Microsoft may try its best to make its operating system as functional and accessible as possible, but the small details are easy to miss. You might be surprised at how many new features you can add to Windows 10 using third-party software.
In this article, we have listed some of the best programs that add new features to your day to day use of Windows 10. Most of this software is either completely free or free with additional features added to the pro version.
TidyTabs – Adds Chrome-like tabs to all apps
If your typical work day includes multiple windows in Word, Excel, Notepad and other programs, you will immediately feel relief as soon as you download TidyTabs .
TidyTabs takes the tab-based approach used in browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Edge and introduces it to the Windows 10 operating system With TidyTabs you can add all open windows from one application to one window – then you can use new tabs to switch between each open window, just like in Chrome.
You can also choose which tabs to add to each window. For example, you can put an Excel sheet, Word document, and PowerPoint presentation together in one window. In another window, you can have three separate Notepad files.
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Adding your own tabbed window groups is as easy as dragging each open program onto a new tab bar added at the top of each window. If you don’t need tabs for some programs, don’t worry – you can tell TidyTabs in TidyTabs which programs to exclude entirely.
Despite the significant functionality improvement that TidyTabs adds, its impact on your PC’s performance is negligible. TidyTabs is also designed to be as inconspicuous as possible, giving you complete control over the look of your tabs.
TidyTabs is free to download for personal use, but the pro license costs $ 9. The professional license also adds tab renaming, reordering, and the ability to group more than three windows together.
Microsoft also plans to release a similar feature in a future build of Windows 10 called Kits, but it has been postponed several times so far, so use it for now.
AquaSnap – Windows 10 Snap Assist But Better
AquaSnap from the same company as TidyTabs is a powerful replacement for the Windows 10 Snap Assist feature. With AquaSnap you have more control over how your windows fit together. It is very easy to quickly connect multiple windows.
Once they’ve been connected together, you can also have better control over how the windows resize as you drag their borders. With AquaSnap installed, windows will intuitively snap together, even if the borders are not completely aligned. You can also quickly click the window to fill the remaining free space on your desktop.
AquaSnap is free to download, but the pro license costs $ 18 and includes mouse shortcuts, tiled windows, and the ability to move connected windows together.
Seer – Preview files like a quick view for Mac OS
MacOS has a Quick Look feature that lets you view files in File Explorer. This is a feature that Microsoft has not yet added to Windows 10. Fortunately, Seer works as an alternative for now.
With Seer , you can simply press the spacebar to see a preview of almost any file from File Explorer. Want to preview a Word document or text file? Done. Previewing videos or gifs? Easy.
Copy content from preview? Yeah. Seer supports hundreds of file types, and the preview launches directly from Seer, so you don’t have to wait for the default apps to load.
The old beta versions of Seer are completely free to download, but you have to pay $ 12.18 to get instant access to the latest updates.
F.lux – Best Night Light for Windows 10
Windows 10 now has a built-in Night Light feature to reduce blue light on your display, but F.lux is still the best option thanks to the added functionality. In case you didn’t know, our displays emit blue light, which has been shown to disrupt sleep.
F.lux helps to minimize blue light so you don’t fall asleep at night due to the glow of your display. With F.lux you can set a timer so that the screen fade into a red gradient, removing blue light from the screen.
You are given full control over how “red†you want your display to be, as well as how dim you want it to be. You are provided with wake-up time settings so you can wake up in the morning with standard display colors.
Then, as the day approaches sunset, the color of the display will gradually change to simulate the natural rhythm of night and day.
F.lux is completely free and now you can even control your smart lights with F.lux
PushBullet – Access and respond to mobile and SMS notifications
PushBullet is a game changer when it comes to cross-platform synchronization. PushBullet can easily send all your messages and notifications from your phone or tablet straight to your computer for you to read and respond to.
If you’ve ever felt anxious waiting for your phone to charge across the room, or frustrated at being forced to switch between devices, Pushbullet will interest you.
After installing Pushbullet on your phone and on Windows, Chrome or Firefox, you can access the following features:
- Send and read text messages from your phone. (Android only)
- View notifications on your phone. (IPhone users must use Mac)
- Send links between devices.
- Send files between devices.
Pushbullet is free to download and use, but you’re limited to 100 texts per month, 25MB per file uploaded, and 2GB of storage. The professional version gives you unlimited texts, 100GB storage, up to 1GB per file upload, and versatile copy and paste. You can pay for Pushbullet Pro monthly for $ 4.99 per month or annually for $ 39.99 per year.
LightKey – Predicting text for faster typing
Have you ever tried typing on your smartphone without predictive text input? You will most likely find yourself typing slowly and terribly inaccurate. Thanks to intelligent typing, these problems are completely eliminated.
LightKey brings the same predictive typing functionality to Windows in an effort to speed up typing. LightKey claims they can dramatically improve typing efficiency by saving up to 40% of keystrokes. With LightKey installed, each word will have a hint variant grayed out – at any time you can click to fill in a hint variant.
LightKey also includes multi-word prediction when entering common phrases. Like smart text on our smartphones, LightKey will know your usage as you type, which means the more you use it, the better it will be.
Lightkey can be a great way to ensure your grammar and spelling is accurate at all times. Lightkey is free to use, or you can pay $ 5.99 per month for a business subscription.
Summary
Thanks for taking a look at these great programs that add functionality to Windows 10. Have you tried any of them yourself?
If so, which one do you like best? If you have any specific questions about these programs, leave a comment below and I will help. Enjoy!
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