10 hidden Windows 11 features you should be using

One renamed folder on your desktop unlocks every Windows setting and Control Panel option in a single scrollable list. No more hunting through five different menus to find the one option you need. Create it once, use it forever.

1. Right-click an empty area on your Desktop and select New, then Folder.
2. Name the folder exactly: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
3. Press Enter. The icon changes to a Control Panel icon immediately.
4. Double-click it to browse all 200-plus settings in one place.

Microsoft quietly ships features months before they're switched on: a redesigned Start menu, battery percentage in the taskbar, AI Actions. ViVeTool lets you enable them right now, without waiting for a public rollout. Think of it as a backstage pass to the OS.

1. Download ViVeTool from its official GitHub repository.
2. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator.
3. Run vivetool /enable /id:[feature_id] with the relevant feature ID for your build.
4. Restart your PC to apply the changes.

Every app that launches at startup steals boot time and eats RAM before you've even opened a browser tab. Cutting the list down to essentials can shave a noticeable chunk off the time between pressing power and actually getting to work.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click the Startup apps tab.
3. Check the Startup impact column. High-impact items are your targets.
4. Right-click any non-essential app and select Disable.
5. Alternatively go to Settings, then Apps, then Startup for the same controls.

Windows tucks away AppData folders, system files, and configuration data you sometimes genuinely need. Revealing hidden items lets you troubleshoot properly, back up app settings, and manage your system without guessing where things live.

1. Open File Explorer with Win + E.
2. Click the View menu at the top.
3. Hover over Show and click Hidden items to toggle them on.
4. To make this permanent, go to View, then Options, then Change folder and search options, then the View tab, and check Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

Snap Layouts are one of Windows 11's genuinely great ideas and most people either don't know they exist or have only stumbled on them by accident. Hover over the maximise button on any window and a grid of layout options appears. Pick one and Windows arranges everything for you.

1. Hover your mouse over the maximise button (the square icon) in the top-right corner of any window.
2. Choose a layout grid from the pop-up overlay.
3. Click a zone to snap the current window there, then select another open window to fill the remaining zones.
4. Alternatively press Win + Z to open the Snap Layout picker from the keyboard.
5. For quick two-window splits, use Win + Left or Right arrow keys.

Windows 11's Clock app has a built-in Focus Sessions tool that most people walk straight past. Set a timer, link your Spotify and Microsoft To Do, and Windows will silence notifications automatically for the session. Timed work blocks. Built into the OS. Already paid for.

1. Open the Clock app from the Start menu.
2. Click Focus sessions in the left sidebar.
3. Set your session duration using the timer dial.
4. Optionally link Spotify and Microsoft To Do for music and task integration.
5. Click Start focus session. Notifications are suppressed automatically for the duration.

The default Windows 11 Start menu and centred taskbar frustrate a lot of people, and fairly. You can move the taskbar icons back to the left like Windows 10, control what appears in the Start menu, and generally make the whole thing feel like yours rather than Microsoft's.

1. Go to Settings, then Personalisation, then Start to control which sections appear.
2. Toggle on or off Recently added apps, Most used apps, and Recently opened items to taste.
3. To shift taskbar icons to the left, go to Personalisation, then Taskbar, then Taskbar behaviours and set Taskbar alignment to Left.
4. Right-click any app in the Start menu to pin or unpin it.

Windows 11 logs every app you open, every file you touch, and your browsing activity by default, then sends some of that data to Microsoft. Turning Activity History off takes about thirty seconds and immediately reduces what the OS knows about your day.

1. Open Settings, then go to Privacy and Security, then Activity history.
2. Toggle off Store my activity history on this device.
3. Toggle off Send my activity history to Microsoft if that option is visible.
4. Sign out and back in, or restart, for the changes to take effect.

Windows 11 sends telemetry to Microsoft by default. You can't eliminate it entirely on Home or Pro, but switching to the minimum setting and turning off tailored experiences cuts down what leaves your machine considerably.

1. Open Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Diagnostics and Feedback.
2. Set Diagnostic data to Required diagnostic data (the minimum available option).
3. Turn off Improve inking and typing.
4. Turn off Tailored experiences.
5. Click Delete diagnostic data to clear what's already been collected.

Hovering over the battery icon to read the percentage every time you want to know how much charge you have left is a small annoyance that adds up. There's a setting (or a ViVeTool fix on older builds) to show the number permanently in the taskbar.

1. Go to Settings, then System, then Power and battery.
2. Scroll down and toggle on Battery percentage under the battery section.
3. If that toggle doesn't appear on your build, right-click the taskbar battery icon and select Show battery percentage.
4. If neither option exists, use ViVeTool to unlock the feature (see Tip 2 above for the ViVeTool method).