Quick Links
Third-party apps are great because they can enhance your workflow and improve productivity. But some apps are more special than others just because of how useful they are in my daily routine—so much so that I can’t imagine working without them.
9Monitorian
If you work with a multi-monitor setup, you know that Windows 11 and older versions don’t have a built-in option to adjust the brightness of external monitors. Unfortunately for Microsoft, I need to tweak my brightness throughout the day, and I’d rather not rely on the clunky physical buttons on my monitor.
Monitorian is a simple and free desktop tool for adjusting the brightness of your display individually or in unison. You can also change the adjustable range of brightness and contrast for up to four monitors at a time.
Twinkle Trayis another popular brightness adjustment app, but I prefer Monitorian because of its familiarity.
8LocalSend
There are many ways toshare files between your Windows PC and phone, but nothing beats LocalSend. It’s an open-source and free file-sharing utility that uses your local network to transfer files between nearby devices.
you may send files directly, generate a share link, or use an IP address to transfer them. It even lets you share APKs from your Android phone to other devices, which is a handy bonus. More importantly, the cross-platform support means I can share files between my Android, Windows, and iOS devices without hassle.
7Power Toys + Plugins
Microsoft PowerToys has fixed some gripes I have with Windows 11. It includes many useful utilities, such as a faster and better quick launcher, a handy sleep mode management feature, and a quick preview option. Some of the PowerToys I use and are essential for my workflow include:
you may further extend the PowerToys Run functionality using plugins, such asEverythingPowerToys, which allows you to search the computer for files and folders using Everything, andWinGetto search and install packages using the Winget package manager.
WindHawk offers an excellent set of mods to enhance the functionality of Windows 11. Unlike other customization tools, WindHawk makes installing and uninstalling mods a one-click affair, making it easy to use even for non-power users.
One ofmy favorite WindHawk modsis Vertical Taskbar, which adds a vertical taskbar for Windows 11 and is especially useful on an ultrawide monitor. WindHawk also includes other handy mods, like scrolling through browser tabs with the mouse wheel, adjusting volume from the taskbar using the mouse wheel, and adding labels for grouped and ungrouped apps.
ShareX is the holy grail of screen capture tools. It’s free and open source but, more importantly, offers a host of essential features. you’re able to configure the hotkeys to capture screenshots, screen recordings, and GIFs, set up automated workflows, and apply after-capture enhancements effortlessly.
What I like the most is the built-in image editor, which means you don’t have to juggle between two apps to capture and edit screenshots. It includes all the essential annotation tools, along with options to add text, resize, crop, and blur or pixelate parts of an image. The smart eraser lets you mask sensitive information from your screenshots by matching the background color.
4Phone Link
Phone Link lets you sync your Android or iOS device with your Windows PC, making it easy to stay connected without constantly picking up your phone. You can make and receive calls, manage notifications, reply to texts, view your gallery, and even mirror your Android screen.
Whilesome Phone Link features are exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices, you may still use it to control many other settings on any phone. You can toggleDo Not Disturb, play a sound to locate your phone, copy text from images, turn on your phone’s hotspot, and even enable cross-device copy-paste to share your clipboard between devices.
Microsoft Phone Link With Android Is Better Than You Think: 9 Hidden Tricks
With an Android phone, you can unlock the true potential of Microsoft’s Phone Link app on Windows.
3File Pilot
I haven’t used Windows File Explorer in a while, thanks to File Pilot. Thislightweight and extremely fast File Exploreralternativeoffers a clean user interface and tons of useful features that we have long expected from File Explorer.
Like Windows’s built-in file manager, File Pilot supports multiple tabs but also gets a multi-pane view. You can open multiple tabs in a split-screen view, and there’s no limit to how many you can open as long as you have a big enough display to view them comfortably.
Another big win is its classic context menu, which replaces Windows 11’s overly simplified version with a polished, Windows 10-style menu. Finding files and folders is easy and fast, and the nifty inspector mode lets you preview select files quickly without opening them first. File Pilot is free during its beta phase, but will cost $50 for the cheapest license once the full version releases.
Whatever repetitive typing tasks I have, aText can handle most of them. It’s a text expansion utility that lets you create shortcuts for frequently used phrases. I have it set up to auto-complete my work template, home and work addresses, emails, website URLs, and even custom email templates with dynamic fields.
aText supports plain text, rich text, HTML, scripts, and images, making it versatile across different work environments. Unlike built-in text expansion tools in Word and OneNote, which are restricted to their respective apps, aText is application-agnostic, allowing you to use it system-wide.
1AutoHotkey (AHK)
AutoHotKey is a scripting language that lets youautomate repetitive tasks on a Windows PCusing scripts assigned to a hotkey.
While you’re able to use it as a text expansion tool, it can do much more. It can automate Google meetings with a sharable link, correct common typos, interact with applications, and perform certain actions. It’s a fantastic program that can be tailored to your needs, be it anything.
These free Windows apps are essential to my workflow. Each one fills a gap where Windows falls short, making everyday tasks smoother, more efficient, and far less frustrating. They help me stay productive while getting the most out of an already versatile operating system.
