Windows 11 unique keyboard shortcuts to make life easy: Know how to use these

Windows 11 introduced some new shortcut keys to perform the action at ease.

Use shortcut keys to navigate through Windows 11 (Amritanshu Mukherjee / HT Tech)

Windows 11 came up with some new amazing features including new shortcut keys. While some of the features remained the same as the previous OS, the news shortcut keys and other features help the users to perform their work at ease. Along with a simple UI (User Interface), there is a new Start menu, a new taskbar, the Widgets, and more. Know about the various shortcut keys that will let you perform your action smoothly and instantly.

How to use Windows 11 features and apps with keyboard shortcuts

Windows key + A –this shortcut will open the Quick Settings panel and let you turn Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, airplane mode, and more features on or off. The brightness of your screen and computer volume can also be adjusted through this.

Windows key + E – This shortcut will navigate you to open File Explorer.

Windows key + G – This opens the Xbox Game Bar enabling you to record videos, take screenshots, and access various features while playing a game.

Windows key + I – This will open the Settings app.

Windows key + L – This will lock your PC without closing all your opened apps.

How to manage window and multitasking through shortcut keys

Windows key + Tab – This shortcut will open Task View and display all your open apps as well as your virtual desktops.

Alt + Tab – Tab this shortcut to switch to your last active window.

Windows key + Up arrow – Maximize the active window to the entire desktop.

Windows key + Alt + Up arrow – This new shortcut in Windows 11 snaps the active window to the top half of your monitor enabling you to choose an app to snap on the bottom half.

Windows key + Down arrow – This sets the active window to a smaller size if it's maximized or hides the window into the taskbar if it's not maximized.

How to open File Explorer by using shortcut keys

Alt + D – Navigate you to the address bar.

Ctrl + E or Ctrl + F or F3 – Open the search bar.

Ctrl + mouse scroll wheel – This changes the size of folder and file icons.

Ctrl + Shift + N – Use this shortcut to Create a new folder.

Alt + Enter – Show properties of the selected file or folder.

Shortcut for taskbar

Windows key + (number) – Use this shortcut to start the app pinned to the taskbar as per their position.

Windows key + Shift + (number) – This opens a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar as per their position, even if one is already open.

Windows key + Ctrl + (number) – This shortcut switches to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar.

Ctrl + Shift + left mouse click – This starts the selected app as an administrator.

Shift + right mouse click – Starts the window menu for the selected app