https://www.xda-developers.com Founded in 2002, XDA is the world’s largest smartphone and electronics community. Looking for the latest tech news and reviews? Want to do more with your Android phone, Windows PC, iPhone, iPad, or MacBook? Look no further than XDA. Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:26 GMT en-US hourly 60 Windows 11 has been out for nearly two years, and for many of us, it's already old news, but it's still a great operating system. The initial release of Windows 11 brought a brand-new design language, a new Start menu, and other changes, and newer updates have come out to add even more. With releases like version 22H2 and the upcoming version 23H2, Windows 11 keeps getting better. But even though it's getting more popular, many of us are still installing Windows 11 for the first time.

]]> Mon, 18 Sep 2023 22:00:27 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/download-windows-11/ Pip is one of the most important tools to have at your disposal when you're getting started with a Python project. It allows you to install and manage millions of Python packages and libraries to help you set up the right software environment for a project, be it a simple automation task or a complex artificial intelligence or machine learning project. But how do you install Pip on Windows to ensure you have no issues working on Python projects? Thankfully, installing Pip on Windows is a fairly simple task, and you can do it following a few simple steps. There's also a chance that you may already have Pip installed on your system, so read on to learn more about it.

]]> Mon, 18 Sep 2023 16:08:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-install-pip-windows/ Windows 11 is a great operating system for productivity, thanks to features like Snap Layouts, Android apps, and WSL. The best laptops and desktop computers out there let you do all kinds of work with Windows 11. But if it's gaming that you're planning on doing, then we have some suggestions for how you can make your PC even better. You can turn on Windows 11's dedicated Game Mode to optimize performance for digital gaming, tweak Windows 11's security measures to free up your CPU and RAM for gaming, and so much more.

]]> Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-optimize-windows-11-for-gaming/ Microsoft gave its famous operating system a facelift when it redesigned Windows 11, so you might find the feel to be both familiar and different. One area where Microsoft made a few changes was the taskbar, where the design and positioning of items are slightly different from what you'd find on Windows 10.

]]> Sun, 17 Sep 2023 22:00:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-hide-taskbar-windows-11/ Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Threads by now. Meta’s latest social media app is unapologetically a Twitter (or X) competitor, and it's deeply interconnected with Instagram to create an amalgamation of the two. However, access to Threads was only possible through its official iOS and Android apps when it launched. There was no proper web interface at the beginning, although you could directly go to a user's profile.

]]> Sun, 17 Sep 2023 10:30:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-use-threads-desktop/ Our Windows computers are great at locating files and folders in an instant, but that’s not always to our benefit. Sometimes, there’s content on our PC that we want to keep tucked away from prying eyes. Search tools like File Explorer can make any file visible with just a few typed characters, but thankfully, there are a few system customizations you can make to hide certain files and folders. Here are a few of our go-to methods for hiding those treasured bytes in Windows 11.

]]> Sat, 16 Sep 2023 16:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-hide-files-windows-11/ Windows 11 first showed its face on June 24, 2021, and became officially available on Oct. 5 of that same year. Today, most laptops sold come with Windows 11 installed out of the box, but the Windows development cycle never stops, and there's always something to look forward to. That's where the Windows Insider Program comes into play, as it lets fans try out new Windows 11 features in preview before anybody else.

]]> Fri, 15 Sep 2023 20:00:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-features-in-preview/ Keeping Windows up to date will ensure that you’ve got the least buggy version of the OS. When it comes to Windows 11, Microsoft has opted for the one update per year strategy, although it continues to make available regular patches and fixes throughout the year to address known issues. New feature sets, such as the Moment 3 release, are also being seeded through the Windows Update framework. This article will serve as the central repository of knowledge base (KB) articles and download links for all updates related to Windows 11.

]]> Thu, 14 Sep 2023 10:31:20 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-update-tracker/ If you're a programmer, data scientist, or anyone who codes you're probably familiar with Jupyter Notebook. This is a web-based interactive development environment. It's pretty flexible, so you might want to know how you can use it on the latest version of Windows 11. Even though it is a web-based interface, Jupyter Notebook works best when paired with Anaconda, which will assist in downloading Jupyter Notebook and getting you right into the right dependencies.

]]> Wed, 13 Sep 2023 18:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-install-jupyter-notebook-windows/ For the longest time, the only way to change the RGB lighting effects for the peripherals on your Windows 11 PC has been to use the dedicated software from the brand that makes those peripherals. Each of the companies making some of the best gaming keyboards — whether that's Razer, SteelSeries, Corsair, and so on — has its own app, and if you end up buying equipment from different companies, it means you'll also need multiple pieces of software bloating up your device. Thankfully, Windows 11 is finally introducing Dynamic Lighting, a feature that brings together RGB lighting controls to a native Windows 11 interface, so you no longer need all of these apps.

]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 18:00:28 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-configure-rgb-lighting-windows-11/ At one point or another, you might need to find the specifications — or specs — of your Windows 11 PC. It can be useful for troubleshooting if you're having issues, or maybe you just want to know if your laptop is compatible with a certain app or able to run a specific game. If you're more tech-savvy, of course, you probably already purchased your PC based on the specs, but that's not the case for everyone.

]]> Mon, 11 Sep 2023 22:01:24 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-find-specs-windows-11-pc/ If you find yourself logging into a remote server on your Windows machine repeatedly, you probably know you need SSH keys. Besides being a more secure way of authentication, SSH keys are more convenient than conventional passwords, and offer a variety of additional benefits. Generating SSH keys on Windows 11 is fairly simple and you can do it in a number of ways, based on your preferences and what system you're used to. So, let's get into the various methods you can use to generate SSH keys on Windows.

]]> Sun, 10 Sep 2023 22:01:27 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/generate-ssh-key-windows/ Out of the box, Windows 11 and 10 give you a way to record and share your games, as well as chat with your Xbox friends, manage system resources, and do all kinds of things thanks to plug-ins. All of this is available through the Xbox Game Bar, but what if you don't care about any of these features and they're just using up resources on your laptop? Thankfully, you can disable the Xbox Game Bar so it doesn't bother you. Here's how.

]]> Sun, 10 Sep 2023 12:00:28 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-disable-xbox-game-bar-windows/ Virtual private network (VPN) providers usually supply an application to be downloaded, installed, and run to set up and configure the secure connection automatically. Even with an available app from the best VPNs, there may be a time when you need to configure the connection manually within Windows. This is precisely what our guide will aid you with, and it should work for most (if not all) VPNs out there.

]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:00:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-install-vpn-on-windows/ The more you use your Windows 11 PC, the more important files and memories you gather. Whether you have photos, documents, videos, or even favorite apps, it's natural to want to back things up in the event something goes wrong with your PC. Thankfully, Windows 11 offers three different ways to back up your system. You can back up individual files with File History, copy folders to the cloud with OneDrive PC folder backup, or create a system image of your PC. We have a look at all three for you right here.

]]> Wed, 06 Sep 2023 18:01:27 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-back-up-windows-11-pc/ There might come a time when you have to share your laptop, or your Windows 11 PC with someone. In the old days of Windows, there was a dedicated guest mode for these situations, but Windows 11 and Windows 10 have since removed this. It doesn't mean you can't manually add a guest account, though.

]]> Tue, 05 Sep 2023 22:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-create-guest-account-windows-11/ Notifications can be a hugely important feature on our laptops, just like they are on our smartphones. They let us know when something needs our attention, or remind us if we need to get something done. However, as we install more and more apps, things get a bit noisy, and you may want to turn some notifications off. If you want to regain some peace, here's how to customize notification settings in Windows 11.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 16:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-customize-notification-settings-windows-11/ Windows 11 is a great iteration of Microsoft's operating system, with many streamlined design elements and new features that make it a big upgrade. As much as we like the fresh, default look of Windows 11, though, it may not be to everyone's tastes. Thankfully, Windows has always been easy to customize, and Windows 11 is no different. It keeps many of the same personalization options from Windows 10, with some new ones, too. In this article, we'll show you how to customize Windows 11 to your liking to make your great Windows laptop or Windows desktop more distinct, both by using the built-in settings and third-party apps.

]]> Sat, 02 Sep 2023 18:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-customize-windows-11/ The more you browse the web on any of the best web browsers (regardless of operating system or device), the more you might come across the occasional pop-up. These can get in the way of whatever website you were originally on, and we understand how frustrating that can be.

]]> Fri, 01 Sep 2023 22:00:38 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-prevent-pop-ups-desktop-browers/ Having a second monitor on your desk setup can be great for work or for photo or video editing. When set up properly, using multiple monitors can help boost your productivity since you'll have more room to spread out. Did you just buy a new monitor and are wondering how to plug it in and use it in Windows 11? It's actually a very easy process!

]]> Mon, 28 Aug 2023 18:03:13 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-use-manage-monitors-windows-11/ Windows activations are frequently tied to a digital license that's then linked to your Microsoft account. That way, you just need to sign into your desktop PC or laptop to reactivate your license when you switch devices. But if you end up making changes to a PC, like swapping hardware, or if you're building your own desktop from scratch, you might have to reactivate or activate Windows the old-fashioned way.

]]> Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-activate-windows/ You probably already know that Microsoft has the Windows Insider Program, so you can beta-test early versions of Windows 11 on a great laptop or a great Windows desktop, or even in a virtual machine. Each of the channels of the program gets you access to the various versions of Windows. Unfortunately, though, Microsoft often likes to A/B test Windows features in the Windows Insider program.

]]> Tue, 15 Aug 2023 22:00:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-use-vivetool-enable-features-windows-11/ There comes a time when you might need to scan a document on Windows 11. It could be an important document you signed that you need to email or just something you might want to digitize for later. Well, if you're using a great Windows tablet or an external webcam, you can scan documents pretty easily. The Windows 11 camera app offers the option to scan a document, and then save it as a photo on your device. You also can use a third-party app like HP Scan and Capture to turn your photos into scans. And though it takes a little extra work, you also can use an OCR tool to capture text from images, helping avoid the need to scan.

]]> Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:31:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-scan-documents-windows-11/ The urge to upgrade your PC can often turn into a rabbit hole of never-ending research, unnecessary anxiety, and, ultimately, bad purchases. The allure of getting your hands on a shiny new graphics card or the latest CPU is tempting, but if your upgrade decisions are not guided by a focus on your specific use case, you can end up with decisions that are hard to take back.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 22:00:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/pc-upgrade-choose-right-parts/ Windows 11 gives you plenty of customization options to make the operating system, and thus your laptop, feel more like your own. But sometimes those options aren't enough. For example, Windows 11 doesn't natively support animated wallpapers, only static images (though you can cycle through different images if you want to). But that doesn't mean you can't use animated wallpapers. You just have to use a third-party app.

]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:01:50 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-use-animated-wallpapers-windows-11/ Windows 11 was launched officially on October 5th, 2021, bringing a big visual overhaul compared to Windows 10. We're coming up on the two-year anniversary of Windows 11, but for many of us, it's still new. After all, it's not a mandatory upgrade, and many PCs aren't supported, so if you haven't bought a new laptop in the past couple of years, you might not know much about it.

]]> Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-use-windows-11/ Graphics aren’t everything when it comes to your PC. Even if you invest thousands of dollars into the best gaming PC, you won’t be able to fully enjoy the experience unless you have top-notch sound effects that complement high-end graphics. While most audiophiles will agree that the fastest way to improve sound quality is to get some high-end headphones, changing a couple of settings on your system goes a long way in getting a better sound experience. We've compiled some tips to help you boost your PC's audio without spending a penny on new hardware.

]]> Sun, 06 Aug 2023 18:00:26 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-improve-audio-windows-pc/ These days, the gap between a great iPad like the iPad Pro and the best Windows tablets, such as the Surface Pro 9, is smaller than ever. Apple has slowly made tweaks to iPadOS by introducing features like Stage Manager that make it more of a laptop replacement. However, it's still not quite there, especially because it doesn't have a desktop environment like Windows 11 tablets do.

]]> Tue, 01 Aug 2023 22:00:24 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-run-windows-11-ipad/ Windows 11 is the latest and greatest operating system coming from Microsoft, and it was long overdue. After six years of Windows 10, which was supposed to be the last version of Windows, Microsoft announced Windows 11 in the summer of 2021, bringing many changes to the OS's design and functionality.

]]> Sun, 30 Jul 2023 18:01:23 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11/ If you’ve ever felt the need to move text and images between your Windows 11 devices, Microsoft has a handy trick for you. With clipboard syncing, you can instantly move your most used images, links, and text between your Windows PC, laptop, and even Android phone. All you need is the same Microsoft account across each device and some changes to your device settings. Let’s unpack the various ways you can enable clipboard syncing in Windows 11 and have your favorite items available whenever you need them.

]]> Sat, 29 Jul 2023 16:00:28 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/enable-clipboard-syncing-windows-11/ Windows 11 introduced many new features for Windows users, along with plenty of design changes that make the experience a bit more pleasant overall. One of the highlights of Windows 11 is the addition of Snap Layouts and Snap Groups, a feature that allows you to more easily manage your open windows and place them in any position you want.

]]> Tue, 25 Jul 2023 22:00:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-snap-layouts-groups/ Windows 11 is an operating system that's intended to be use friendly for most users. So if you have limited hearing, vision, mobility, or other disabilities, Microsoft has added plenty of features to help make your PC easier to use. There are features like Live Captions, Voice Access, and Narrator. We have a look at all these features for you right here and how to use them for your needs.

]]> Tue, 25 Jul 2023 20:00:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-make-windows-11-more-accessible/ Securing your Wi-Fi connection with a password can help maintain your privacy by preventing unauthorized access to your network. However, doing so comes with its own downsides as it becomes quite difficult to remember the passkeys of all your networks.

]]> Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:00:27 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-view-wi-fi-password-windows-11/ The PC landscape is always evolving and changing, and Microsoft consistently launches new products, which can sometimes get confusing. One example has to do with Windows 11 and Windows 365, both of which were announced and launched in 2021. It may not be immediately obvious what's different, but in fact, these are radically different concepts.

]]> Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:00:27 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-vs-windows-365/ Every major release of Windows comes in a few editions, or SKUs, which have different features. Windows 11 is no different, with multiple SKUs like Windows 11 Home, Pro, Enterprise, and so on. Many of these editions have certain exclusive features that aren't available on the lower-tier editions, and one big example is Hyper-V. However, it's actually possible to install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home, and we're here to show you how.

]]> Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:00:33 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-install-hyper-v-windows-11-home/ Being able to record your screen is a feature that's become more and more prominent in recent years. While it used to require special software or apps, platforms like Android, iOS, and even Windows have begun to adopt it as a system-wide feature. It's incredibly useful — it makes it easy to show off a specific problem you're having, or a potential solution to a problem someone else has. And of course, for gamers, it can also be useful to record your play sessions, especially if you want to share them online.

]]> Sat, 22 Jul 2023 22:00:24 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-screen-record-windows/ The minimum FPS that you're willing to game at varies wildly from one gamer to another. For many, a game is unplayable if it dips below the 60FPS mark, while others would happily sacrifice their frame rates in exchange for breathtaking visuals.

]]> Thu, 20 Jul 2023 22:01:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-see-fps-games/ The Asus ROG Ally is one of the newest Steam Deck alternatives. Unlike the Steam Deck, however, this handheld gaming console runs Windows 11 natively. That means you have more than one way to take a screenshot in a game or on the desktop.

]]> Thu, 20 Jul 2023 16:01:25 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-take-screenshot-asus-rog-ally/ Many people do video conferencing on their Windows 11 PCs these days, and the webcam is the heart of that experience. So, if you're hoping to take control of your webcam and tweak basic settings, like the image brightness, sharpness, and contrast, the Windows 11 settings app will be where you have to go. If you're on a device with an Arm-based SoC under the hood, like the Surface Pro 9, you also can tweak integrated webcam settings with Windows Studio Effects. We have a look at all two methods for you right here.

]]> Tue, 18 Jul 2023 22:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-change-webcam-settings-windows-11/ When you come across an image on the web that needs some editing in Windows 11, macOS, and Linux, you don't need to download it or use a program like Adobe Photoshop for simple tweaks. If you use the Microsoft Edge browser, you can edit the image with just a simple right-click, and then save your edits for sharing. It's a pretty nifty feature that makes Edge more than just a regular web browser, just like how you can use Bing chat in Microsoft Edge. Here's how to use it.

]]> Tue, 18 Jul 2023 12:00:20 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-edit-images-microsoft-edge/ Windows 11 is a great operating system for productivity, but it's also the most popular platform for gaming. Whether you're gaming on one of the best laptops, or on a desktop, connecting a controller to Windows makes your favorite games more accessible. It just so happens that there are a lot of great PC controllers you can buy, and Windows makes it easy to pair one.

]]> Sat, 15 Jul 2023 16:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-pair-controller-windows-11/ Most of the best laptops and desktops these days have solid-state drives (SSD) onboard, but you might also see a secondary spinning hard drive for additional, but slower, storage. Regardless of which type you have, your computer will read and write data to your drive as you use it. So, if you want to take a peek at your computer's operations and disk usage, you can easily use the Task Manager app in Windows 11. It'll show you stats like active time, response time, read speed, write speed, capacity, and disk type.

]]> Fri, 14 Jul 2023 12:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-monitor-disk-usage-windows-11/ Windows 11 has many new features, but one that keeps returning is Fast Startup. This does what the name suggests, allowing your PC to boot faster once you shut it down completely and restart it again with the power button. It's like a hybrid between hibernation and shutdown that helps your PC start up as soon as you push that power button because it won't shut it down fully. Yes, the computer will physically be off, but Fast Sartup saves the state of your hard drive at the moment of shutdown and brings it back where you left it the next time you log in. That way, it doesn't have to restart the services it needs for File Explorer, Taskbar, and other system areas.

]]> Thu, 13 Jul 2023 22:01:22 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/disable-fast-startup-in-windows-11/ Windows 11 is a great operating system, and the latest Windows 11 Moment 3 update brings lots of small tweaks, like the option to add seconds to the clock in the Taskbar and even copy 2FA codes when using the Phone Link app. That's on top of the already great features like Snap Layouts for added multitasking and the option to run Android apps. We understand that your privacy might be a concern with Windows 11, though. Thankfully, there are a few Windows 11 settings you can tweak to make the operating system more private.

]]> Thu, 13 Jul 2023 20:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-make-windows-11-more-private/ It's been a few years since Windows 11 first launched, and just like Windows 10 before it, the operating system is always evolving. Microsoft has committed to updating Windows 11 every so often with "Moment" updates, which are basically feature drops every few months. The most recent one was the Moment 3 update, with delivered features like seconds on the clock in the Taskbar, as well as tweaks to the widgets experience.

]]> Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/explaining-windows-11-insider-preview/ Windows Subsystem for Android is finally here. What's more interesting is that you can unofficially try it right now — even if you're not enrolled in the Beta channel of Windows 11. In case you're not happy with the mandatory Amazon Appstore integration, you should be happy to hear that the app sideloading process isn't difficult either. It is also possible to install a third-party Google Play Store client, but the lack of Google services in the Windows Subsystem for Android makes it a bit hard to use apps that are dependent on them, as we noted in our hands-on.

]]> Sat, 08 Jul 2023 20:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-install-google-play-store-windows-subsystem-for-android/ Just like macOS, iOS, and even Android, Windows 11 is an operating system that's friendly to many languages. While you already can go into the Windows 11 settings app and add a new language to your operating system, you also can change and tweak keyboard layouts, too. This might be useful if you have an external or internal keyboard that uses a different layout from the standard QWERTY style that's popular in Western and English-speaking countries. And all it takes is a few simple clicks.

]]> Thu, 06 Jul 2023 22:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-change-keyboard-layout-windows-11/ Windows 11 brings plenty of cool features. You can enjoy Snap Layouts to multitask with efficiency, play with Android apps on your PC, and even link your iPhone to your laptop. One thing that's missing from Windows 11, however, is desktop icons. You might have noticed that desktop icons for some classic system features are missing. Even in the taskbar, some icons might be missing for your favorite apps. There's no icon for My PC, for example. Well, it's super easy to bring these hidden icons back.

]]> Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-show-hidden-icons-windows-11/ Browsing the internet on a Windows 11 PC can be similar to browsing the internet on a phone in that not all internet connections have unlimited data. If you have a great 5G laptop, for example, you might be on a limited data plan. Or, if you're on a more affordable home internet plan, you might have a certain amount of data each month before your connection speeds are throttled. So, if you're concerned about how much data Windows 11 is using, the Settings make it easy to find out which apps are using the most data.

]]> Sat, 01 Jul 2023 16:00:20 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-see-data-usage-windows-11/ There's a new feature up for testing if you're a Windows Insider running the Dev channel version of Windows 11. It's Windows Copilot. A bit like Clippy from the good old days, this is a new AI assistant, designed to help make your PC even easier to use. It has a chat-based UI that currently integrates with some Windows features like taking screenshots, enabling dark mode, and even access things from Bing Chat from it.

]]> Fri, 30 Jun 2023 18:00:23 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-enable-windows-copilot-in-windows-11/ Technology is getting more accessible as time goes on, and Microsoft has made accessibility a big point of many of its products. Products like the Xbox Adaptive Controller or the Surface Adaptive Kit help all kinds of users make the most of their devices. And on the software front, Microsoft recently added a big feature to Windows 11: voice access, which made its debut with Windows 11 version 22H2.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-set-up-voice-access-windows-11/ Windows 11 retains plenty of accessibility from Windows 10, with night light being one of them. It was first introduced in Windows 10 in 2017 to lower the amount of blue light on your computer screen, which can cause eye strain if you use your system for hours in dark surroundings. It can even disrupt your circadian rhythm and sleep cycle by lowering the amount of melatonin produced by your body.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-enable-night-light-windows-11/ Owning a great Windows 11 tablet or a Windows convertible comes with one significant benefit. Some of these devices, like a Lenovo Yoga or HP Spectre, might support pen input. In the case of Surface devices, it's always the Surface Pen, and on other devices, it's either a Wacom EMR pen or an AES pen. And while it's not suggested, you even can use a standard capacitive stylus that mimics using your fingers.

]]> Mon, 26 Jun 2023 12:01:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/things-do-pen-windows-11/ We all want our laptops to last as long as possible without having to be plugged in — after all, that's the whole point of a laptop. While there are many things you can do to extend the battery life of your laptop, such as disabling startup tasks to prevent additional battery consumption. But Windows 11 also comes with a "battery saver" feature that helps you extend the battery life of you're laptop, particularly when it's running low. There are also various settings you can change to help improve battery life on your PC.

]]> Sun, 25 Jun 2023 12:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-extend-battery-windows-11/ Battery life is obviously an important factor for any laptop, and because of that, many laptops come with power-saving features that help extend how long you can use them without a charger. A common way to do this is through display power savings, which adjusts the brightness and colors of your screen to save battery when needed. While these features are helpful, they can have a noticeable impact on how colors look on your screen, and they might lessen the experience. It's especially critical if you have color-sensitive work you need to do. As such, it can sometimes be a good idea to disable display power savings.

]]> Sat, 24 Jun 2023 20:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-disable-display-power-savings-windows-11/ Privacy is a major concern in today's world, and being able to protect it has been a big focus for companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft. That comes in many forms, but in Windows 11, one of the primary ways you can protect your privacy is by managing access to devices that can be used to collect personal information, such as the camera, microphone, and location. If you don't want a specific app to be able to use these sensors and data, you can block it from doing so.

]]> Fri, 23 Jun 2023 12:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-block-apps-access-webcam-microphone-windows-11/ Windows 11 ships with a pretty great wallpaper and theme by default. You get the classic "Bloom" wallpaper, in either the Windows light dark mode or Windows light mode theme. The wallpaper is vibrant as it, providing a splash of light, but a great way to spice up the look of Windows 11 and give your great laptop a new feel is with themes. There's a wide variety of preset themes you can choose from Microsoft, like "Glow", "Captured Motion," "Sunrise" and "Flow," but additional themes are also available for download from the Microsoft Store.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 22:01:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-install-themes-windows-11/ The touchpad is an essential part of any laptop, replacing the traditional mouse with a low-profile solution that still allows you to point, click, and do everything you'd expect to do. For many years, touchpads on Windows laptops weren't that great, since each one was made by a different company and had different drivers, not to mention they were often too small and uncomfortable. Thankfully, that's changed in recent years.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 20:00:20 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-customize-touchpad-gestures-windows-11/ These days, many of the best laptops, particularly gaming laptops or those aimed at content creators, come with two GPUs inside. It's a bit of a technicality, but laptop processors, such as those from AMD or Intel, always have an integrated GPU that's used for basic display output and rendering on basically every laptop. Gaming laptops may also have discrete GPUs from Nvidia or AMD, but the integrated GPU is still there.

]]> Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:01:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-force-app-use-discrete-gpu-windows-11/ Windows 11 is home to a lot of great apps that help make your great laptop or PC even greater. You get the Microsoft Edge browser, a Mail app, and even apps like Paint and a video editor Clipchamp. To help you better stay connected with your friends, however, Microsoft also bundles a personal version of its own communication app with Windows 11, appropriately named Microsoft Teams. It's not to be confused with the work version of the app, which you can download separately and will see as Microsoft Teams (work or school). You should see that the personal version of the Microsoft Teams app is pinned to your Taskbar as Chat.

]]> Sat, 17 Jun 2023 22:00:21 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-remove-microsoft-teams-windows-11/ At Build 2023, Microsoft announced a couple of new features for developers on Windows 11, including a new Dev Home app and Dev Drive. This is a type of drive designed specifically for development use to speed up access to project files, source code repositories, and so on. Anyone can create a Dev Drive, but if you're not sure how, we're here to help.

]]> Sat, 17 Jun 2023 20:00:21 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-create-dev-drive-windows-11/ Want some more personal audio when using your Windows 11 PC, or a great Windows laptop? Bluetooth over-the-ear headphones are one of the most convenient ways to get that quality audio for meetings, listening to music, and even watching your favorite shows. Unlike wired headphones, though, you don't have to worry about connecting cables or those cables making a mess of your setup. All you have to think about is how to initially pair these headphones to your system.

]]> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 18:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-pair-bluetooth-headphones-windows-11/ Windows 11 is a good operating system, but it isn't without its flaws. In fact, it's received quite a bit of criticism due to many features that were removed from previous Windows versions. One notable example has to do with the taskbar, which lost a few features, including the ability to show individual windows and labels, and it forced you to group windows of the same app. Thankfully, Microsoft is finally adding taskbar ungrouping to Windows 11, meaning you can see individual windows and their labels directly on the taskbar.

]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2023 22:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-enable-taskbar-ungrouping-labels-windows-11/ Have you ever deleted a file you didn't think you'd need only to find yourself looking for it weeks later? You're not alone, and it's not a fun feeling to realize you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble if you had been more careful. Thankfully, when things like this happen on Windows 11, there are ways you can try and recover the files you deleted accidentally or absent-mindedly.

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 22:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-recover-deleted-files-windows-11/ We're all pretty familiar with the experience of seeing our amazing laptops and computers get slower and slower as time goes on, and there are a few reasons for it. Simply having more programs installed and more files stored can impact performance, but a major factor in making your PC feel slower are startup tasks. Thankfully, you can turn off startup tasks in Windows 11 to get back some of that performance.

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 16:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-turn-off-startup-tasks-windows-11/ Every so often, Windows 11 gets what's known as a "Moment" update that adds new features to the operating system. Recently, the Moment 3 update, released in May of this year, added a critical feature that has long been requested by users of the Windows operating system: seconds on the clock in the Windows taskbar. It's something that can help you keep track of time more accurately, but it's not on by default. You just have to take a quick trip to the settings app to turn it on.

]]> Sun, 11 Jun 2023 12:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-enable-seconds-windows-11-clock/ When you buy a Steam Deck from Valve, it comes pre-installed with SteamOS. This is a lightweight Linux-based operating system developed by Valve that lets you run games natively through Steam and other platforms. But if you're not a fan of the OS and want your handheld to be like other Windows-based Steam Deck competitors, you can install the Microsoft operating system to make it close to a full-blown PC. However, it's worth noting a few things before you take on this sometimes complicated process.

]]> Sat, 10 Jun 2023 22:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-install-windows-steam-deck/ Everyone comes into their personal computing situations in different ways. For me, a lifelong Windows user with a powerful primary laptop that needed a lightweight and quick secondary laptop, I gravitated toward a Chromebook. But whether you're a seasoned veteran of this platform or the other and you've brought a Chromebook into your life, you might be looking for ways to tailor the experience to your needs and habits — we've got some tips for that.

]]> Fri, 09 Jun 2023 18:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/tips-windows-users-moving-chromebooks/ Microsoft recently rolled out a new Windows 11 build that enables a brand-new look for File Explorer. This new design has a more streamlined UI for the address bar, and it also improves the Home page, especially for users with an Azure Active Directory.

]]> Wed, 07 Jun 2023 21:30:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-enable-new-file-explorer-ui-windows-11-insider/ Many would argue that the best way to play games on a PC is by using a mouse and keyboard. This combination does offer a ton of control options thanks to the number of keys on a keyboard, and using a mouse is a much better way to control first-person games and simulation titles. But controllers have their own advantages, being much simpler to use and designed to keep all the buttons and sticks right where you need them to be. You can use a controller with your PC, too, and while the Xbox Wireless Controller is often considered the best, you can also connect the PS5 DualSense controller to your PC if you want to.

]]> Fri, 02 Jun 2023 18:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-connect-ps5-controller-to-pc/ Several features of the Android operating system can be accessed only through paths and methods that are hidden away from the average user. These have generally been done with the help of some command line Android Debug Bridge (ADB) commands, a tool that Google offers for developers to debug various parts of their applications or the system, but which we can use for all kinds of neat and hidden tricks. A prerequisite to these tricks is installing ADB on your computer. So, in this guide, we will show you how to install ADB on Windows, macOS, and Linux in quick and easy-to-follow steps.

]]> Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:01:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/install-adb-windows-macos-linux/ If you have an iPhone and a Windows PC, transferring files between the two is as seamless as transferring files between an Android phone and a Windows PC. Along with the traditional method of using iTunes to do so, many other methods have popped up over the years, making the file transfer process relatively easy.

]]> Wed, 31 May 2023 23:30:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-transfer-files-between-iphone-ipad-windows-pc/ If you're a power user or somebody who's used Linux-based operating systems at some point, you're probably familiar with the concept of a package manager. This is a tool that gives you a centralized way to install and update your apps, while also potentially being faster if you prefer to work with your keyboard. Plus, it can make it easier to restore multiple apps in one go. Microsoft gives Windows 11 (and 10) users its own official package manager, simply called Windows Package Manager, but also known as winget.

]]> Wed, 31 May 2023 21:31:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-use-winget-windows-11/ Accessibility features in Windows 11 make it possible for more people to make the most out of their devices, and live captions are one feature that's incredibly useful not just for users with hearing impairments, but also for those that may still be learning a language. Essentially, live captions transcribe every piece of dialog played by your computer, making it possible to read text rather than listen to it.

]]> Tue, 30 May 2023 11:01:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-set-up-live-captions-windows-11/ In Windows 11, just like previous versions of Windows, you can have different user accounts on the same PC. Some of these accounts can be administrator accounts, and others might just be regular accounts. That's because some apps — particularly ones that can change important system files — sometimes require administrator permission to run or to make specific changes. Even if you have an administrator account, many times Windows 11 apps won't run with administrator permissions by default to prevent apps from making potentially harmful changes to your PC without your consent.

]]> Sun, 28 May 2023 18:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-tun-run-apps-administrator-windows-11/ In recent months, Microsoft has made a change to the OneDrive client in Windows 11 so that it now automatically backs up your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to the cloud. This feature, known as folder backup, isn't new, but it used to be prompted during the initial setup, so you had the option to turn it off. Now, it's just enabled by default.

]]> Sat, 27 May 2023 20:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/turn-off-onedrive-folder-backup-windows-11/ At one point or another, everyone runs into some problems with their computer, and sometimes, it's one particular app that's suddenly decided to stop working. If you've ever run into an issue like that, Windows 11 actually lets you repair your apps without having to uninstall and install them all over again.

]]> Fri, 26 May 2023 12:01:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-repair-reset-app-windows-11/ Windows 11 introduced a new Quick Actions panel that's available from the taskbar, allowing for quick access to a variety of settings on your computer. For example, you can turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but there's a bit more to it. Let's take a closer look at the Quick Actions panel and figure out how to make it work more for you.

]]> Sat, 20 May 2023 20:01:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/use-quick-actions-windows-11/ Having a large enough amount of RAM is important if you want to have a smooth experience with your PC. RAM, or random access memory, is extremely fast memory that temporarily stores files your computer needs to access quickly and frequently, and the more of it you have, the more files it can store. That means you can switch between apps faster when you have a lot of them open, or it may help in apps that load a lot of assets, such as when editing a high-resolution image with multiple layers in Photoshop. If you don't know how much RAM your PC has, it's relatively easy to check it on Windows 11.

]]> Wed, 17 May 2023 18:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/find-out-ram-specs-windows-11/ If you own one of the best iPhones and also a great Windows laptop, then we have some good news for you. It's no longer true that iPhones can't work well with Windows PCs.

]]> Tue, 16 May 2023 20:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-use-phone-link-with-iphone/ Anyone who's used a computer or gone online has probably run into a character or symbol they've never seen before or don't know how to enter on their keyboard. There's even one in the byline for this article. If you've ever wondered how you can use these kinds of special characters, whether they're letters or other symbols, you'll be glad to know that there are actually a few ways to use them in Windows 11.

]]> Tue, 16 May 2023 16:00:19 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-use-special-characters-windows-11/ Windows has allowed you to create different accounts for multiple users for a long time, and it's a great way to ensure family members can use the same computer without risking losing data. Each user gets their own space, so everyone can feel like they have their own PC. In Windows 11 (as well as Windows 10), it's also possible to specifically create a child account, so you can let your kids use your PC while also keeping them safe and overseeing their activities.

]]> Tue, 09 May 2023 16:01:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-set-up-child-account-windows-11/ Apple's AirPods Pro connect to the latest iPhones seamlessly through a dedicated fast pairing mechanism. However, if you're not willing to buy a new Mac, you may be wondering if these excellent earbuds work with Windows 11 PCs.

]]> Sat, 06 May 2023 20:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-connect-airpods-pro-to-windows-11/ Windows 11 isn't really new anymore, but many of us may still be getting our first experience with it today. We loved Windows 11 in our original review, and it's been getting better ever since. However, if you just installed the update to Windows 11 or a newer update like version 22H2, you may notice there's a lot less space available on your drive after the fact. Indeed, updating to Windows 11 or any other major Windows update can take up quite a bit of space, due to some temporary files being created.

]]> Fri, 05 May 2023 18:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-free-space-after-upgrading-windows-11/ Windows 11 introduced a ton of new features, some of which we like, and some that we don't. One of the biggest component changes, and one of the most divisive, is the new Start menu. Windows 11 has replaced live tiles with simple icons, but perhaps most importantly, there's now a Recommended section taking up half the space on the Start menu.

]]> Mon, 01 May 2023 12:00:16 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-turn-off-start-menu-recommended-content-windows-11/ Windows 11 has been available for over a year now, and it recently received its first major update with the Windows 11 2022 Update, or version 22H2. Both bring major changes to the table, and many of the included apps have also been redesigned, some more than others. That includes the Photos app, which had seen some design changes already in the initial Windows 11 release, but got even bigger changes with Windows 11 version 22H2.

]]> Fri, 28 Apr 2023 15:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-photos/ Windows 11 comes with many new features, one of which is the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). Although it means you can technically run your favorite Android apps right on your PC, there is a catch. Microsoft has partnered with Amazon to integrate the Amazon Appstore with the Microsoft Store, which means you can't officially access the Google Play Store's vast library on the native Android subsystem of Windows. To rub salt into the wound, not all Amazon Appstore apps are available on Windows 11 for compatibility reasons.

]]> Wed, 26 Apr 2023 20:01:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-sideload-android-apps-on-windows-11/ Windows 11 introduced a new Settings app, which is the way Microsoft wants most users to change settings on their PC. It has a modern UI, and it provides a wide range of options for users to tailor their PC experience, but it's not exactly a perfect replacement for the classic Control Panel. If you want to access those old Control Panel options, there's a feature often referred to as God Mode in Windows 11 that gives you quick access to over 200 settings in a very intuitive way.

]]> Wed, 26 Apr 2023 12:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-enable-god-mode-windows-11-what-is-it/ Wi-Fi lets us connect to the internet without the need for cables, and it's been pretty much essential for most people these days. In total, Wi-Fi networks can operate on three frequency bands — 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz — and the higher the frequency, the higher the speeds, but the smaller the reach of the network. Higher frequencies are more easily blocked by walls, which means the 6GHz band is meant for more specific use cases where you need the fastest speeds and you're in a position close to your router.

]]> Thu, 20 Apr 2023 16:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-force-5ghz-wi-fi-windows-11/ Samsung has been going all-in on Windows laptops over the past few years, and the company now makes some of the best laptops on the market. It has also invested heavily in its ecosystem to strengthen the connectivity between Samsung phones and PCs. One such way it did this was by developing the Samsung Notes app for Windows, which comes preinstalled with Samsung Galaxy laptops. Officially, the app can only be installed on Samsung Galaxy laptops, but if you want, you can actually install Samsung Notes on any laptop.

]]> Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/get-samsung-notes-windows-10-app/ We've all been there. You're trying to upload an image to the web, and the website where you need to upload it has an annoying file size limit. It sometimes makes sense; after all, images take up a lot of space, so compressing them can be important. But that means you now have to resize the image yourself, and we're here to show you how you can do it on your Windows PC or Mac.

]]> Fri, 14 Apr 2023 18:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-resize-an-image/ Windows 11 is a great version of Microsoft's operating system, having brought along many changes that make Windows more visually appealing and welcoming to new users. However, it's not to everyone's taste. For example, you might not like that you have to use a Microsoft account with Windows 11. It's used in a few places throughout the operating system and its apps. As of Windows 11 version 22H2, both Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 require a Microsoft account to set up, at least for most users.

]]> Wed, 12 Apr 2023 18:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-11-microsoft-local-account/ Gone are the days when you can only rely on plain old passwords to protect your Windows PC. Microsoft offers a variety of sign-in options and account protection mechanisms for consumers. Windows Hello, for example, allows you to sign in with your face, iris, or fingerprint. While the biometric authentication feature of the OS certainly works on compatible devices, it doesn't offer a way to remotely unlock your PC using your phone. But you could change that.

]]> Mon, 10 Apr 2023 12:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/unlock-windows-pc-fingerprint-scanner-android/ Windows 11 is now widely available to all kinds of PCs, and it packs a lot of improvements from previous releases. There's a new design language that looks a lot prettier, Teams integration, a Widgets panel, and with the update to Windows 11 version 22H2, there are even more upgrades, like new touch gestures, a modernized Task Manager, and so on. But as good as it may be, Windows 11 isn't for everyone. What if you prefer Linux or need it for certain tasks? In this guide, we'll show how you to set up your PC so you can dual-boot into either Linux or Windows 11 whenever you want.

]]> Sat, 08 Apr 2023 20:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/dual-boot-windows-11-linux/ Almost anyone who has used a computer will likely be familiar with .zip files, which can created right within Windows without third-party software. They can help you save space on your PC by making your files smaller, which also makes them easier to share.

]]> Thu, 06 Apr 2023 16:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/password-protect-zip-file-windows-11/ Unlike older versions of Windows, Microsoft makes it rather easy to download digital variants of the Windows 11 installation media, if you know where to look. However, both the Media Creation Tool and the ISO files offered by Microsoft to regular users usually contain outdated builds, which means you have to download the latest monthly updates anyway during/after the installation phase. In case you need to service more than one PC, this design only exacerbates the problem.

]]> Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/uup-dump-windows-11-10-iso-update/ If you've used a laptop or PC in the past, there's a good chance you've heard of something called the BIOS, which stands for Basic Input Output System. In more modern laptops, there's also UEFI, or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, which is a replacement for the legacy BIOS. Pretty much any modern computer uses UEFI, especially those running Windows 11, but you'll often see people refer to it as BIOS out of habit. While there are some differences, both of these things serve essentially the same purpose, which is to give you the ability to configure certain low-level features such as Secure Boot, or enable virtualization, which is required to enable Hyper-V and use virtual machines, for example.

]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2023 18:01:16 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-enter-bios-windows-pc/ Like most other pieces of software, Windows has consistently grown over the years, adding more features that ultimately result in a larger size. Windows 10 was originally supported on devices with as little as 20GB of storage, but now, you need at least 64GB for Windows 11. And that goes for the installation files, too. A few years ago, a 4GB flash drive was enough to contain a Windows ISO (and it used to be even less), but these days, 8GB is the minimum Microsoft requires.

]]> Sat, 25 Mar 2023 16:00:18 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-make-lightweight-windows-iso/ Windows 11 has many features hiding just beneath the surface, many of which have been around for years. One of these is a program called Task Scheduler, which can automate tasks on Windows 11 so that they always happen on a regular basis. You can also create tasks triggered by other specific events on the computer.

]]> Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:00:17 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-create-automated-tasks-task-scheduler-windows-11/ Depending on how familiar you are with Windows 11 (and previous versions), you may know there's a fairly easy way to take screenshots of your entire screen by pressing the Windows key + Print Screen (Prt Scn) on your keyboard. It can even capture images across multiple monitors. These screenshots are automatically saved to a dedicated Screenshots folder in your Pictures library, but did you know you can choose where this folder is stored?

]]> Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:04:12 GMT https://www.xda-developers.com/how-change-screenshots-saved-windows-11/