Windows PCs are extremely highly effective and versatile, and that’s true even prior to installing any apps. As it seems, Windows itself is chock-full of helpful options that few folks really find out about.
If you’re a school pupil who desires to take your faculty laptop computer to the following stage, listed below are a number of obscure Windows options that’ll assist you to whether or not you’re taking notes, researching initiatives, or in any other case.
Live captions
Chris Hoffman / IDG
Windows 11 has a characteristic known as Live Captions that listens to audio and mechanically generates readable captions on the fly.
It works once you’re watching a video, but it surely additionally works with audio captured by your microphone. So, whether or not you’re sitting in school throughout a lecture or watching a recorded video, Live Captions can use speech-to-text expertise to transcribe what you hear into readable textual content.
To get began, simply seek for “live captions” within the Start menu and launch the Live Captions app. This app is offered on all Windows 11 PCs and requires an web connection to work.
If you have a Copilot+ PC, the Live captions characteristic can really work offline and likewise helps stay translation between totally different languages.
Clipboard historical past

Joel Lee / IDG
Whenever you copy and paste, you may suppose you’ve overwritten the earlier factor you copied — however that’s not true. Windows 11’s Clipboard History characteristic retains observe of all of the textual content and pictures you copy.
Normally, once you paste, you simply paste the very last thing you copied. But you may select from beforehand copied gadgets by utilizing the Windows key + V shortcut (slightly than the same old Ctrl + V shortcut). You’ll be prompted to enable the Clipboard History feature in the event you haven’t already finished so.
Clipboard History even permits you to “pin” gadgets in order that they’re all the time out there and conveniently accessible for simple pasting sooner or later. It’s one of many many useful productivity features on Windows.
Handwriting to textual content enter
Some Windows laptops ship with assist for capacitive pens. These pen-enabled PCs are a fantastic selection for school college students as a result of they make it method simpler to write down handwritten notes, mathematical equations, diagrams, and extra in excellent note-taking apps like OneNote.
But with Windows 11, pen enter works in any app because of handwriting recognition. You can write immediately on any textual content area together with your pen and Windows will immediately convert it to textual content.
Dictation

Chris Hoffman / IDG
Windows 11 has built-in assist for dictation, which implies you may communicate your ideas aloud they usually’ll be transcribed on the fly as textual content. In different phrases, you may kind utilizing your voice — similar to on a cellphone.
To open the Windows 11 dictation device, use the Windows key + H shortcut. If you’re utilizing a PC with a contact display screen, you too can faucet the microphone button on the contact keyboard to launch it.
Related: I used Windows Dictation to write this article with my voice
Web apps as desktop apps

Joel Lee / IDG
These days, many apps are literally simply web sites that run within the browser. Hate having to maintain dozens of tabs open with all the webpages and net apps you utilize? Well, there’s a greater method.
Windows 11 enables you to turn webpages and web apps into Windows “apps” with their very own taskbar icons and home windows. They really feel virtually an identical to traditional desktop apps, and it’s a very handy trick for single-page net apps you retain open 24/7 (e.g., Gmail, Spotify, Slack).
To do that in Google Chrome, navigate to any web site and click on the three-dot menu > Save and Share > Install web page as app. In Microsoft Edge, navigate to an internet site and click on three-dot menu > Apps > Install this web site as an app. (Mozilla Firefox doesn’t supply this characteristic.)
Sticky notes

Microsoft
Microsoft OneNote is a good note-taking software, but it surely is perhaps somewhat too advanced on your wants. If all you wish to do is jot down fast notes right here and there, attempt the Sticky Notes app as an alternative.
Windows 11 has a built-in Sticky Notes app you can launch by looking for “sticky notes” within the Start menu. This app can hold notes pinned to the desktop or stored in an easier record format, and the notes may be synced between your PC and different units.
When syncing Sticky Notes together with your cellphone, your notes are accessible by way of OneNote Mobile, Microsoft Launcher for Android, and Outlook for Windows.

Chris Hoffman / IDG
Windows has a handy built-in fast insertion device for emojis. To entry it, you need to use both the Windows key + Period or Windows key + Semicolon keyboard shortcuts.
You can browse all of the emojis included with Windows and insert them into any software or doc. You may also begin typing proper after urgent the keyboard shortcut to seek for a specific emoji.
Text enhancing shortcuts
The Ctrl key gives so many essential keyboard shortcut tricks for editing text. My favourite half, although, is that it makes many keyboard actions apply to total phrases as an alternative of particular person characters.
Here’s what meaning: Normally, once you press Backspace, you delete the a single character of textual content. But in the event you use the Ctrl + Backspace keyboard shortcut, you delete the whole earlier phrase. This works with a lot of shortcuts, together with the Delete key.
Another instance is textual content choice. You can maintain Shift and press the left or proper arrows to pick particular person characters. But in the event you use the Ctrl + Shift + left or proper arrow keyboard shortcut, you may choose total phrases at a time. And in the event you use Ctrl + Shift + Home or End, you may choose total strains of textual content with a single keystroke.
Dynamic locking

Joel Lee / IDG
Whether you’re on a laptop computer or PC, you ought to be locking it everytime you aren’t utilizing it, particularly once you’re on campus. You’re in all probability already doing it with a keystroke (Windows key + L) or with a setting that mechanically locks every time your system goes to sleep.
But there’s a greater method in Windows 11: use the Dynamic Lock feature, which detects when your cellphone strikes away out of your laptop and mechanically locks when it does. You can set this up in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in choices > Dynamic lock.
Presence-based locking
Newer laptops with Presence Sensors don’t even must contain your cellphone. They can detect when you transfer away out of your laptop, then mechanically lock once you do — they usually can mechanically unlock once you sit again down. If you’ve arrange Windows Hello with facial recognition, they will even signal you again in mechanically.
Further studying: The best webcams for Windows Hello
Focus timers

Joel Lee / IDG
Have you heard of the Pomodoro method? It’s a way that helps you keep targeted and get extra finished in much less time. The secret is to work in half-hour bursts with quick breaks in between — and most of the people use timers to know when to change between work and breaks.
Windows 11 has a built-in Pomodoro timer. You can entry it by opening the Clock app within the Start menu, then activating its Focus periods characteristic. You can configure your focus session, throughout which all notifications and app alerts can be stifled. You may also hyperlink your Spotify account so the fitting music performs whilst you’re focusing.
Do Not Disturb mode

Joel Lee / IDG
Windows has a Do Not Disturb characteristic that quiets down noisy notifications whilst you’re making an attempt to focus. While Do Not Disturb has lengthy been a well-liked characteristic on smartphones, Windows PCs didn’t even have this form of factor for a few years.
To allow Do Not Disturb mode on Windows 11, press Windows key + N to open the Notification Center, then click on the bell icon with Z’s on the top-right nook. On Windows 10, you’ll must activate a setting known as Focus Assist to quickly disable notifications.
Sync together with your cellphone

Microsoft
Windows makes it simple to entry or management your cellphone proper out of your PC, however the course of is totally different relying on whether or not you’ve gotten an iPhone or Android cellphone (and every one’s performance is totally different).
If you’ve gotten an iPhone, set up the iCloud for Windows app. After you set it up, you’ll be capable of hyperlink iCloud Photos to the Photos app and browse from inside Windows. You’ll additionally get to combine with iCloud’s different options, together with Drive, Passwords, Contacts, Calendar, and Bookmarks.
If you’ve gotten an Android cellphone, open the Phone Link app from the Start menu. After you set it up, you’ll be capable of textual content out of your PC, handle your cellphone’s notifications, browse images in your digital camera roll, and even copy-paste images to your PC.
Screenshots and display screen recording

Chris Hoffman / IDG
Modern Windows PCs have highly effective built-in screenshot instruments. On Windows 11, it’s known as the Snipping Tool, which is as simple to launch as urgent the Windows key + Shift + S keyboard shortcut (or the Print Screen key when you have that in your keyboard).
Once the Snipping Tool is opened, you’ll see an overlay bar on the high of your display screen. Use it to pick the kind of screenshot you need: Rectangle, Window, Full display screen, or Freeform. Then, click on or drag to pick what you wish to seize and also you’ll get a notification. (You can click on the notification to edit the screenshot earlier than saving it.)
The Snipping Tool additionally consists of the flexibility to file video of your display screen. Switch to the video digital camera icon within the overlay bar on the high of the display screen, then draw a rectangle over the world you wish to seize.
Past variations of information

Chris Hoffman / IDG
Windows presents a number of methods to retrieve an older model of a file. If the file is synced to Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage, you may find it in File Explorer, right-click it, and choose OneDrive > Version historical past.
For information which might be solely saved in your PC and never synced to a cloud storage service, you may set up the File History feature to often again up chosen information and folders to an exterior drive. Then, you may restore earlier variations of the file from there.
Lost laptop computer monitoring

Chris Hoffman / IDG
If you’re at school and utilizing a laptop computer, it is best to all the time have a contingency plan in case your laptop computer is misplaced or stolen.
One possibility is to make use of the built-in laptop computer monitoring characteristic of Windows, which additionally enables you to lock your laptop computer remotely. It received’t be as helpful as related options out there on smartphones as a result of your laptop computer in all probability doesn’t have a mobile connection. The monitoring requires your laptop computer to be related to Wi-Fi, and your laptop computer can’t be in sleep mode.
Even so, it’s nonetheless helpful even when it isn’t excellent. If you lose your laptop computer on campus, it’ll in all probability keep related to Wi-Fi and be traceable.
But the secret’s ensuring the characteristic is energetic earlier than you lose your laptop computer. Turn it on now by going to Settings > Privacy & safety > Find my machine and activate the Find my machine possibility. Then, use Microsoft’s account devices page to trace down your laptop computer.
Further studying: Laptop security guide for college students
Advanced calculators

Chris Hoffman / IDG
The built-in Calculator app on Windows is extra highly effective than it seems to be. Open the app’s menu and also you’ll discover totally different calculator modes, together with a scientific calculator, a graphing calculator, and instruments for changing currencies and items of measurement.
Quick video trimming

Joel Lee / IDG
Windows comes with Microsoft’s Clipchamp video editor, however there’s really one other helpful video device buried inside the working system. With this characteristic, you may shortly trim video information and clip sections to save lots of as their very own smaller video information.
You can do that by right-clicking on a video file in File Explorer, then deciding on Open with > Photos. When the Photos app opens up with the video loaded, click on the blue Trim button on the toolbar and choose the a part of the video you wish to save.
Further studying: How to use the free Clipchamp video editor
Quick picture enhancing

Joel Lee / IDG
You’d be shocked by how succesful the built-in Photos app may be. It’s not only a picture viewer — it’s additionally picture editor once you’re in a pinch or simply want some easy crops and edits.
After opening a picture in Photos, click on the blue Edit button within the toolbar to entry the picture enhancing instruments. You’ll see choices for cropping the picture, marking it up, adjusting lighting, making use of filters, and even utilizing AI results to erase components and take away the background.
Laptop battery drain statistics

Joel Lee / IDG
Everyone all the time desires extra laptop computer battery life. If you discover your laptop computer dying a lot sooner than you suppose it ought to, you’ll wish to look into which apps are the most important battery drains — and Windows retains observe of that for you, making it simple to research and troubleshoot.
On Windows 11, head over to Settings > System > Power & battery. Then, scroll down and broaden the Battery utilization part to view battery utilization by app. On Windows 10, go to Settings > System > Battery to seek out these identical particulars.
Once you already know which apps are killing your battery life, you may make knowledgeable choices on what to do. (Battery stress is without doubt one of the common mistakes killing your laptop’s lifespan.)
Further studying: Is it bad to always leave your laptop plugged in?