As a journalist, most of my days are spent looking at my laptop’s screen. And nothing excites me more than a good trick to get my work done faster. If you also use a Windows laptop as your daily driver, there is a good chance that you might have missed these hidden in plain sight tricks that can instantly boost productivity. So, if your workday involves typing, multitasking, and trying to stay focused without constantly fighting distractions, these lesser-known Windows 11 tricks can make a real difference. Without wasting further time, let’s get straight to it.
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Most people know about emojis but only a handful realise how useful the built-in symbol picker actually is. Press Windows and . (dot) on your keyboard and the familiar emoji panel will pop up. But instead of stopping there, look for the Symbols tab, which sits second last on the right.
This section gives you instant access to currency symbols, mathematical signs, punctuation marks, and characters that would otherwise require a quick Google search. Whether you are writing, editing, or working on spreadsheets, this shortcut saves time in a way that feels small until you start using it daily. Once it becomes muscle memory, typing special characters feels effortless rather than interruptive.
This one feels like a party trick until you realise how satisfying it is. Windows includes a hidden slide-to-shutdown feature that can be triggered with a simple shortcut. This reduces the need to head over to the start menu or clicking the shutting down option.
To set up this shortcut, simply right-click on an empty area of your desktop and select New followed by Shortcut.
Then, paste this text into the location field: %windir%\System32\SlideToShutDown.exe
Now, click next, and name it something like ShutDown to finish the setup. Basically, the name has to remind you of the purpose of the shortcut. You can even change the icon by opening Properties, selecting Change Icon, and choosing the one that you like.
Once created, opening this shortcut brings up a full-screen swipe-down interface that shuts your PC off smoothly. It is unnecessary in the best possible way, and once you use it, regular shutdown menus start feeling boring.
If you tend to get distracted easily during work, this trick can be a game-changer. We all know that distractions are no longer optional. Notifications, emails, and messages arrive constantly, especially during work hours. But with Focus assist, you can get some control without forcing complete silence.
On Windows 11, head to Start, open Settings, then go to System and select Focus assist. From here, you can choose between Priority only or Alarms only. Priority only allows notifications from a list you customise, while Alarms only blocks everything except alarms.
You can also enable summaries that show missed notifications once Focus assist ends. This way, you stay focused without the anxiety of missing something important. It is a small change that makes long work sessions feel far more manageable.
The Windows 11 taskbar is far more flexible than it looks. Right-click on it and open Taskbar Settings to unlock several useful options.
For example, you can align the taskbar icons to the left if you prefer the older Windows layout, hide the taskbar entirely for a cleaner desktop, or turn widgets on and off depending on how distracting you find them. You can also adjust icon sizes to better suit smaller screens or minimal setups.
These changes are quick to apply but surprisingly impactful. A taskbar that fits your workflow rather than fighting it makes daily navigation feel smoother and less cluttered.
Bright screens for hours at a stretch take a toll on your eyes, especially late at night. But there is a simple solution to this problem – the Dark mode. And enabling it on Windows 11 is super easy.
Open Settings, go to Personalisation, then select Colours. Under Choose your mode, switch to Dark. The entire system interface will change instantly, reducing brightness and eye strain.
Beyond comfort, dark mode can also help with battery life on laptops and makes long sessions easier on the eyes. Whether you are working, studying, or gaming, this is one setting worth turning on and never looking back.
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