This week's top tips

A shortcut I use all the time  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ​ The Windows desktop is arguably the center of the Windows experience. There are many ways to use it — you can place shortcuts to your applications on it. You can store files you're working with on the desktop, just as you would put them on a physical desktop. Or you can hide everything on your desktop. Combined with a background image you enjoy, that empty desktop can be a moment of calm before you launch back into all the websites, emails, documents, and other tasks elsewhere on your PC. But actually getting to that desktop can be tedious. Do you really need to minimize — or close — each window you have open to get to it? This week, I'm sharing a great reminder from a reader about a keyboard shortcut I personally use all the time, too. ⌚ 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](=)​ #top This week's reader suggestion 🧹 It's easy to end up with a ton of open windows on your desktop. Sometimes you don't want to close them all — you just want to minimize them and quickly get a fresh workspace. Maybe you want to get to your desktop to access a shortcut or other files on it. (Hey, why not use the desktop to store the files you're currently working on? I don't like long-term desktop clutter, but just storing the files you're working with there seems like a worthwhile idea.) Or perhaps you just want to get all those windows off your screen so your boss doesn't see what you're doing when they walk by. Windows Intelligence reader Simeon B. wrote in with a tip that will take you straight to a clean desktop from anywhere. 💻 This shortcut works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. ➜ To minimize all open windows and see your Windows desktop, just press Windows+D. That's it! Your windows will all minimize, and you'll see the desktop. You can press Windows+D again to unminimize all the windows you just minimized, too. Here's another related shortcut: You can press Windows+, (that's the Windows key and the comma key) to "peek" at your desktop. You'll see your desktop momentarily, but when you release the Windows key, all your Windows will be as they were. If you prefer getting to your desktop with your mouse, just move your mouse cursor to the bottom-right corner of your screen. At the right corner of your taskbar, there's a little "Show Desktop" button you can click to minimize all open windows — and restore them. (On Windows 11, that button is pretty hidden — it's invisible! — but click the right edge of your taskbar, and it'll work.) [Click the hidden "Show Desktop" button at the far right corner of the Windows taskbar] Long ago — back in the days of Windows XP — there was a little "Quick Launch" section of convenient shortcuts just to the right of the Start menu. One of those was a "Show Desktop" button, and that disguised little "Show Desktop" toggle at the right side of the taskbar is the successor to that button. 📱 Looking for this week's Android Intelligence reader tip? It's all about [making your phone read text messages out loud]( when your hands, eyeballs, and any other appendages you might have are otherwise occupied. 💡 Got an exceptional tip you'd like to share with other Windows enthusiasts? [Submit it here]( — or just reply to this email and share it with me! Your advice may be featured 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! 🗑️ Empty your Recycle Bin automatically: Windows can handle your Recycle Bin for you. For example, you could have Windows automatically deleting files 30 days after they've been sent to the Recycle Bin. This feature is part of the Storage Sense tool built into both Windows 10 and Windows 11, but it's disabled by default. Here's [how to make Windows automatically clean up your Recycle Bin](=). 🔒 Lock your PC with a keyboard shortcut: To lock your PC, just press Windows+L. Your programs will continue running and your computer will stay powered on, but no one can actually sit down and use your PC without entering your password, PIN, fingerprint, or whatever else you use to sign in. 📅 Stop Microsoft Excel's annoying date conversions: Excel has a new option to stop automatic date conversions — and control other automatic data conversions that may be getting in your way. To find it, open Excel and click File > Options. In the Options window, click "Data" in the left sidebar. Change the options under "Automatic Data Conversion" here. For example, to stop Excel from automatically turning things into dates, uncheck "Convert continuous letters and numbers to a date." 🤦 We’re calling about your car’s extended warranty: Anyone else fed up over all these spam calls? Introducing [Aura Call Protection](). This AI assistant screens your incoming calls and texts for spam, only allowing through those calls you actually want to receive (like family, friends, deliveries, etc). Aura also scans + even removes your SSN, address, and more from the dark web and alerts you instantly if your credit is under attack. [Start your free trial of Aura today]() and stop spam calls for good. [SPONSORED] 🧮 Try out a powerful calculator upgrade: A free web-based app called [Numbr]( lets you take notes and perform calculations in a single superpowered space. It's a really clever way to stay organized and get things done, as JR explains in [his recent introduction to the tool](=). It's open-source, too — and, as JR just learned the other day, it's actually the personal side project of a Google site reliability engineer. Small world, eh?! 👁‍🗨 Enjoy an enhanced Android reading experience: Give yourself the gift of restored sanity by activating Chrome's excellent new reading mode for Android. The option eliminates all the ads, distractions, and other awkward balderdash on any web page and gives you a clean, nicely formatted view of text that's actually easy on the eyes. [Follow this simple guide of JR's](=) to get it up and running on any device in no time. 🎨 Spruce up your Keep notes: Google's long-simple Keep note-taking app is in the midst of getting a nice upgrade with the addition of full text formatting controls. Just [open up Keep]( on whatever device you're using, open up a note within it, and look for the recently added text formatting option in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen — with an A icon. It should be available on new notes already and for any existing notes in your collection once the latest update reaches you (any day now!). 😱 Is your phone bill turning into a bad horror movie? Don’t get spooked by $40, $50, or even $60/month phone plans — it’s time to BOOst your savings with ~insane~ flash deals from Tello! [Tello Mobile]() gives US customers the same great coverage as the Big Brands for wayyy less. Exhibit A: You can score the 2GB plan for $10 or the 5GB plan for $15 for your first month. [Hurry, these flash deals only last until 10/31!]() Sign up today to cut your phone bill in half. [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! You received this email because your address was signed up for the Windows Intelligence early preview. If you didn't mean to sign up or no longer wish to be subscribed, you can [unsubscribe or update your preferences here](=).