Windows 10 has been around for a while now. It’s come a long way, but there are still some features that many people don’t know about.
This blog post will teach you what the new features in Windows 10 are and how to use them! The new features include the ability to have multiple desktops on your computer screen, virtual desktops so you can organize your work better, interactive tiles with live information,
Cortana integration so you can get reminders and notifications of missed calls or messages without opening Skype or another app, Edge browser which is designed to work well with touch screens and more!
The new Start menu
This is the most obvious change that Microsoft has made. This new Start menu contains the full list of applications installed on your device, which you can scroll through by clicking the arrow icon in your Start Menu’s bottom left corner.
The “All Apps” option lets you see all of your apps together if there are too many for them to all fit on the screen. To pin an application to your Start menu, you can simply press and hold its icon from within All Apps, then click Pin to Start after a second or two.
You can also use the Search option to find apps that aren’t listed in All Apps. This won’t search inside of individual applications, but rather will only search your installed apps and the Windows store with a quick text search.
The Start menu will look different on each user’s account depending on what apps they’ve pinned to it, but you can also return to this view by clicking on Cortana in your taskbar. Note that there won’t be many results from Cortana if you don’t use her often, though.
Cortana, the personal assistant
Cortana is Microsoft’s new voice assistant, named after the AI in Halo. You can press and hold the search bar on your taskbar to start Cortana up, or you can click the microphone icon in your Start menu. You can use Cortana’s voice controls to search for information by typing it out on your keyboard or speaking to the microphone. Cortana can also be used for setting reminders, checking the weather and more!
In addition, if you have a Microsoft account and are logged into Windows, Cortana will show you your missed calls, messages, and other information from that account as soon as she’s opened if they’re related to Skype or Windows.
You can get more information on Cortana and her capabilities here: https://www.cortana.com/en-us/
Multiple desktops
It’s now possible to have multiple desktops which you can switch between with a simple shortcut! To open another desktop, hold Ctrl and press the left or right arrow key until you reach your desired virtual desktop. You can also click the “+” sign at the end of your taskbar to open a new desktop as well, as long as it’s not already occupied by another window.
You can switch between desktops by clicking with your mouse in the last active space on each desktop or pressing Ctrl+Alt+Left or Right, but it’s much faster to switch with the shortcuts. You can also change your background for each desktop independently, which can be useful if you want to have different wallpapers on each virtual desktop!
Task View
If you have multiple desktops open, Task View allows you to see all of your virtual desktops at once. You can also use it to close any open desktop by right-clicking its thumbnail or creating a new desktop by clicking the “+” sign on an empty space on the screen.
If you want to rename a desktop, you can right-click its thumbnail, select “Rename” and type whatever you want to name it. Note that Task View can be accessed by pressing its icon in your taskbar or by pressing Alt+Tab.
Microsoft Edge browser
Edge is the new default browser for Windows 10, built from scratch by Microsoft. It was made to be minimal and lightweight with a focus on web browsing and one-handed use, and it may even be used as an app that can run in any monitor rather than just your main display if you want to read articles or browse reddit while working!
Tablet Mode
Tablet Mode is a feature in Windows 10 meant to be used on touchscreen devices. When in Tablet Mode, the Start menu will be opened with its full interface and your taskbar will hide until needed so that it doesn’t take up room on your screen when you only need the Start menu.
You can start this mode by clicking the Action Center icon at the far right of your taskbar, then click the Tablet Mode tile. If you have a touchscreen device and you’re using it on a flat surface like a table or desk, Windows will automatically switch to Tablet Mode!
Tiles
Tiles are shortcuts that show what application they open or file they link to when clicked. You can resize your tiles by right-clicking them and selecting Resize, or you can press Ctrl+F2 while a tile is selected to open its settings menu. The title of the tile will change depending on what it links to at the moment.
Tiles are displayed in groups according to their colors, meaning that the first three tiles in the first row will be blue, the next three tiles will be green, and so on down the line. You can create new groups by simply dragging a tile from one group to another when you have more than eight tiles in a row.
Snap Assist
In Windows 10, it’s now possible to open up many windows at once on one display. To do this, you can click and drag any window to the left or right edge of your screen and let go: this will “snap” that window into place and open up a new taskbar on that half of your display. You can then click and drag another window to snap it in place, effectively splitting up your display between multiple windows.
If you’re using a touchscreen device without a keyboard, you can drag any window to the top of your screen and release it to maximize it.
Action Center
The Action Center is a panel in Windows 10 that brings together quick actions for common tasks (like turning wifi on/off or turning on Quiet Hours) and also shows notifications like when updates are available or you need to restart your computer for an update. You can access the Action Center by clicking its icon on your taskbar, or you can swipe in from the right of your screen if you’re on a touchscreen device.
