This week's top tips

It's time for some spring cleaning  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Spring is in the air. The flowers are blooming, the sun is out — and system tray icons are popping up on my taskbar like weeds. There seems to be no stopping the Windows system tray from getting cluttered and messy. Thankfully, Windows gives you some convenient tools for managing that clutter. It's easy to only see the icons you care about and forget about the rest. Today's reader-submitted tip is about exactly that — giving your taskbar's system tray a spring cleaning and showing off all the ways you can tweak and fine-tune it. ⌚ 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 📤 The system tray (or "notification area") at the right side of the Windows taskbar can quickly become incredibly cluttered. You should take control of your system tray and prune it regularly, hiding things you don't want to see — and ensuring Windows isn't automatically hiding things you do want to see. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. ➜ A Windows Intelligence reader pointed out all the available system-tray-icon-hiding options I should be talking about when I highlighted a new option on Windows 11. First, here's the easiest tip: When you click that little "^" icon to the left of your system tray icons and see all of them, you can drag and drop system tray icons off the taskbar (to hide them) or drag and drop icons the overflow tray onto the taskbar (to ensure they're always visible.) I often find myself adjusting which icons are in which spot, as Windows frequently hides ones I might want to use. [The system tray overflow menu on Windows 11.] Many "system" icons — like the Wi-Fi, sound, battery, touch keyboard, and pen menu icons — can't be dragged and dropped from here. To control them, right-click an empty spot on the taskbar and select "Taskbar settings." Then: - On Windows 11, look under System tray icons, you can toggle on and off various icons. [Toggle icons under "System tray icons" in Windows 11's Settings app.] - On Windows 10, scroll down and click "Turn system icons on or off" under Notification area. You can then turn these icons on or off. [Select "Turn system icons on or off" under Notification area.] Finally, Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a few unique settings you might want to play with: Windows 10 lets you get rid of that whole overflow menu, forcing all running system tray icons onto your taskbar. To try this option, right-click an empty spot on the taskbar, select "Taskbar settings," click "Select which icons appear on the taskbar" under Notification area, and then toggle "Always show all icons in the notification area." [The "Select which icons appear on the taskbar" screen in Windows 10's Settings app.] Windows 11 lets you hide the "^" button completely. System tray icons that are inside it will still be running in your taskbar, but they'll be hidden completely. To try this option, right-click an empty spot on the taskbar, select "Taskbar settings," expand "Other system tray icons," and then toggle "Hidden icon menu." [Taskbar icon settings in Windows 11's Settings app.] That's it! 📨 This week's Android Intelligence reader tip is all about [scheduling emails and text messages on your Android phone](). Check it out! ​ 💡 Got a useful tip you'd like to share with other Windows enthusiasts? [Submit it here](=) — or just reply to this email and share it with me! I'd love to feature your useful advice in a future newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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! 🛑 Turn off those new Start menu ads: Start menu ads are coming to Windows 11 — and they're already on Windows 10. To stop them, first open the Settings app on your PC. On Windows 11, navigate to Personalization > Start menu. Turn off "Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more." On Windows 10, navigate to Personalization > Start. Turn off "Show suggestions occasionally in Start." 🔨 Discover a new way to fix a broken Windows installation: Windows 11 now has a new PC-repair tool that will download new Windows operating system files from Windows Update, repairing Windows and keeping your installed applications, settings, and files. [Here's how to use it](. 🗑️ Uninstall built-in apps you don't use: Windows 11 now lets you uninstall more built-in Microsoft apps — like the Cortana app, which does nothing at all. Just open your Start menu and look at the list of all installed apps. Right-click a Microsoft-provided app (like Cortana) in the Start menu and you'll see an "Uninstall" option in the context menu if it's easily removeable. 🕺 Stop the standard scheduling dance: Say “cya!” to scheduling back-and-forth with [Meeting Scheduling from Boomerang](). This FREE, simple tool embeds your calendar in your email so that people can pick a time that works best for them, right in their inbox! It syncs with everyone’s calendar, works with all major video conferencing platforms, and eliminates the endless coordinating. [Save yourself time and simplify meeting scheduling]() with Boomerang. [SPONSORED] 📂 Wirelessly send files between any devices on your network: [LocalSend]( is a convenient, free, private way to send files between your devices. There's no accounts and no long setup or pairing process. It works with Android devices, Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Linux systems. (Want something web-based for a Chromebook? Try [Snapdrop]( instead.) 🙉 Cut down on your Android notification noise: You'd never know it's possible, but you can inject your phone with an extra dollop of intelligence by [creating custom filters for your incoming notifications]() — including a brand new way to automatically "summarize" certain items and condense 'em down into a single, far less overwhelming alert. 😴 Start snoozing notifications until you need 'em: The perfect complement to scheduled sending, Android's system-level snoozing setup lets you [send notifications away and have 'em return at a specific later time]() of your choosing. It's easy to use, too, though you might have to take [a few quick steps to activate it](=) first. 👇 Master Google Sheets w/these FREE shortcuts: Whether you’re a Google Sheets pro, or just starting out, you should subscribe to the Google Sheets Tips newsletter! Every Monday, the experts at Google Sheets Tips send their savviest shortcuts, tips, and grab ‘n’ go templates to your inbox — absolutely free! You’ll even get access to 100 other tips in the Spice Up Your Sheet Life ebook! [Join 50,000 others and subscribe with 1-click]() today! [SPONSORED] --------------------------------------------------------------- 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? 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