Windows + arrow keys
Resize and minimize apps
Snap assist and Snap layouts are some of the best features in Windows 11 (and 10), and while using your mouse can definitely work (plus you can resize apps more easily), using the keyboard is a great way to quickly resize apps and snap them to the position you want.
By pressing the Windows key with the side arrow keys, you can snap an app to either side of the screen, or press the up arrow to make the app take up the full screen. You can even snap apps into quarters by pressing one arrow after the other while holding the Windows key. You can also minimize the app by using Windows + Down. It’s just another way to resize and manage your windows, and a pretty useful one at that.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
Quickly access Task Manager
Task Manager is something we’ve all had to use at some point (who hasn’t had an app freeze that they had to terminate by force?). But did you know you can launch it even faster with a keyboard shortcut? Just press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard and you’ll be there right away. You probably knew how to get there using Ctrl + Alt + Delete, but this is way faster.
Windows + Shift + S
Take a screenshot with Snipping Tool
The Snipping Tool in Windows 11, or Snip & Sketch in Windows 10, is one of the best tools available in Microsoft’s latest operating systems. It’s a simple way to take screenshots of part or all of your screen, or a specific window, complete with annotation capabilities. In Windows 11, especially, it has kept gaining more and more features, including video recording support.
You might never have gone out of your way to open it, but the Windows + Shift + S shortcut makes it incredibly easy to launch a Snipping Tool capture so you can grab a screenshot or video of whatever you’re looking at. This is an incredibly useful tool, and the only reason it’s this low is that Microsoft has repurposed the Print Screen key to do the same thing as this shortcut in the most recent versions of Windows 11. If you’re on Windows 10, though, this is still a lifesaver of a shortcut.
