If you switch from Mac to Windows, you will miss out on some great features like Spotlight, Preview, and AirDrop. Luckily, you can bring popular macOS features to your Windows PC using these apps.
Search like Spotlight using PowerToys Run
Spotlight in macOS can help you find files, open settings, and even perform quick calculations. Windows Search fails to do some of these by default. However, you can search with the same functionality using PowerToys Run in Windows.
To set it up, download and install Microsoft PowerToys from the Microsoft Store. Next, launch the app and open the Dashboard tab. Here, find and toggle the PowerToys Run option to turn it on.
Click on PowerToys Run to see additional settings that allow you to activate shortcuts and toggle additional capabilities, such as the ability to perform calculations, navigate folders, open Windows Terminal, and more.
Press Alt + Spacebar to launch Run. You can now search for apps, folders, and files. You also get additional options to launch the app as administrator, another user, or open a file location.
Like Spotlight, you can use Run to perform quick calculations, execute system commands, or search for system settings.
You can further refine your searches with identifiers or keywords. For example, if you type $audio it will show only audio settings. If you type the < symbol, you can jump directly from the search bar to an open app window.
Quickly preview file content with PowerToys Peek
MacOS has a great quick-look feature that allows users to preview file contents – such as PDFs, images, audio, or video files – without having to open them in an associated program first. Windows Explorer also has a preview pane, but it has limited format support.
Although you can use popular third-party apps like Quick Look for Windows, PowerToys Peek is a better option. It allows you to instantly preview files in File Explorer and supports most file formats, including images, videos, and text documents. You can also copy text from documents directly from the preview window.
To use Peek, launch PowerToys, open the Peek tab in the left pane, then toggle the Enable Peek switch to turn it on.
You can now select any item in File Explorer and press Ctrl + Spacebar to open a quick preview. You can also use the right or left arrow keys to browse other files in the same folder.
Share files instantly like AirDrop with Snapdrop
Airdrop lets you instantly transfer files between Apple devices. While Windows, with its Phone Link app, supports instant file sharing, you need to set up each device before you can start sharing.
Snapdrop simplifies this process. It’s a web app that allows you to share files between devices on the same network. In addition, you can also send instant text messages to devices connected to the local network.
To share a file from your computer to another device, make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. Then, go to Snapdrop.net on your PC and your tablet or smartphone to make sure both are discoverable.
Next, click on the name of your other device, select the files you want to send and click Open. On your other device, tap Save to download the file.
You can install Snapdrop as a web app and pin it to the taskbar for easy access. To do this, click Install Snapdrop (the mobile icon) in the top-left corner, select Install, and wait for the installation to complete. You can now open Snapdrop as a standalone app from Windows Search.
Send messages and make calls from PC using Phone Link
You can easily text and make calls from your Mac. Windows offers similar functionalities with its Phone Link app, allowing you to manage notifications, send and receive text messages with AI-suggested replies, and even make calls.
To get started, you’ll first need to set up Phone Link on your Windows computer and smartphone. It’s a quick process, so just follow the linked guide to complete the setup.
Phone Link comes pre-installed on your Windows computer, but you’ll need to download it from the Play Store on Android and the App Store on iOS.
Once setup is complete, launch Phone Link and open the Calls tab. Then click Get Started. A pop-up will appear on your smartphone. Select Allow to enable calling permissions.