5 ways to save your PC's life

And how your PC can still run Android apps  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [Tello logo]()​ Microsoft is putting Windows 10 PCs out to pasture next year, but there are lots of ways you can save your Windows 10 PC's life. If you have a Windows 10 PC, you've got a big decision to make next year, and I've got a full rundown of your options. Meanwhile, Microsoft just abandoned Android app support on Windows 11 — but there's an even better way you can run Android apps on your PC. In fact, you can get access to Google's Play Store on Windows. Scroll down to this week's Things to Try section for all the details. 📢 But first, a quick announcement: We'll be opening up the gates for new members to join our exclusive [Intelligence Insider club]( next week. 🔒 In order to preserve a truly exceptional, interactive, and personal experience, we limit Insider sign-ups to a small number of new people during a few short windows each year. 🔑 If you'd like to get in the gates and guarantee your spot ahead of the public access window, [click the button to join the waitlist on this page](. We'll send you an exclusive early invitation to join us ahead of next week's opening — you'll be at the front of the line. Thanks for supporting our independent journalism and making all of this possible! Now, let's talk Windows. [Chris Hoffman, AUthor] Chris Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ Top Thurrott Thoughts: 30 seconds ⌚ Just for Fun: 20 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] ​ 1. Microsoft is stuffing the Windows lock screen with info ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft will soon add more info to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC's lock screen: Sports, Traffic, and Finance updates. 🔎 KNOW MORE: This change will deliver timely updates to your PC's lock screen — and deliver more traffic to Microsoft's websites. - The lock screen changes are already being tested, so they will likely arrive on stable versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 in April. - You'll be able to control what appears on your PC's lock screen from Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. - Windows 10 is also getting a nice-to-have option that will let you use Windows Spotlight for your desktop background, automatically getting new desktop backgrounds every day just by turning on a feature in Settings — the same feature Windows 11 offers. 📌 READ MORE: Check out [this quick report]( to learn more. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Bing pop-up ads are back ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft is delivering Bing pop-up ads to Google Chrome users on PC, another new way Microsoft is trying to promote its own websites. 🔎 KNOW MORE: If you use Google Chrome and haven't seen this ad yet, you probably will soon. The pop-up ad asks you to set Bing as your default search engine inside Chrome to get access to AI features. - Microsoft says it's a "one-time notification" and you won't see it again if you dismiss it. That's a relief, at least. - These pop-ups appeared last year to much criticism, but Microsoft paused them. Now, they're back. - Unfortunately, this is part of a general pattern in Windows — while the Settings app has a variety of ways to disable promotional advertisements like this, this ad will appear even if you've turned off all those "suggestions." 📌 READ MORE: [Take a look at the pop-up here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. New Surfaces are here, but you probably can't buy them ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft just announced new Surface hardware at a business-focused event, but this isn't the event — or the announcement — we're all looking forward to. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The new Surface devices are a Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10 (convertible.) They have the latest Intel CPUs complete with neural processing units (NPUs) for accelerating some AI tasks. - These devices are exclusively for businesses. It's the first time Microsoft has launched new flagship Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices without offering them to consumers. - The company also announced another event for May 20 — on that day, we expect to hear more about the future of AI in Windows and hear about more consumer-focused hardware. - It looks like Microsoft will announce ARM-powered Surfaces for consumers in May. You can also buy an Intel-powered laptop from one of many other manufacturers who are offering them to consumers. 📌 READ MORE: Ars Technica has [a great look at what's going on](). SPONSORED MESSAGE Unlimited phone plan for just $25/mo 👏 [Child throwing money out the window]()​ Wish you didn’t have to flush $40, $50, even $60 or more down the toilet on your phone bill each month? Thankfully, there’s a ~savvy~ alternative that the Big Cell Carriers don’t want you to know about: Introducing the [Tello UNLIMITED plan](). For a jaw-dropping $25/month, you can score the same great cell features you love: unlimited calls and texts, and unlimited data with 35GB of high-speed data on the same great 4G LTE/5G network. ​[Save up to 50% (or more) on your phone bill]() with Tello: 🎁 Freebies: Hotspot, international calls to 60+ countries, eSIM, Wi-Fi calling, and more. 🤝 Month-to-month flexibility: Upgrade or downgrade whenever you want, for free! 🤩 Prepaid: No long-term commitment, no contracts, no strings attached. Ever. ➜ [Save yourself (or your family) a fistful of cash and switch to Tello today!]() [​​SAVE MONEY WITH TELLO​​​​ ➜]() * Available for U.S. phone owners only. ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Keep your Windows 10 PC alive after 2025 Microsoft is axing support for Windows 10 in October 2025. You'll have to make a big decision for your Windows 10 PCs next year. ➜ But you don't have to give up on your Windows 10 systems after that. There are a lot of ways you can keep your Windows 10 PCs usable, including paying for security updates, upgrading to Windows 11 through a backdoor, switching to Google's ChromeOS Flex, or installing desktop Linux. ⌚ Budget a few minutes to read the article and consider your options. 💻 This is just for Windows 10 PCs, naturally. 📌 Learn [all your options for extending your Windows 10 PC's life]( in this recent PCMag article of mine. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Disable animations to make Windows snappier Windows normally shows animations when you maximize and minimize windows, open menus, and do other similar things. ➜ If those animations feel a little long, you can disable the animations and get a snappier desktop experience. You won't have to look at animations when you minimize and maximize windows. Why not give it a try? ⌚ You can toggle this setting in about 8 seconds. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. On Windows 11, open the Settings app, click "Accessibility" in the left sidebar, and then click "Visual effects" under Vision. Turn off "Animation effects." Then, try it out! [Turn off "Animation effects" in Windows 11's Settings app.] 🔟 On Windows 10, open the Settings app, and select "Ease of Access." Ensure "Display" is selected under Vision in the left pane — it should be by default — and then scroll down to the "Simplify and personalize Windows" section. Toggle off "Show animations in Windows." [Turn off "Show animations in Windows" in Windows 10's Settings app.] --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Run Android apps on your Windows PC Microsoft just axed support for Android apps on Windows 11. In a world where Chromebooks can run Android apps and Macs can run iOS apps, the company is waving the white flag on mobile app compatibility. ➜ But you can still run Android apps on your Windows PC, if you want. In fact, if you have a Samsung phone — or an Android phone from some other manufacturers — there's even a built-in way to run Android apps on your phone and see and use them on your PC's desktop. ⌚ This will take you a minute or two the first time you set it up. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. 📌 Discover [the best ways to run Android apps on a PC](=) in my latest Computerworld column. ​ [] [Top Thurrott Thoughts] Some standout links and expert analysis from our friends at Thurrott, who have been covering Windows since 1994: - ​[Microsoft to Hold AI and Surface Event Right Before Build 2024]( - This will be the really interesting one. - ​[Stardock Releases ObjectDock 3 for Windows 10 and 11](=)​ - Some people will love this. - ​[Apple + Google (Premium)]( - Is Google's AI coming to the iPhone? - ​[Mozilla Releases Firefox 124 with Windows Jump List Improvements]() - Mozilla is supposedly increasing its focus on Firefox. - ​[EU Competition Chief Suggests Apple’s Core Technology Fee May Not Be DMA Compliant]() - The battle continues. ​ [And Just for Funsies...] People think Clippy was annoying, but Clippy shouldn't take all the blame — Clippy was just the frontman. And Clippy's real name wasn't even Clippy — the paperclip's real name is "Clippit." Starting back in the days of Office 97, Microsoft included an "Office Assistant" with the application. Clippy was just the default assistant. The real issue wasn't the Clippy character — it was the Office Assistant software itself. While Clippy was all most people remember, there were a variety of assistants, including: - The Dot (a red ball with a smiley face) - Hoverbot (a robot) - Mother Nature (a representation of the planet Earth) - Will (a caricature of William Shakespeare) - The Genius (a caricature of Albert Einstein) - Merlin (a wizard) - Links (a cat) - Scribble (a cat made out of origami) - Power Pup (a dog that was also a superhero) You can get a better idea of what they looked like in Office in [this Office Assistant compilation video on YouTube](=): [[video preview]​](=) Still curious? The [Office Assistant page](=) on Wikipedia lists even more of them! Rover the dog was the one assistant that survived even longer, living on in Windows XP as an assistant in the file-search window. Until next time... I hope you have a great weekend! See you next week. 👋 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up]( [Thumbs Down]() Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Windows Intelligence, Android Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider](=) to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. 🤝 [An Intelligence Insider membership](=) allows you to support our work and keep this newsletter sustainable!