This week's top tips

A secret tool Microsoft hides in Windows  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Microsoft is holding out on us. Yes, Windows has an amazing tool that Microsoft buries and hides. It's the ultimate software installer — and updater. You can upgrade nearly the applications on your PC — wherever you downloaded them from — in moments with just a single command. It's all built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 — no extra software necessary. If you're not a command-line fan, there's an alternative: A convenient graphical program that plugs into this underlying power-user tool, giving you the kind of easy, streamlined application-update experience I've always dreamed of on Windows. ⌚ This entire email will take you two minutes to read. Remember: If you'd rather not receive these Monday tip roundups, [you can easily opt out of them](=) without affecting the rest of your subscription. ☑ [Got it — don't show this again](=)​ This week's reader suggestion ⬇️ Winget is one of my favorite parts of Windows — and it's a secret. This tool can automatically download, install, and even update desktop applications in a snap. But Microsoft hides it. This week's reader-submitted tip is an easy way to update your installed applications — both with a quick command built into Windows itself and a convenient graphical tool you can download. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. ➜ As Windows Intelligence reader James points out, Windows has one magic command that will automatically update all — or at least most — of your installed applications. 🖱️ Do you prefer graphical tools? Try [WingetUI](), which I've [recommended in my Computerworld column]() before. It has a convenient "Software Updates" pane that provides a graphical interface to the winget upgrade command I cover below. [WingetUI offering application upgrades.] To use it, open a Terminal window: - On Windows 11, press Windows+X or right-click the Start button, and then click "Terminal." - On Windows 10, press Windows+X or right-click the Start button, and then click "Windows PowerShell" or "Command Prompt." [Launching the Terminal from the Windows+X menu.] Run this command to see what would be upgraded if you use this trick: winget upgrade [Running "winget upgrade" in the Windows Terminal on Windows 11.] Look good? You can upgrade all these applications with a single command by running this command: winget upgrade --all [Winget installing application updates on Windows 11.] It's that easy! You can also use the winget install command to download software. [Learn more about Winget](=) on Microsoft's website. 📸 Looking for this week's Android Intelligence reader tip? It's all about [a convenient-yet-invisible trick for editing photos on an Android phone](. ​ 🎁 Share your knowledge, get a free gift in return Hey — let's feature your advice next! If you've got a useful shortcut you rely on, an off-the-beaten path application that makes your life easier, or any other Windows-related suggestion you'd like to share with your fellow Windows Intelligence readers, [share it with me here](=). If I end up using your tip in a future issue, I'll send you a [free month of ​Intelligence Insider membership]() as a special thank you gift for your submission! --------------------------------------------------------------- Some tips you don't want to miss Now, a rapid-fire summary of the best useful tips from our most recent issues — just in case you overlooked something or haven't explored it yet! ❤️ Keep your Windows 10 PC alive after 2025: Microsoft is axing support for Windows 10 in October 2025. You've got a big decision to make next year: Will you pay for security updates, upgrade to Windows 11 through a backdoor, switch to ChromeOS Flex, or even install desktop Linux? I've got [a rundown of your options for keeping your trusty old PC alive](. 🫰 Disable animations to make Windows snappier: Windows shows animations when you maximize and minimize windows, for example. You can make the experience feel "snappier" by turning off those animations. On Windows 11, open the Settings app, select "Accessibility," and click "Visual Effects" under Vision. Turn off "Animation effects." On Windows 10, open Settings, select "Ease of Access," and ensure "Display" is selected under Vision in the left pane. Scroll down to "Simplify and personalize Windows" and turn off "Show animations in Windows." 🤖 Run Android apps on your Windows PC: Microsoft just axed support for Android apps on Windows 11. But you can still run Android apps on your Windows PC — and get access to the Play Store! In fact, if you have a Samsung phone, there's even a built-in way to run Android apps on your phone and use them on your PC's desktop. Here are [the best ways to run Android apps on your PC](=), if you're ever so inclined. ☠️ Stop killing your productivity! With each email you open, it can take *25 MINUTES* to regain focus! Protect your productivity: [Boomerang’s Inbox Pause](=) lets you pause your inbox and build better email habits. Listen, willpower is not enough. Boomerang removes temptation with batched email delivery, eliminating distractions and reinforcing work boundaries. Set it up once and then never worry about it again! [Try Boomerang for FREE](=) and put your inbox on autopilot! [SPONSORED] 💬 Add events into your calendar by chatting: A cool new tool called [Dola]() integrates with a bunch of popular chat platforms and makes it easy to add new events simply by saying what you want. It's free to use for now, too, and it [couldn't be much easier to get going](=). 📒 Upgrade your Android note-taking experience: No matter what types of notes you're taking, there's a decent chance a better app exists for your specific purposes. JR's [guide to the best note-taking apps on Android]( has all the greatest options available this minute, including a few you might not have ever previously considered. 🌍 Embrace a brilliant browser time-saver: One of our all-time favorite Chrome Android shortcuts is also now available in the Chrome desktop browser, but it's up to you to dig it up and activate it. [Check out what's changing — and remind yourself of what's still possible within Android](), if you know where to look. 👏 Unlimited phone plan for just $25/mo: Don’t want to flush away $40, $50, $60 or more on your phone bill each month? Introducing the [Tello UNLIMITED plan](). For a jaw-dropping $25/month, you’ll score unlimited calls and texts, unlimited data with 35GB of high-speed data, Wi-Fi calling, and so much more on the same great 4G LTE/5G network. All with no long-term contracts or strings attached. [Save up to 50% (or more) on your phone bill]() with Tello. [SPONSORED] * Available for U.S. phone owners only. --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think? Was this email worth your time? Did you enjoy reading it? [Thumbs Up]() [Thumbs Down](=) Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down above to let me know what you think. Thanks as always for reading, and I hope you have an awesome week! Too much email? No worries: You can [opt out of receiving these roundups or unsubscribe entirely here](=). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider]( to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, our on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services.