This week's top tips

The gift of a better launcher  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Start menu search isn't what it should be. It should be a universal launcher that does whatever you want it to — a powerful "Swiss Army knife" for launching programs, searching the web, and performing other actions. And it should respect your choices — it shouldn't use Microsoft Edge and Bing unless you prefer those. This week I've got a special reader-submitted tip to share — the alternative to Start menu search that us Windows users deserve. ⌚ 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 Intelligence founder (and Windows Intelligence reader!) JR Raphael shared an awesome multi-step tip with me — something he considers absolutely incredible. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. ➜ It's all about PowerToys Run, a better keyboard-focused "launcher" than the standard Start menu search feature. It's part of Microsoft's free PowerToys package. (I've shared PowerToys Run in the past, but it's always getting better — since the last time I shared it, it's had a sleek redesign, for example.) But it's not just about that — it's about how to make PowerToys Run even more efficient by taking a cue from ChromeOS, which has a "Search" key instead of a Caps Lock key. ➜ First, install [Microsoft PowerToys]( if you haven't already done so. You can now press Alt+Space to launch PowerToys Run. (If it doesn't appear, open the PowerToys application from your Start menu and ensure PowerToys Run is enabled.) [Searching using the PowerToys Run launcher.] Now, open the PowerToys Settings window from your Start menu or system tray and select "Keyboard Manager." Click "Remap a Key" and remap the Caps Lock key to Alt+Space. Now, when you tap Caps Lock, you'll get immediate, one-press access to PowerToys Run. [Reapping a key using the Keyboard Manager.] ​ With PowerToys Run, you can: - Launch application and settings. - Search the web using your default search engine and browser — yes, unlike the Start menu, you can search Google in the Chrome browser with this tool! - Look through your files. - Use a calculator. - Convert units. - And more! (It even supports a variety of [third-party plug-ins](=).) So there it is! I already wish I had linked the Caps Lock key to PowerToys Run sooner. 📱 Looking for this week's Android Intelligence reader tip? It's all about [a smarter syncing setup you can set up in just 60 seconds](. 💡 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! 🤳 Use your phone as your PC's webcam: Have a Google Pixel phone? You can now use it as your Windows PC's webcam. All you need is a USB cable and the latest software update — here's [how to use your phone as a webcam](=). Have another type of phone? You can also try [DroidCam]() (Android or iPhone) or [Epoccam]() (iPhone only.) Microsoft also seems to be working on its own phone-as-webcam feature as part of its Phone Link software. 🗣️ Type with your voice on Windows 10: Windows 10 PCs will let you type with your voice through the Voice Typing feature. Just press Windows+H to launch Voice Typing and start dictating. (This works on Windows 11, too — but you might want to launch "Voice Access" from the Start menu and use that instead.) 🔤 Get live captions for any audio on your PC: On Windows 11, you can get captions for any audio on your PC. Windows will listen to the audio and turn it into text — all on your PC without uploading anything. To try this, open your Start menu, search for "Live Captions," and launch the Live Captions application.. 📈 How 100k smart investors stay informed: Ben Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." Luckily, [The Yellowbrick Road](=) summarizes the best stock ideas each day and delivers ‘em straight to your inbox — for free — making it easy to invest in your knowledge about, well...investing. [Sign up for The Yellowbrick Road today with just one click]( to grow your investment knowledge! [SPONSORED] ✉️ Email your future self: Use [FutureMe](=) to send a time-capsule email to yourself in the future. Write a message and a pick a time, and FutureMe will email you your message on that date. Won't it be cool to get an email from your past self a year from now — or five years from now? Plus, the act of writing a letter to your future self is a great opportunity for reflection in the here and now. 🤝 Teach yourself some awesome new Assistant tricks: Your Android phone's Assistant has all sorts of out-of-sight powers that can save you time and blast headaches away. Check out [JR's freshly updated collection of little-known Android Assistant tricks](=) and see how many of 'em are new to you. 🔊 Put annoying notifications on notice: Google's working on a new Android notification "cooldown" feature that'll let you avoid having any one app blow your phone up with back-to-back buzzes — but you don't have to wait to enjoy a similar sort of superpower. Just [revisit JR's in-depth guide to an exceptional app called BuzzKill](=), then [snag the app for yourself]() and look for the "Cooldown" option within its setup. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it. 🚨 The best deal in cellular just got better: Did someone spike our eggnog, or did Tello really cut the prices and up the data for [every single phone plan]()? With mix ‘n’ match plans starting at $5 all the way up to Unlimited Everything for just $25/month — including Hotspot, Wi-Fi calling, unlimited texts, and more — Tello is pulling out all the stops. [See how much you’ll save!]() [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? 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