If your PC is up and running with Windows 11 through the Windows Insider program right now, then we have a note for you. There are a couple of new keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11. The Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts still persist, but Windows 11 changes a few of them as noted in the Windows Insider blog post. We’ve collected some of them here:
Widgets with Windows Key+W
The Widgets experience is one of the new things in Windows 11, giving you access to the weather, and news, and even your calendar at a glance. Appropriately, Microsoft created a new keyboard shortcut for it so you can get to it more easily. Just hit Windows Key and W on your keyboard to open up the widgets panel! No need to toggle to your taskbar anymore!
Snap Layouts with Windows Key and Z
Did you already check out Snap Layouts? It’s Microsoft’s newest multitasking feature in Windows 11, and you usually get to it by hovering your mouse over the maximize button, or by hovering your pen over the button. But did you know the shortcut for it? Just tap Windows Key and Z after you click the title bar, and you’ll see the ways you can snap the window.
Notification Center and Quick Settings
With Windows 11, Microsoft separated the Action Center from the Notification Center into areas known as Notification Center and Quick Settings. It used to be that clicking Windows Key and A would open up your notifications as well as the action center, but that’s no longer the case anymore. There are two new keyboard shortcuts you need to use to get to these areas of Windows.
First off, hitting Windows Key and N will open up your notifications. This floats the bar on top of whatever you’re working on, rather than cover it up, as it has in the past. It’s a clean experience.
Then there are Quick Settings. Hitting Windows Key and A will now toggle up your quick settings. Things here include the sound and brightness sliders, as well as controls for music, Wi-Fi, and more. We hope we just saved you a click!
