“Microsoft places the most disconcerting aspects of Windows 11 front and center, while its best features are hidden deeper within.” That’s how I closed my Windows 11 review, and it nonetheless feels true immediately. But what are these hidden, superior options?

Yes, you’ll must hunt a bit. But Microsoft has scattered some hidden gems right here and there throughout the new OS, and we’ll present you what they’re. We’d nonetheless advise you to wait on Windows 11 whereas Microsoft smooths out the bugs, however no less than you’ll know that there are some cool new capabilities ready for you while you lastly improve.

Some of those options had been talked about in our deep-dive Windows 11 evaluation. Others, like the brand new Snap View, may simply stay hidden till you ultimately come upon them. But slightly than ready to find a few of Windows 11’s finest options by happenstance, you need to use this text as a information.

Greater safety

PCWorld has spilled quite a lot of digital ink on Windows 11’s hardware restrictions, particularly the Trusted Platform Module capabilities that Microsoft is attempting to implement. For shoppers, the TPM requirement might really feel extra like an impediment to beat, slightly than a characteristic to be celebrated. Still, Microsoft predicated your complete Windows 11 platform on the premise that securing your PC by way of {hardware} helps defend it from assaults each identified and unknown. Just like utilizing a lock in your laptop computer is an added layer of safety in opposition to information theft.

Aside from the query of whether or not your PC makes use of supported or unsupported {hardware}, TPM isn’t one thing that you must take into consideration. It simply is. We’re nonetheless undecided in what methods the added safety will manifest in Windows 11 machines; on Microsoft’s Surface units, for instance, you merely don’t have the choice to show off Memory Integrity, a Windows Security characteristic that isolates sure elements of your PC to stop them from being attacked.

Undocking your laptop computer preserves window states

On Windows 10, undocking your laptop computer from a Thunderbolt or a show cable typically causes the whole lot to go a bit haywire: When disconnected, your entire open home windows are inclined to land in a jumble in your laptop computer’s display screen. When you redock, they’re scattered randomly over these obtainable shows. (Microsoft demonstrates this at 1:20 within the video beneath.)

When you undock a laptop computer inside Windows 11, your entire obtainable home windows decrease, in order that they land in your laptop computer’s show in an orderly trend. When you redock your PC, all the home windows return, proper the place you left them. (This usually works as marketed inside Windows 11, because it did simply now after I examined it. Five minutes prior, nevertheless, I had undocked my laptop computer from a Thunderbolt port after which redocked it within the different Thunderbolt port on my PC. That confused poor Windows, and I wanted to do a little bit of tidying up.)

Tips / Get Started

Windows 11’s out-of-the-box expertise (OOBE)—the setup course of you’re guided via on a clear set up—is really glorious. But what you would possibly overlook are the 2 supplementary apps: Tips and Get Started. Both might be accessed at any time, although there aren’t any actual signposts inside Windows 11 explicitly pointing you in the direction of them. (There could be one throughout the OOBE expertise, however you would miss it.)

Mark Hachman / IDG

Get Started is greater than an introductory app; it factors you to some actually helpful choices, similar to selecting new apps to obtain and boost Windows 11. It’s pretty fundamental, and if you happen to’re already acquainted with Windows (or Windows 11 specifically) chances are you’ll not see something significantly particular.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Tips is somewhat completely different. There are so many alternatives to be taught one thing new inside any working system, and there’s nothing saying that Microsoft can’t maintain a relentless stream of them coming. Take 30 seconds, launch the Tips app, and see what’s there. Even individuals who commonly work inside Windows 11 can uncover some new methods.

Estimated ‘time to update’

If your system must be up to date for any cause, Windows 11 will now attempt to guess how a lot time the replace would require. (We haven’t examined this particularly to see if the estimates are correct.) This could also be a tad gimmicky, as anybody who has tried to switch information inside Windows understands—Microsoft’s estimated time to completion can range dramatically, even throughout the identical file switch! Still, the brand new estimated instances ought to no less than offer you an thought of whether or not that you must search out one other cup of espresso when you wait. (And keep in mind, you may schedule them for after hours, too.) You’ll see the brand new estimated instances inside Windows 11’s Windows Update part throughout the Settings menu.

Remember, too, that Microsoft is separating an increasing number of purposes from the primary OS. In real-world phrases, that signifies that Microsoft can obtain and apply updates to apps just like the Windows Subsystem for Linux quietly, within the background, with out the necessity for a reboot. Apps will nonetheless require updates inside Windows 11, and you may even see apps pause to obtain and apply updates after you’ve opened them. That’s annoying, although it’s unclear how widespread this shall be.

Device utilization

This little characteristic may not be a lot immediately, but it surely has potential. For the previous few months, Windows 10 has supplied you the selection of “deciding” how you’ll use your PC as a part of the preliminary setup course of: You can, for instance, inform Windows that you just’ll use your PC for college or for gaming or enterprise. But that was primarily it. In Windows 11, there’s a devoted Windows 11 Settings menu that provides you extra management over this characteristic: inside Personalization > Settings.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Don’t count on profound modifications to your PC consequently: switching on “Gaming,” for instance, appeared to immediate my PC to obtain some easy gaming apps that I’d downloaded earlier than, similar to an HTML5 model of Spelunky, an exploration sport. (Microsoft has stated earlier than that you just could be supplied a trial of Game Pass, too, for instance.) Windows 11 features a hyperlink that supposedly will clarify this a bit extra, but it surely’s a bug that goes to this Azure page as a substitute.) Still, we may even see this specific setting fleshed out extra over time. Why not strive it and see what occurs?

Cortana

It’s somewhat bittersweet to jot down this, however Cortana isn’t a part of Windows correct any extra, and hasn’t been for a while. Microsoft’s sensible, personalised assistant, Cortana, is now an app, as she has been for the previous few months. But Cortana remains to be there, and you may configure her to at all times pay attention if you happen to so select. I’ve turn out to be a simplistic Cortana person, asking her to do basic math, set a reminder, or just let me know when 20 minutes has expired so I can run a brand new benchmark. If you don’t wish to put money into an Alexa or Google-powered sensible speaker, there’s one proper in entrance of you inside your PC.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Focus mode throughout the Clock app

Windows 11’s humble Clock app now features a manner in which you’ll set your self a interval of targeted exercise, then loosen up for a bit. This is often known as the Pomodoro Technique, and it’s a helpful technique to get issues performed. The Clock app doubles down on this productiveness theme by integrating with To-Do and with Spotify. I personally can’t stand music whereas I work, however there’s one thing sensible and satisfying about setting your self an inventory of duties, sitting down to perform them, after which checking them off your record. Clock means that you can do this.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Linux GUI apps

I’m not a talented Linux person by any metric, however Windows Subsystem for Linux has allowed me to discover the Linux working system by way of the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Essentially, the WSL is a technique to run Linux throughout the Windows Terminal shell, letting you expertise Linux with out spinning up a digital machine or a devoted system. (Unlike Windows Sandbox, nevertheless, WSL accesses your PC’s file system, so you may wreak surprising havoc if you happen to don’t know what you’re doing.)

Mark Hachman / IDG

Microsoft upgraded WSL to WSL2 final yr, and added help for Linux graphical apps and GPU help. This means you’ll nonetheless work inside a command-line atmosphere in one thing like Ubuntu, but additionally have the choice of operating windowed apps, too. It doesn’t seem you can run an precise Linux GUI desktop shell inside WSL2, although—maybe as a result of Windows customers would see how reminiscent Windows 11 is of Linux in some locations.

Your Phone’s Android apps

Unfortunately, native Android apps are a actually hidden characteristic for now—although Microsoft promised they’d be included inside Windows 11, they simply haven’t but been made obtainable. But if in case you have a supported Samsung Android cellphone, you may run mirrored Android apps out of your cellphone in your desktop. Your Phone is already a good way to maintain tabs in your cellphone with out bodily dealing with it, and Your Phone already means that you can place texts and even make calls by way of your cellphone out of your PC.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Your Phone additionally means that you can maintain your present cellular messaging apps in place (sorry, Teams Chat) and even pin them to your desktop. Yes, you may run PC apps in your PC, however if you happen to want the appear and feel of an Android app, Your Phone has your again.

Are these all the hidden options inside Windows 11? Probably not… and much more are coming as Microsoft provides new options!