 11 has arrived, and the operating system comes with a number of changes in appearance and functionality. In addition to the now centralized Start Menu, Windows 11 introduces a number of new features aimed at helping you organize and make better use of your PC device, although in the end this isn’t a revolution and is more of an improvement.

Microsoft has also added some new keyboard shortcuts or shortcuts to help you navigate Windows 11 more efficiently, and use them effectively, allowing you to complete more tasks, but with less time wasted mouse-over and clicking.

With that in mind, thedigitnews.com has compiled the following list of the most useful keyboard shortcuts you need to know about in Windows 11. Some replace the old shortcuts, such as the Windows + C key which now launches Teams instead of Cortana, while others are mostly new shortcuts. in Windows 11, but they are all worth using in your day-to-day workflow.

• Windows + A = Open Quick Settings
• Windows + Ctrl + C = Turn the color filter on/off (previously it had to be enabled in the Color Filter settings)
• Windows + K = Open Cast in Quick Settings
• Windows + N = Open notification center and calendar
• Windows + W = Opens Widget or News & Interest panel

These are some of the most useful basic shortcuts to quickly access the core aspects of Windows 11. Windows Key + K is a new shortcut to directly open the Quick Settings menu (where tools like brightness and volume controls are) and access the Cast option specifically which is useful if you want to display to an external screen.

The cast is one of the many optional tools you can add to Quick Settings (which can be edited by pressing the pencil icon in the lower-right corner of the menu), but it’s not added by default so many new users might miss it.

Windows Key + Ctrl + C is a shortcut to quickly enable or disable color filters, which can also be very useful for those who are color blind or visually impaired, although you will need to enable them first.

To do so, open the Settings menu and navigate to Accessibility → Color filters, then enable Keyboard shortcuts for color filters. Once you’ve done that, you can choose alternative color filters (including grayscale, inverted, and red-green or blue-yellow filters) and switch between them at will using keyboard shortcuts.

• Windows + Z = Open Snap Layouts
• Windows + Alt + Arrow Directions = Place the selected window in the direction

Snap Layouts is one of Windows 11’s most helpful new features as it gives you more control over how you distribute open windows on the desktop.

You’ll usually see this when you hover your mouse over the maximize button in the upper-right corner of the window, where a Snap Layouts menu will appear showing four possible ways to organize the window. Click the part of the layout of your choice where you want the window to be placed.

You can save time searching for it by simply pressing Windows key + Z to open the Snap Layout menu instantly. If you know you want a simple 50/50 split with one window at the top of the screen and the other at the bottom, you can do it faster with the new Windows key + Up and Down arrow key shortcut. This complements the existing Windows key + Left and Right arrow key shortcuts to position windows to the left and right of the screen, so you can quickly rearrange your work with just a few keystrokes.

• Windows + Tab = Open Task View from virtual desktop
• Windows + Ctrl + D = Add a virtual desktop
• Windows + Ctrl + Left and Right Direction = Switch between open virtual desktops
• Windows + Ctrl + F4 = Close the virtual desktop currently in use

For Task View, virtual desktops and corresponding keyboard shortcuts were available in Windows 10 before, in Windows 11 Microsoft made this feature front and centre of the operating system. This was the right decision, as there is now a Task View button embedded in the centre of the Start Menu by default, although you can remove it in the Taskbar settings menu.

But while there’s nothing wrong with deleting icons if you don’t feel comfortable looking at them, getting used to using multiple virtual desktops (and navigating them quickly via keyboard shortcuts), can be a great way to keep your work organized.

In Windows 11, each virtual desktop can have its own custom cosmetic touch, including different wallpapers and themes, and apps that open on one desktop don’t open on another. This can make it easier to do things like group all of your work-related apps on one desktop and all of your gaming apps on another, so you can quickly swap back and forth. And once you get the hang of these keyboard shortcuts, you should be able to do them much quicker than if you had to search for and click on the relevant icon every time.

This article is a follow-up article on tips for maximizing the new features in Windows 11, in order to increase your productivity when using the new operating system from Microsoft.

After previously maximizing the number of features that revolve around improving performance and focus, there are still several other features that need to be maximized, including privacy features, advertisements and also convenience in use.

Turn Off Notifications

With Windows 11, the number of notifications has actually increased and this might be annoying to some. Luckily we can turn off notifications.

• Open Settings from the Start Menu, alternatively, you can also press Win+I to open the Settings page directly.
• Go to System and then click on Notifications.
• Notifications stay On by default but you can easily turn them off if you want.
• You can also customize notification settings for all apps on your PC separately.

Remove Unwanted Private Ads in Apps

With the updated operating system, you now have better control over your privacy. With just one click, you can stop apps from using your data to show personalized ads.

• Open Settings, then go to Privacy & Security.
• From the right pane click General Settings.
• Here you can choose whether or not you want apps and websites to show ads and relevant content based on your interests and language.

Block Pop-Ups and Tracking in Microsoft Edge

Now you might want to check some of these settings in Microsoft Edge as well.

• Launch Microsoft Edge and open Settings by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser.
• From the left pane, click Privacy, Search, and Services.
• In the left pane, you will see that it is set to Balance by default, but it is recommended that you select the Strict option.
• It will block most trackers, block known malicious trackers, and the content will contain a minimum of personalization.

New option on Right Click

You may not notice it but there have been some changes to the right-click options in Windows 11. Now when you right-click on any file on your PC, you will see lots of new options added. Cut, Copy, Delete, etc. are now moved as icons.

Widgets

This is one of the many new features added to Windows 11. It is actually the new name and new look of News and Interests in Windows 10. The News and Interests icon was previously placed in the System Tray in the lower right corner of the screen. You can add or customize widgets here as per your interest.

Touch Keyboard

If you have a touch-enabled Windows 11 device, Windows 11 has a very helpful Touch Keyboard feature. Right-click on the Taskbar to open the Taskbar settings. Under the tabs, corner icons of the Taskbar, you will see the Touch Keyboard button.

Enable it to always show the Touch Keyboard icon on the Taskbar. You will now have a small Touch Keyboard icon in the system tray, right next to the WiFi icon.

Windows 11 now also allows you to change the Touch Keyboard theme.

Change PC Geolocation

Almost all applications on PC will now take advantage of the built-in geolocation feature. You can change your default location if you want. You can also decide whether you want desktop applications to access your location or not.

• Press Win+I to open Settings.
• Go to Privacy & Security.
• Scroll down and click on the Location tab.
• If you want to change the default location, click Set default and it will open Maps.
• Enter your location and click Change.

Tweak Search Settings

The Search pane on the Taskbar also has a new look and features. Anything you type in the Search Bar will be searched in Apps, Docs, the web, and more. Apps you use frequently are placed right in the Search pane. All searches that you do frequently will be indexed here.

You can also choose specifically where you want to perform the search. For example, if you want to search for something in an email, click the More tab and select an email. Now type what you want to search in the email. So basically, you don’t need to go to your email account to search for emails, you can do it directly from the Windows Search option.

There’s also a Quick Search tab showing today’s history, new movies, subtitles, and today’s Market. You can also change Search settings and Indexing options according to your own choice.

These are some useful Windows 11 tips and tricks. These tips can help you increase your productivity and improve your browsing experience on the all-new Windows 11 operating system.

Next up: Tips for Making the Most of New Features in Windows 11 – Part 1

For those of you Windows 11 Insider Preview users who want to install Windows 11 Build 22499 directly, clean install, and clean from scratch, Microsoft some time ago released an ISO file for this version of Windows 11 so you can get the full installation experience from the ground up.

In Windows 11 Insider Build 22499 there are also a number of new things introduced, namely, Share window content via Microsoft Teams.

And some other features like the Clock app now supports sign-in with Microsoft account (Work and School), and Keyboard focuses in Task View and Alt + Tab is now more prominent.

You can see more about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499 in the article: Microsoft Releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499, There is an Improvement in Microsoft Teams.

Now go ahead, if you are interested in downloading the ISO file from Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499, you can immediately slide on the following Microsoft page.

Please download and try.