Let’s be honest: most of us use Windows every day without touching half of what it can actually do.
But every now and then, Microsoft sneaks in a few little changes that genuinely make life easier. Nothing flashy. Just smart tweaks that save time, reduce stress, and make your PC feel more “yours”.
In this post, we’ll walk through four of those small-but-useful Windows 11 features:
- New coloured battery icons
- Turning off the swear filter in voice typing
- Previewing files with the Space bar using PowerToys Peek
- Creating a desktop icon for Solitaire
Think of this as a “quality of life” pack for your Windows PC.
1. Coloured Battery Icons: Stop Hovering, Start Glancing
The problem
You’re in a meeting or working on something important. You notice the tiny battery icon in the corner and think:
“Is that… low? Or just the icon being small again?”
Then you hover, see 4%, and panic while scrambling for the charger.
What’s new
Windows 11 is adding colour-coded battery icons to make this much clearer at a glance:
- Green – You’re plugged in and charging (including Smart Charging).
- Yellow – You’re in Energy Saver mode (roughly 6–20% battery).
- Red – You’ve dropped below about 5%. This is “plug in now” territory.
No more guessing. No more hovering. Just quick colour = quick decision.
These icons are still rolling out to Windows Insiders first, but they’ll reach regular Windows 11 users later through updates.
Why it matters
This sounds tiny, but it changes how you use your laptop:
- You don’t keep checking the percentage out of anxiety.
- You’re less likely to get caught by surprise in the middle of a call.
- You can glance from across the desk and know if you need the charger.
It’s one of those “why wasn’t it always like this?” features.
2. Voice Typing Without Censoring Your Own Thoughts
The situation
Windows 11 has a Voice typing feature that’s actually pretty good. Press Windows + H, and you can dictate emails, notes, or ideas instead of typing everything manually.
By default, though, it has a profanity filter.
So if you say something spicy, you get:
“This project is ****.”
It feels a bit silly when you’re just dictating private notes to yourself.
How to turn the filter off
If you want Windows to type exactly what you say:
- Press Windows + H to open Voice typing.
- On the small toolbar that appears, click the settings gear icon.
- Find Filter profanity.
- Turn the slider off.
Now close settings and click the microphone icon again to start dictating.
From now on:
- With the filter on, strong language gets replaced with
****. - With the filter off, words appear in full.
When this is useful
You might want uncensored voice typing when:
- You’re journaling or brain-dumping ideas.
- You’re taking honest notes after a stressful meeting.
- You’re writing fiction, scripts, or realistic dialogue.
Of course, be careful where you use this. On a shared or work PC, you may want to keep the filter on. But for your own laptop at home, it’s nice when the computer stops pretending you talk like a children’s TV presenter.
3. Preview Files with Just the Space Bar (PowerToys Peek)
This one feels like a secret superpower once you get used to it.
The usual pain
You’re hunting for a specific file:
- Five screenshots that all look similar.
- Ten PDFs with similar names.
- A bunch of Word documents from last month.
Normally, you double-click one, realise it’s the wrong one, close it, open another, and repeat. It’s slow and annoying.
The better way: Peek
Microsoft’s free PowerToys app includes a feature called Peek. It lets you preview a file instantly in a small pop-up window—without opening the full program.
And you can trigger it with a single key: Space.
Step 1 – Install and enable Peek
- Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store or GitHub (if you haven’t already).
- Open PowerToys.
- In the left sidebar, go to File Explorer add-ons or File Management → Peek (depending on version).
- Turn on Enable Peek.
- Set Activation method to Spacebar.
(If the names look slightly different on your screen, don’t worry—PowerToys updates often, but the Peek toggle will be there.)
Step 2 – Use Peek in File Explorer
- Open File Explorer.
- Click once on any file to select it.
- Press the Space bar.
You’ll see a preview window showing the content—image, PDF, text file, etc.
- Press Space again or Esc to close it.
- Move to another file and press Space to preview that one.
Why it’s great
- No more opening and closing full apps just to see what’s inside a file.
- You can quickly scan through a folder of images or documents.
- Your desktop stays cleaner, with fewer windows cluttering everything.
Once you use this for a week, you’ll miss it on any PC that doesn’t have PowerToys installed.
4. Put Solitaire Back on Your Desktop (Like the Old Days)
Sometimes you don’t want Teams. You don’t want Outlook. You just want to switch your brain off for five minutes and play Solitaire.
These days, the Solitaire collection lives in the “Solitaire & Casual Games” app, and you usually have to search for it. But you can create a desktop shortcut that opens it straight away.
How to make the shortcut
- Right-click an empty space on your desktop.
- Choose New → Shortcut.
- In the box that says “Type the location of the item”, paste this:
xboxliveapp-1297287741: - Click Next.
- Give it a name, e.g. Solitaire & Casual Games.
- Click Finish.
You now have a neat little desktop icon. Double-click it any time you want a quick game.
Why this is worth doing
- It’s a small “reward button” for breaks between tasks.
- You don’t waste time searching the Start menu.
- It feels pleasantly nostalgic—like older versions of Windows where Solitaire was front and centre.
And if anyone asks why you’re playing Solitaire, you can always say you’re “testing input latency” or “checking GPU performance”. Totally valid.
Putting It All Together
None of these tweaks will change your career or revolutionise your PC. But together, they make Windows feel more:
- Clear – coloured battery icons give you instant feedback.
- Honest – voice typing reflects how you actually speak.
- Efficient – Peek helps you find the right file without fuss.
- Comfortable – Solitaire is right there when you need a breather.
That’s what good tech should do: reduce friction, respect your choices, and stay out of the way when you just want to get on with your day.
If you try any of these:
- Start with PowerToys Peek if you handle lots of files.
- Flip the profanity filter only on personal devices.
- And maybe give yourself that Solitaire shortcut—your brain deserves small breaks.
