11 interesting features on laptops you may not know yet

Most of us now own a laptop using a Windows or MacOS operating system and maybe the device has been with us for many years, performing many different tasks and tasks. . However, there are few who claim that I have discovered all the utilities and features that the device has brought?

Let's take a look at some useful features that most of us have never heard of (or have forgotten). And after this article, one of them will become an effective tool for your work in the future.

Dark Mode

Dark mode has now become a popular feature on almost all devices from mobile, computers to reading machines . which helps somewhat save energy (when using batteries) and improve user experience .

To activate Dark Mode on Windows, right-click -> Personalization -> Color , navigate to the line Choose your default app mode heading (choose your default application mode) and select Dark . Immediately, the operating system and most applications on the computer will switch to dark background.

Play the game directly from the console

Actually, the feature of streaming games on laptops from PS4 or Xbox One when connecting to a wifi network has been around for a long time (before Google Stadia launch). If you are in PS4, install PS4 Remote Play app from Window or macOS store, free and easy to use. If you're using an Xbox, it's much easier to connect when Windows already has an Xbox app that streams games to your laptop. However, for those who are using macOS, it is necessary to spend $ 20 to be able to stream games with OneCast.

Save the web page to the toolbar or dock (taskbar)

Just like pinning applications or files, you can now save regular web pages to access the toolbar or taskbar, making the work more efficient.

To be able to pin the web page quickly, Mac users need to drag and drop the web link from the address bar in Safari to the right of the toolbar. For those who are using Windows, open the web page with Microsoft Edge browser and select "pin this page to the taskbar" .

Send SMS via phone

This is also a pretty handy feature but is not really popular yet. Users with Macs and iPhones can easily send SMS messages if two devices use the same Apple ID and Messages application. For those who use Windows and Android, they will still be able to take advantage of this feature through Your Phone built into Windows 10 and download a similar application on the Android device.

Currently, Your Phone has supported iOS devices, so users need to download Microsoft Edge on the App Store and log in using their account on the computer to successfully link the two devices together. . However, for sending messages from Android devices on a Mac, perhaps Android Messages web interface is our only option at this time.

Expand your workspace with multiple desktops

If the working position is wide and comfortable, you can consider investing in a second screen to optimize the work space and bring convenience, or think of an alternative to using computers. The ability to create virtual desktops on your device instead of adding a small amount of money to the secondary screen.

MacOS users can create new virtual desktops using Ctrl + Up or 4 fingers simultaneously on the trackpad, then click the "+" icon at the top right of the screen. On Windows, users select the Task View located on the taskbar (right of the search icon) and select New desktop .

Live wallpaper or change over time

This feature is supported by both Windows and macOS platforms, but for macOS, everything is much simpler: go to the Apple menu -> System Preferences, Desktop & Screen Saver -> Desktop photos , then select Dynamic Desktop .

Adding animations or videos to Windows wallpaper is no longer as easy as it used to be, but you'll need to use third-party apps if you want to use this feature, and Desktop Live Wallpapers are the best option at the moment, but the free version will only support videos in .wmv format, or use DeskScapes for $ 5 per month.

Do not disturb (Do not Disturb)

Not Disturb is a feature that has long been available on phones, but now we can use this mode on both Windows and MacOS platforms.

On Windows, right-click Start -> System -> Focus Assist to reset the notification for each app in a non-disturbing mode, then proceed to activate it at the Action Center by Right-click the notification icon -> Focus Assist .

For macOS, go to the Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Notifications -> Do Not Disturb to schedule the on / off feature. Or you can hold down the Option key and press the notification icon to temporarily activate the non-disturbing mode until you turn it off (or midnight).

Captions for screenshots (Screenshots)

There are now many developers creating applications that support screen capture, but the main tools on Windows and MacOS are always favored by users because of their compactness, ease of use and most of all. They have been integrated with caption tools that are quite handy in recent times, making it almost impossible for users to open a third software to edit.

For MacOS, use the Cmd + Shift + 5 key combination to take a screenshot and make sure that the image after being taken must be selected in the Options menu, then you can click on the bottom-screen thumbnail to add a note prefer. For Windows, you can use Win + Shift + S key combination to open Snip & Sketch tool, capture and edit your screenshot.

Copy between devices

On Windows, right-click the Start menu -> Systems -> Clipboard to turn on the copy and paste data synchronization feature between different devices (linked together by Microsoft ID). You can also enable clipboard options to store some files from here.

Similar to Windows, macOS users equipped with "Universal Clipboard" operate between different devices that log in to an Apple ID account - without tweaking any other settings. Just make sure Allow Handoff is enabled in the System Preferences in the Apple menu .

Screen mirroring wireless

If you want to screen your laptop screen on a device that displays a larger image without a complicated wiring, go to Action Center , select Connect to search for wireless devices. Support available (connect via the same Wifi network). Or you can project the screen via the built-in feature of Google Chrome.

For macOS, the wireless screen presentation is now easier than ever because most TVs from Samsung or Sony now support AirPlay 2. This feature can be used by clicking on the icon. AirPlay on the menu bar to display Apple TVs or other compatible devices in action. Of course, Chrome browser also supports macOS slideshows: in the Chrome menu , select Cast -> Cast desktop and select the appropriate device to mirror your Mac screen.

Take advantage of the "listening" capability of laptops

To save time and effort when entering text by hand, you can use your voice and the laptop will record exactly what it has heard. On MacOS, go to Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Dictation to enable voice input. The default shortcut to turn on reading is to double-click the Fn key, or select Edit -> Start Dictation .

With Windows, you need to install the dictation feature in Settings -> Speech -> Ease of Access . Then use Win + H key combination whenever you want to enter characters without using your hands.