Windows 11 For Seniors For Dummies

IN THIS PART …

Explore the Internet.

Send and receive email.

Connect with Microsoft Teams.

Test-drive some valuable apps.

Chapter 6 Finding What You Need on the Web

IN THIS CHAPTER

Conducting research on the Internet

Choosing favorite websites so that you can revisit them

Test-driving the Edge browser

Preventing ads from appearing on web pages

The World Wide Web — or, simply, the web — provides quick access to information and entertainment worldwide. One part library, one part marketplace, and one part soapbox, the web makes everything equidistant. From down the block to halfway around the world — even out into space — everything is a few clicks or taps away. News, shopping, and the electronic equivalent of the town square await you.

You explore the web using a web browser, a program designed to make browsing the web easy, enjoyable, and safe. In this chapter, we show how you can use the Edge browser to step beyond your computer into the global village.

You browse web pages, which are published by governments, businesses, and individuals — anyone can create web pages. Each web page may consist of a few words or thousands of words and pictures. A web page is part of a larger collection called a website, which consists of a group of related web pages published on a topic by an organization or individual. Companies and individuals create websites to organize their related pages.

Pages and sites on the web have some common characteristics:

Unique addresses, which are formally called URLs (URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, in case you're ever on Jeopardy!).

Connecting links that move you from page to page when you select them. These links (also called hypertext links or hyperlinks) often appear underlined and blue. Pictures and other graphic images can also be links to other pages. You can tell when a picture or image is a link by moving the pointer over it. The pointer changes from an arrow to a hand when it is over a hyperlink picture or image. Exploring the web using links is easier than typing URLs.

In this chapter, you use Edge to browse the web. To get the most out of browsing, you juggle multiple sites simultaneously and find out how to bookmark your favorite websites. You also find out how to search for almost anything and make use of some nice features in Edge. Finally, this chapter shows how to view web pages without seeing pesky advertisements.

Edge is by no means the only browser — it’s just Microsoft’s browser. You can also download and try other browsers if you like, namely Mozilla Firefox (www.mozilla.org) and Google Chrome (www.google.com/chrome/browser). With that said, note that Edge does everything you need, so you don’t need to download anything else.

Browse the Web with Edge

Open Edge by selecting its icon on the taskbar. Edge opens to the start page, as shown in Figure 6-1. This page presents websites and news stories that Microsoft thinks are of interest to you based on your browsing history. If you haven’t used Edge yet or haven’t used it very often, you don’t have a browsing history to speak of, and the websites and news stories you see here probably look quite tepid. (Later in this chapter, “Explore Edge Features” explains how to choose what web pages you see when you start Edge.)

When you start Edge, you may see an error message if you’re not connected to the Internet. If so, see Chapter 4 for information on connecting. See “Bookmark and Revisit Your Favorite Websites,” later in this chapter, for instructions about choosing a home page.

Note the address bar at the top of the Edge screen (refer to Figure 6-1). In the address bar, type www.dummies.com. As you type, search suggestions appear in a drop-down menu. Either select www.dummies.com in the search suggestions or press Enter. The web page for the Dummies Press appears, as shown in Figure 6-2.

If you have trouble finding the address bar, try clicking with the mouse or tapping with your finger near the top of the screen, to the right of the four buttons (Back, Forward, Refresh, and Home). This will make the address bar appear.

Select a link on the page with a click or a tap. Where are the links? Just about everywhere. When you move the pointer over a link, it changes from an arrow to a hand — that’s how you can tell where the links are.

Select the Back button (or press Alt+left arrow) to return to the preceding page. This button (an arrow) is located in the upper-left corner of the screen (refer to Figure 6-2). Select the Back button to backtrack and revisit pages.

Select the Forward button (or press Alt+right arrow) to move forward to the page you visited in Step 3. The Forward button is next to the Back button (refer to Figure 6-2). Edge remembers the pages you visit to make it easy to go forward and back.

To zoom in and make a web page look bigger, press Ctrl+plus sign. To zoom out, press Ctrl+minus sign.

Select the Add This Page to Favorites button on the right side of the address bar (or press Ctrl+D). After you select this button, a Add to Favorites panel appears, as shown in Figure 6-3. Select the Add button to add Dummies.com to your Favorites list. Later in this chapter, “Bookmark and Revisit Your Favorite Websites” explains how to go to your favorite websites by selecting sites on the Favorites list.

You can change the text in the Add to Favorites panel before you select the Add button. However, there's usually no need to change the text unless it's overly long or unclear.

Browsing the web consists of entering addresses, following links, going forward and back, and revisiting your favorite websites. Relatively simple activities can absorb hours.

Keep Edge open if you want to go on to the next topic in this chapter.

FIGURE 6-1

FIGURE 6-2

FIGURE 6-3

Open Multiple Pages in Separate Tabs

Open Edge if it isn’t already open.

Go to the Google website at www.google.com. You can get there by typing www.google.com in the address bar and pressing Enter.

Select the New Tab button (or press Ctrl+T). This button is located to the right of the rightmost tab, as shown in Figure 6-4, top. A new web page appears, as shown in Figure 6-4, middle. What’s more, a new tab (not coincidentally called New Tab) appears at the top of the screen.

On the new tab, enter www.dummies.com in the address bar and press Enter. You open the Dummies website on the second tab, as shown in Figure 6-4, bottom. Now two websites are open in Edge. Google.com is open on the first tab; Dummies.com is open on the second. Notice the web page names on the tabs.

To close a tab, select its Close button (the X) or make sure that you are looking at the page you want to close and press Ctrl+W.

Select the first tab, the one with the name Google. You return to the Google website.

Browsing in multiple tabs allows you to keep one page open while visiting another, perhaps to compare information or to follow a different thought.

The keyboard shortcut for switching between tabs is Ctrl+Tab.

Select the Close button (the X) on the Dummies.com tab to close that particular tab. Close tabs when you want to reduce clutter and simplify switching among open tabs.

The keyboard shortcut for closing the current tab is Ctrl+W. (W? Long story.)

FIGURE 6-4

Search for Anything

With Edge open, go to the address bar and type travel. A drop-down list of search terms with the word travel appears as Edge attempts to guess what you’re searching for. (Ignore this list for this exercise, but take advantage of it later.) Select Bing Search on the right side of the search term list to open the Bing website.

You can search the Internet from the Search icon on the taskbar without opening Edge. Type a search term in the Search box. The Search panel lists items pertaining to the search term you entered, including ideas for web searches. Select a web-related item to search with Edge.

A search results page appears, as shown in Figure 6-5. The results come from www.bing.com, which is the default search engine for Edge. A search engine is simply a website that provides links to web pages that match your search. (That definition, however, ignores the complex process going on behind the scenes.)

Scroll down the page of search results. Select any link you want to follow. If you get to the bottom of the page, select the Next button to see more search results.

Some of the “search results” are advertisements. In Bing searches, the results at the top of the page and the right side of the page are paid for. Be careful of these advertisements, which are designed to sell you something, not to provide information. If you prefer not to see advertisements on web pages, see “Block Ads on Web Pages,” later in this chapter.

Return to the previous screen by selecting the Back button (or pressing Alt+left arrow).

Select the address bar and type travel new mexico (no capitals needed). As you type, potential matches for your terms appear in the drop-down list. If you see an item matching the search you want, select it in the list. Otherwise, press Enter.

Different search engines turn up different results. Other search engines include Google (www.google.com) and Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com). To use one of these search engines when exploring the web, enter its address in the address bar.

Note the tabs at the top of the Bing page, below the Search box. The first tab is All, which contains the results you see by default. Additional tabs vary with the search. Select each of the tabs, which may include any of the following:

Images displays pictures matching your terms.

Videos displays clips and snippets related to your search terms.

Maps will help you get there.

News displays search results from recent news, instead of all the results of the broader web.

Shopping directs you where to shop for items that match your search term.

Leave Edge open if you want to move on to the next topic.

FIGURE 6-5

Bookmark and Revisit Your Favorite Websites

Open Edge, if it isn’t already open, and go to your favorite website on the Internet (or if you don’t have a personal favorite, just go to www.dummies.com). If you’ve spent any time on the Internet, you soon find websites that you want to visit again and again. Rather than memorize the addresses of these websites, you can add them to your Favorites list to make revisiting them quite easy.

Select the Add This Page to Favorites button (located on the right side of the address bar; it’s shaped like a star). The Add to Favorites panel opens, as shown in Figure 6-6. Use this panel to describe the websites you want to revisit, and store their names in the Favorites panel (you’ll take a look at the Favorites panel in Step 4).

Before selecting the Add button to add your favorite website to the Favorites list, consider doing the following:

Enter a shorter, more concise, more descriptive name in the Name text box.

Open the Save In menu and select a folder name to store the website in a folder. (Step 8 explains how to create folders of your own.)

To verify that the website you are currently visiting has been added to the Favorites list, select the Favorites button (or press Ctrl+I). The Favorites panel opens, as shown in Figure 6-7. Look for your website in the Favorites panel.

Select the Back button to go to the website you visited previously. This button is located in the upper-left corner of the screen. Next, select the Favorites button (or press Ctrl+I) and, in the list of bookmarked websites, select the website you bookmarked in Step 3 (see Figure 6-7). Your favorite website opens on the screen.

Don’t hesitate to bookmark a website that you expect to revisit. Unless you bookmark it and add it to your Favorites list, you might not be able to find it again.

To remove a website from the Favorites list, display the Favorites list, right-click the website’s name to display the context menu, and select Delete.

You can make the Favorites bar appear below the address bar, as shown in Figure 6-8. Merely by clicking or tapping a website name on the Favorites bar, you can go straight to a favorite website without having to open the Favorites panel. To display the Favorites bar, open the Favorites panel and select the See More button (refer to Figure 6-7). On the menu that appears, choose Show Favorites Bar Any website you really, really like is a candidate for the Favorites bar.

Click anywhere onscreen except in the Favorites panel to close the Favorites panel. Then select the Favorites button to open the Favorites panel (refer to Figure 6-7). From here, you can manage websites that you have deemed your favorites:

Reorder the websites and folders: Drag a website or folder up or down in the Favorites panel until it lands in the right place.

Remove a website (or folder): Display the folder or website’s context menu (right-click or touch it with your finger). Then choose Delete.

Create a folder: Choose Add Folder on the Favorites panel toolbar and type the new folder’s name.

Rename a website (or folder): Display the folder’s context menu (right-click it or touch it with your finger), choose Rename, and enter a new name.

Folders can be a big help in organizing and finding bookmarks in the Favorites panel. If you’re the type who likes to bookmark websites, give some thought to creating folders to store your bookmarks.

Leave Edge open if you want to move on to the next topic.

FIGURE 6-6

FIGURE 6-7

FIGURE 6-8

Explore Edge Features

You can decide what web pages you want to see on Edge’s start screen. Go to your absolute favorite web page so that you can pin this web page to the Start screen. Select the Settings and More button (it’s located in the upper-right corner of the screen). Then, on the drop-down menu, choose More Tools and choose Pin to Start on the submenu. Select Pin in the confirmation dialog box that asks whether you really want to pin this web page to the Start menu or cancel. You get a second confirmation dialog box making sure, so click Yes to that box as well (yes, it’s a bit redundant!).

Close Edge and then go to the Start screen and select your favorite web page’s tile. By selecting this tile, you do two things at one time — you start Edge and open it to your favorite website. Isn’t that convenient?

Select the Settings and More button, and then select History on the menu that appears. As shown in Figure 6-9, the History panel opens. This panel offers the means to backtrack to websites you visited in the past hour, the past day, or the previous week.

Scroll to the bottom of the History panel to delve into ancient history and see websites you visited some time ago. Select a website to open it in Edge.

To erase your browsing history and remove all web page names, select More Options on the History panel and select Clear Browsing Data.

Steps 3 and 4 demonstrate how Edge keeps track of web pages you visited, but what if you resent this kind of snooping? You can browse the web without letting Edge keep a historical record of the websites you visited. To browse in private, select the Settings and More button (it shows three dots and is located in the upper-right corner of the screen) and choose New InPrivate Window in the drop-down menu. Edge opens a second, “InPrivate” window, as shown in Figure 6-10. Websites you visit privately are not recorded in the History panel. Close the InPrivate window for now (or browse a while and then close it).

FIGURE 6-9

FIGURE 6-10

You can tell when you’re browsing privately because the word InPrivate appears in the upper-left corner of the Edge window (see Figure 6-10).

InPrivate browsing doesn’t track your browsing history or associate searches with your profile; however, it does not hide your browsing from your school, employer, or Internet service provider.

Have you ever found interesting things on the web, such as a photo, a recipe, or even a whole web page that you would like to save for later? You can do that with an Edge feature called Collections. Collections is a fun and easy to way to save anything you find on the web so that you can use it later. To get started, click the Collections button on the Edge toolbar and then click Next in the Collections panel, shown in Figure 6-11. You see a few screens with some basic info for you; just click Next through those screens.

FIGURE 6-11

On the New Collection panel, you can add the current web page or even drag an image to the panel to begin a collection. In Figure 6-12, you can see a couple of web pages and image in a collection.

Can’t seem to drag an image to the Collections panel? Just right-click the image and select Add to Collections.

If you want to remove something from a Collection, right-click the item in the Collections panel and click Delete.

The Collection panel has an Add Note button, which is a handy feature. For example, if you’re shopping for a new car and you save several website and images, you can add your personal notes to the Collection so that you can review them later. Having a note can be a helpful way to remind you of specific details about images or websites that you don’t want to forget.

FIGURE 6-12

You can create as many collections as you want. Select the Collections button and then select Start New Collection on the Collections panel. For example, you could create a collection of images and websites called Birthday Ideas, or maybe one called Recipes (if you like to cook), or Vacation Ideas. How you organize your Collections is completely up to you!

Close Edge or keep reading if you’re inclined to find out how to turn off the ads on web pages.

Block Ads on Web Pages

As you soon find out if you spend any time on the web, web pages are full of cumbersome advertisements. They often get in the way. How would you like to strip the ads from the web pages you visit? You can do that by installing an app from the Microsoft Store called Adblock Plus. Chapter 10 explains how to install an app from the Microsoft Store. Close Edge, go to the Microsoft Store, and install Adblock Plus now (and visit Chapter 10, if necessary). It’s free, and installing takes only half a minute. We’ll wait for you here.

The first time you open Edge after Adblock Plus is installed, you see the message screen confirming the installation. You can close this message and then go to a web page of your choice.

Figure 6-13 shows the same web page before and after Adblock Plus was installed. Notice the large ad at the top of the first Edge screen. This ad is absent from the same screen on the bottom of the figure. After you install Adblock Plus, the Adblock Plus button (with the letters ABP) appears on the toolbar (refer to Figure 6-13). A number next to the button tells you how many ads were blocked on the web page you’re visiting.

FIGURE 6-13

Click the ABP button on the toolbar. You see the drop-down menu shown in Figure 6-14. It also tells you how many ads were blocked. Occasionally you run into a web page that can’t be viewed when ads are blocked. In cases like that, you can turn off Adblock Plus. To do so, click the APB button, drag the slider on the drop-down menu to the left, and select the Refresh button.

Click or tap anywhere on the web page to close the Adblock Plus drop-down menu.

FIGURE 6-14

Although ad blocking software and InPrivate browsing can help you, know that some websites may not function properly or refuse to work altogether when you’re using these tools. This doesn’t happen too often, but often enough to mention!

Chapter 7 Emailing Family and Friends

IN THIS CHAPTER

Sending, receiving, and responding to email

Sending and receiving files and pictures

Telling the Mail app how to handle email

Setting up an email account

Every day, billions of email messages circle the globe, conveying greetings, news, jokes, even condolences.

Email also provides a way to send and receive attachments, such as documents or photos. Who needs faxes or postcards?

The Mail app gives you access to email using your Microsoft Account. Your Microsoft Account can be associated with an email address from any email service provider, including Microsoft’s own Hotmail (www.hotmail.com), Live (www.live.com), Outlook (www.outlook.com), or Xbox (www.xbox.com). You can also use email services such as Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) and Gmail (www.gmail.com) without having a Microsoft Account. You can easily set up these email services to work in the Windows 11 Mail app, too, and this chapter shows you how.

In this chapter, you use the Mail app for email. You compose, format, and send email, files, and pictures. You discover how to respond to incoming email. You also configure email accounts, and create and use email folders.

If you don’t have a physical keyboard, see Chapter 1 for information on using the virtual keyboard.

Use the Mail App

For email on Windows 11, select the Mail icon on the taskbar. If you don’t see the Mail app on the taskbar, select the Search icon on the taskbar and type mail in the Search box. Select the Mail app from the search results. Either way, the Mail app opens. If you’re currently signed in to your Microsoft Account, the Mail app knows your email address. (You gave it to Microsoft when you created the account.) This address is listed on the Mail screen, and you’re ready to go. If you’re not currently signed in using a Microsoft Account, enter your email address and password on the Sign In screen that appears and then select Sign In. (See Chapter 4 for information on creating a Microsoft Account.)

The first time you use the Mail app, you are invited to “add an account.” In other words, Windows 11 offers its help linking an email account you have to the Mail app. Select the Add Account button and follow the onscreen instructions for making an email account available to the Mail app. See “Add an Email Account to Mail,” later in this chapter, for more information.

When you start the Mail app, you land in the Inbox folder. If you haven’t used your Microsoft Account for email, you probably don’t have any messages in your Inbox folder. Who would have written you already? You may, however, see a message or two from Microsoft.

On the Inbox screen, select the Expand/Collapse button, as shown in Figure 7-1. The Folders panel expands, and you can see the names of all your folders in the Folders panel. In the Mail app, email is kept in folders.

The number beside each folder name tells you how many unread email messages are in each folder.

Select any of the following folders in the Folders panel and then select the Expand/Collapse button to return to the Mail panel (you have to select More in the Folders panel to see some of these folders):

Outbox: Email you have sent or is in the process of being sent.

Inbox: Email you have received but not moved elsewhere appears here, including both read and unread email.

Archive: The Mail app provides this folder for email that you want to keep on hand for archival purposes.

Drafts: As you compose email (see next section), you can save your message as a draft until you are ready to send it.

Sent: Copies of the email you send are stored here, appropriately enough.

Deleted: Messages you have deleted from your Inbox. You can move messages out of the Deleted folder if you change your mind.

Conversation History: Conversations you have had with people through email. For example, if you and a friend email each other back and forth, the Conversation History folder will keep track of the entire conversation, which is much easier than keeping track of individual emails.

Junk: Messages are moved here — either automatically or by you — instead of the Inbox, if they are suspected of being, well, junk. The more common term for unwanted email is spam. (It’s a long story.) You may want to check this folder occasionally to see whether a message was misfiled here.

You may see other folders in the Folders panel besides the folders described here. If you linked the Mail app to an email account with other folders, those folders are also listed in the Folders panel.

Proceed to the next section, “Write an Email Message.”

To search for stray email messages, go to the Search box and enter the content you’re searching for. For example, enter a subject, sender, or something in the message.

FIGURE 7-1

Write an Email Message

To compose an email message in the Mail app, select the New Mail button (it looks like a plus sign) in the upper-left corner of the screen (refer to Figure 7-1). (It doesn’t matter which folder you’re in when you select this button.) The Compose screen appears, as shown in Figure 7-2.

In the To box, type an email address. If the Mail app recognizes the address because you’ve sent email to or received email from the person to whom you’re addressing your message, a pop-up box appears so that you can select the person’s address without having to type it. Press the Tab key, touch the screen, or use the mouse to move to the next option.

To send email to more than one person at one time, select the Cc & Bcc button (located to the right of the address line). Then type a recipient’s address in the Cc box (and the Bcc box as well, if you want to send a blind copy without revealing you’ve done so). (Once upon a time, CC stood for carbon copy, and then it became courtesy copy.) Technically, it makes no difference whether you use additional To addresses or the CC.

Enter a few words in the Subject box describing your message’s content or purpose.

Select below the Subject line. Type your message. Avoid all caps; purists consider caps to be SHOUTING! No need to press Enter as you approach the end of the line — this isn’t a typewriter.

Some people start a message with a salutation, such as Hi Peter, but many people do not. Some people sign email using their initials. Email can be as formal or casual as you choose to make it.

Words underlined with a red squiggle aren’t recognized by Windows 11 and may be misspelled. Right-click or tap and hold to see a pop-up menu, and choose Proofing on the menu. You see a list of suggested spellings. Choose the correct spelling if it is on the list. You can also go to the Options tab and select the Spelling button there.

When you’re ready to send the message, select the Send button (you’ll find it in the upper-right corner of the Compose window; refer to Figure 7-2). If you decide not to send the message, select the Discard button.

Email you compose but haven’t sent yet is kept in the Drafts folder. You can postpone writing a message and finish it later by going to the Drafts folder and opening your message there. To go the Drafts folder, select the Expand/Collapse button (if necessary) and then select Drafts in the All Folders panel.

If you select the Send button, your message is sent and you return to the folder you were in at the beginning of Step 1.

Repeat from Step 1 as needed.

FIGURE 7-2

Mail puts a signature at the bottom of email messages: “Sent from Mail for Windows 11.” If you don’t like this signature or want to put your own signature at the bottom of all the emails you send, select the Settings button on the bottom of the Folders panel. The Settings panel opens. Select Signature and either turn off signatures or enter a signature of your own.

Format Email

If you want to add bold, italics, or other formats to email, select the text you want to fancy up in the Compose window, as shown in Figure 7-3. If no text is selected, your formatting will apply to the word in which the cursor (the blinking vertical line in the content) is located.

Mouse: Click and drag the mouse pointer over the text you want to select.

Touchscreen: Tap and drag over the text you want to select.

Keyboard: With the cursor at the beginning of the text you want to select, hold down the Shift key as you press the right or down arrow to select text. Release the Shift key only after you have completed your selection.

To apply formatting to one word, double-click or double-tap that word to select it and display the app bar in one step.

The keyboard shortcut to select all text is Ctrl+A. No mouse or touchscreen method is quite so complete.

Using the commands on the Format tab, select from the following formatting options:

Bold: Bold is used for emphasis to make text stand out.

Italic: Although italic can also be used for emphasis, it may be harder to read than normal or bold text.

Underline: Because links are usually underlined automatically, you may want to avoid underlining text that isn’t a link.

Bulleted list: Select the Bullets button and enter items for the list. As you enter items, Mail attaches a bullet point to the start of each line.

Numbered list: Select the Numbering button and type the list. As you type, Mail assigns a number to each line.

Styles: Choose a style from the drop-down menu. A style applies many formats simultaneously. Heading 1, for example, enlarges the text and turns it blue.

See Chapter 1 for information on using the virtual keyboard’s emoticons.

To create a hyperlink, go to the Insert tab and select the Link button. Then enter the address destination of the hyperlink in the address bar that appears. See Chapter 6 for more information about hyperlinks.

When you finish formatting the text, select the Send button.

FIGURE 7-3

Send Files and Pictures

To send a file or picture with your email message, go to the Insert tab. As shown in Figure 7-4, the Insert tab offers tools for sending files and pictures.

Select the Files button to send a file. The Open dialog box appears. Locate and select the file you want to send and then select the Open button in the dialog box. You can send more than one file with an email message. In the Compose window, files you want to send appear as thumbnails under the heading “Attachments” (see Figure 7-4). Click the X button on a file if you change your mind about sending it.

To send a picture with an email message, place the cursor where you want the picture to be. Then select the Pictures button on the Insert tab. The Open dialog box appears. Select the picture and then click or tap the Insert button.

You can format pictures before sending them. Click or tap a picture to select it in the Compose window. The Picture tab appears. Using the tools on this tab, you can rotate, crop, and resize pictures.

When you have finished attaching your files and pictures, select the Send button to send them on their merry way.

FIGURE 7-4

Chapter 11 explains how you can use the Photos app to scan photos to send them to others.

Read and Respond to Incoming Email

On the Start screen, select the Mail tile. The Mail app opens to the Inbox folder.

Select a message under the Inbox heading. The Inbox view changes to the message view, as shown in Figure 7-5.

In email terminology, bouncing messages back and forth with someone about the same subject is called a conversation. When you select an email message that is part of a conversation, the other messages in the conversation appear as well so that you can select and reread them. You can also find these conversations in the Conversation History folder.

After you read the message, you can respond to or forward it if you want. Select the Reply or Reply All button to reply; select the Forward button to forward the message. Selecting any of these buttons starts a new message (refer to Figure 7-2) that includes the text of the original message. The subject line is automatically RE: [the original subject] (in the case of replies) or FW: [the original subject] (in the case of forwarded messages). Complete your message and select the Send button.

Reply All sends your response to all the other recipients, if a message is addressed to more than one person. The Reply option sends your response only to the sender. Select Forward to send the selected message to someone else. You can add your own text or remove portions of the forwarded message in the process.

See the sections “Write an Email Message” and “Format Email,” earlier in this chapter, for more information on composing an email message.

Note the following options for managing messages (to take advantage of some of these options, select the More button in the upper-right corner of the screen):

Delete: Use this option to delete the message.

Set Flag: Use this option to place a flag icon next to the message in the Inbox so that you remember to deal with the message later on. You can swipe right to flag a message.

Mark Unread/Read: Use this option if you want the message to appear unread (marked with a horizontal blue line in the Inbox). Select the More button (the three dots on the right side of the toolbar) to see this option. Some people mark a message as unread when they want to deal with it later.

Move: Use this option to move the selected email from one folder to another. To access the Move option, select the More button (refer to Figure 7-5). After you select Move on the More drop-down menu, select a folder in the Move To panel to move your email.

FIGURE 7-5

If you add email accounts from providers such as Gmail, you may see additional categories or options. See the section “Add an Email Account to Mail” at the end of the chapter.

Change Mail Settings

In Mail, display the Settings panel, shown in Figure 7-6. To display the Settings panel, display the Folder panel and select the Settings button (you’ll find it in the lower-right corner of the Folder panel). The Settings panel appears on the right side of the Mail screen.

On the Accounts panel, select Manage Accounts, and then select the email account with settings that need a change. The Account Settings dialog box appears (see Figure 7-7, left).

Make any desired changes on the Account Settings dialog box and select the Save button:

Account Name: The name of the email service provider. You can change this, if you want. Curt might use Curt’s email.

Change Mailbox Sync Settings: Click or tap here to open the Sync Settings dialog box (see Figure 7-7, right) and change how and when the Mail app collects email. Skip to Step 5 if you choose this option.

Delete Account: Deletes the email account. The Mail app is no longer associated with the account after you delete it.

In the Sync Settings dialog box (refer to Figure 7-7, right), choose settings and select the Done button:

Download New Content: If you don’t want email constantly streaming into your Inbox, you can change this setting to every 15 or 30 minutes, Hourly, or only when you select the Sync This View button (which is located next to the Search button).

Always Download Full Message and Internet Images: Select this option if pictures aren’t appearing in your incoming email messages.

Download Email From: You can limit how far back to download messages to your computer. This setting isn’t relevant in a new email account.

Sync Options: Turn the Email setting to Off only if you don’t want the Mail app to receive email from the account. Turn the other two settings, Calendar and Contacts, to Off if — for the purpose of privacy — you don’t want the Mail app to retrieve information from the Calendar app or People app.

FIGURE 7-6

FIGURE 7-7

Add an Email Account to Mail

If you have another email address, you can add it to Mail. Adding an account has definite advantages. Instead of going hither and yon to collect your email from different accounts, you can collect all your mail in one place — the Mail app. The following steps explain how to add an existing Gmail account to Mail. In Mail, display the Settings panel (refer to Figure 7-6) and then select Manage Accounts.

In the Manage Accounts panel, select Add Account.

Many people have more than one email address. Your Internet service provider probably gave you an email account, and you may have another through work or school. However, this feature isn't for everyone.

In the Add an Account dialog box, select the service with which you have an email account. If your service doesn’t appear here, select Other Account. If you have a Gmail address (or you just want to see what’s next), select Google.

On the Connecting to a Service screen, enter your Gmail address, select Next, and enter your password in the appropriate box. Then select Next. Select the Back button if you don’t want to continue.

The next screen informs you how your Gmail account will connect with the Mail app. Scroll to the bottom of this screen and select the Allow button.

In the dialog box that says you’ve added an account, select Go to Inbox.

Return to the Manage Accounts folder (select the Settings button and choose Manage Accounts in the Settings panel). As shown in Figure 7-8, the Manage Accounts panel shows you the names of your accounts. You can switch to a different account by selecting its name in the Manage Accounts panel.

FIGURE 7-8

See the preceding section, “Change Mail Settings,” for the steps to review or change settings for your newly added account.

Create Email Folders

You may have a certain person with whom you exchange emails often, such as a friend, adult child, or even grandchild. If you want to keep these messages, you can create a custom folder just for that purpose. This way, you can easily access those emails any time you want.

In Mail, click the All Folders button to display the All Folders panel.

Select the Create New Folder button, shown in Figure 7-9.

Enter the new folder name in the dialog box that appears and press Enter. The new folder now appears in the All Folders list.

Organize Email in Folders

All email you receive initially appears in Mail’s Inbox. You can move email that you want to keep to an appropriate folder. (You can create as many folders as you like, as shown in the previous section.) To move an email, first select the email in the Inbox to open it.

Select the Actions menu and then select Move. You can also right-click an email in your Inbox and select Move.

In the All Folders list that appears, select the folder you want to move the email to. The email message is moved to that folder, and you can access it any time by selecting that folder.

If you move an email message to a folder but later want to move it to a different folder, you can easily do so. Just open the folder where the message is currently stored and repeat the previous steps to move it to a different folder.

FIGURE 7-9

Chapter 8 Connecting with Microsoft Teams

IN THIS CHAPTER

Using Chat

Connecting with family and friends

Making video calls

Setting up meetings

Keeping in touch with family and friends is one of the most important things you can do. Windows 11 wants to make this easy for you with some new software called Microsoft Teams that is built into the operating system. Teams is, in a nutshell, communications software. Using Teams, you can easily chat with people you know, make video calls, and even schedule meetings.

Although the Teams software scales up to big, enterprise organizations where thousands of people in different locations can connect and work together, this chapter focuses on the Teams features that are most helpful to you.

You can also connect with people using Skype (see Chapter 9). Skype is also included with Windows 11, but Microsoft is phasing out Skype and it will be gone at some point. Teams is a better way to go now.

You can also download the Teams app and use the mobile app on your phone. That way, you can always stay in touch with people whether you’re using your computer or your phone. The Teams app is free — just search for it on your phone’s app store.

Use Chat

On the taskbar, click the Chat button. The Chat flyout panel appears. The Chat flyout panel is a part of Teams, but Windows 11 gives you the flyout panel as a quick and easy way to chat or meet with someone, as shown in Figure 8-1.

FIGURE 8-1

To start a chat, click the Chat button (see Figure 8-1). The New Chat window appears, shown in Figure 8-2. Teams attempts to locate contacts you already have on your computer (such as old Skype contacts, Mail app contacts, and so forth). But you can directly reach a contact with an email address and phone number as well. In the New Chat window, enter the name of an existing contact, or use an email address or phone number.

If you want to chat with multiple people at the same time, repeat Step 2 and then click Add a Group Name. For example, you could chat with your children or grandchildren all at one time, and name the group. This way, you easily chat with all the group members in the future. Note that if you want to chat with two or more people at the same time, the New Chat window will require you to add a group name. (See Figure 8-2.)

FIGURE 8-2

If you want to chat with multiple people, you can use a contact name, an email address, or phone number — in other words, you can mix and match these different contact methods.

Type the message you want and select the Send button, shown in Figure 8-3. Your contacts are sent your message.

FIGURE 8-3

As you chat, you can see what you’ve written as well as see responses from others. You can simply chat back and forth, as shown in Figure 8-4.

Note that you can attach files as well as send emojis and GIF images if you like. Just click those button options under the Chat message box to use them (see Figure 8-4).

If you attach emojis, GIFs, or images, they appear as a part of your chat rather than as attachments, as shown in Figure 8-5. This is a fun way to share, especially photos!

FIGURE 8-4

FIGURE 8-5

In the Chat flyout panel, you also have a Meet option, which starts a video call. Selecting this button opens the full version of Teams.

Chat in Teams

On the Chat flyout panel, select the Open Microsoft Teams link (refer to Figure 8-1). You can also start Teams any time using these methods:

Clicking the Search icon on the taskbar and searching for Teams.

Clicking the Microsoft Teams icon in the system tray of the taskbar (next to the date and time). You may need to select the Show Hidden Icons button to see the Teams icon.

The Teams interface gives you an app bar, a navigation pane, and then a content pane (which is similar to other windows in Windows 11, such as File Explorer). For example, in Figure 8-6, Chat is selected on the toolbar. Previous chat conversations appear in the navigation pane, and then the selected chat conversation appears in the content pane.

Select Chat on the toolbar. You can respond to any previous chat conversations by selecting the conversation in the navigation pane. Then just start chatting in the content pane. You can also start a new chat by selecting the New Chat button (refer to Figure 8-6).

When you select New Chat, the new chat appears in the contents pane. Enter the name, email, or phone number of the person you want to contact and then type your message, shown in Figure 8-7. This works the same way as chatting from the taskbar chat icon.

Chatting in Teams works the same as chatting from the Chat flyout panel available on the taskbar. The advantage of using Teams is that you may find it easier to jump from conversation to conversation because Teams gives you a navigation pane and a content pane in the same interface.

FIGURE 8-6

If you’re chatting with someone, you can easily jump to a video or audio call by clicking the button options (refer to Figure 8-7). See the “Start a Meeting” section, later in this chapter.

Respond to Activity

In Teams, select Activity on the toolbar. The Activity section shows you specific mentions (Teams calls them @mentions) of you. For example, you may be chatting with five people in a group. When someone specifically mentions you, that mention appears in Activity, as shown in Figure 8-8. This feature helps make sure you don’t miss anything specific to you.

FIGURE 8-7

When someone mentions you, or you mention someone, you type @username. For example, if you have a contact named Sue Williams and you want to mention Sue, you type @Sue Williams. Your mention then shows up in Sue’s Activity in Teams. Note that a mention has an @ symbol with it and is pronounced “at mention.”

With Activity selected on the toolbar, click the @mention you want to see in the Feed (navigation pane). Then you can respond to the @mention on the content pane (see Figure 8-8).

@mentions appear in the Feed as bold type, meaning that you haven’t read them yet. You can mark an @mention as read after you read it or if you don’t want to read it. Just point to the @mention and select More Options to the right. You see the option to mark the @mention as read, shown in Figure 8-9.

FIGURE 8-8

FIGURE 8-9

Manage Chats

In Teams, select Chat on the toolbar.

Choose a chat conversation in the navigation pane and select More Options (point your mouse to the chat to see the More Options button appear; it’s the three dots).

The More Options menu gives you a few different ways to manage chat conversations, as shown in Figure 8-10:

Pop-Out Chat: This option opens the chat in a new, pop-out window.

Mark as Read / Unread: You can mark a chat as either read or unread. If you’ve read the chat, it will default to “read,” but you can change it back to unread if you want (which is a good way to remind yourself to respond to chat later).

Pin: This option pins the chat conversation to the top of your Chat list in the navigation pane. Doing so makes it easy to return to conversations you’re actively engaged in.

Mute: Say you’re chatting with a group of friends, but the conversation spirals into details that don’t pertain to you. You can mute the conversation so that you don’t get updates as people continue to chat.

Block: This option blocks a chat and the people chatting with you. Make sure you want to use this feature before you block someone from getting in touch.

Hide: This option hides the chat from the navigation pane so that you won’t see it any longer.

Delete: Finished with a chat? You can choose to delete it from the navigation pane. Be careful: After you delete a chat conversation, it’s gone forever!

You can also filter your chat conversations. For example, if you have a lot of conversations in the chat navigation pane, it can be difficult to find the one you want. You can select the Filter option on the navigation pane and see only the chats from a specific person, as shown in Figure 8-10. This will make finding specific chat conversations easier.

You can invite your friends and family to join Teams so that you can more easily connect with them. At the bottom of the navigation pane, select the Invite to Teams button. A window appears with a link, as shown in Figure 8-11. Click Copy. You can then paste this link into email messages, text messages, and so forth. The link gives your friends and family a quick way to download the Teams software and get connected with you. A Microsoft Account is required for anyone using Teams.

FIGURE 8-10

FIGURE 8-11

Start a Meeting

In Teams, a meeting is a live video call. To start a meeting, select Chat on the toolbar and select the Meet Now button, shown in Figure 8-12.

FIGURE 8-12

In the dialog box that appears, give the meeting a name (you can accept the default name). You can then get a link for the meeting, which you can send to others whom you want to attend, or you can start the meeting. Click Start Meeting.

The Teams interface changes to a video meeting window, shown in Figure 8-13. Before you join the meeting, there are a few important settings you can set up here:

Turn on Audio: This setting is on by default; otherwise, your microphone will not work during the meeting.

Turn on Video: This setting is on by default; otherwise, your webcam will not work during the meeting.

Background Filter: This option, shown in Figure 8-14, blurs the background of your video. This option is helpful to reduce clutter and increase visibility in your video. It also helps provide some level of privacy (unless you want everyone to see the unfolded laundry behind you!).

FIGURE 8-13

FIGURE 8-14

Device Settings: This feature opens a panel where you can select the speakers, microphone, and camera you want to use for the video call, shown in Figure 8-15. This feature is really only helpful if you have multiple microphones or webcams connected to your computer. This way, you can choose the ones you want to use.

Select Join Now. The Video window opens. You see yourself as well as any other participants as they join the meeting. Now you can visit virtually with your friends, family, and any other person or group you want to meet with.

FIGURE 8-15

When you’re finished meeting, just select the red Leave button in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Schedule a Meeting

In Teams, select Calendar on the toolbar and choose the New Meeting button, shown in Figure 8-16. The odds are good that you’ll want to schedule meetings with other people. When you schedule a meeting, you create a date and time and then send a meeting link to the people you want to invite so that you can all meet at the same time. This is a great way to schedule time with others.

FIGURE 8-16

In the New Meeting window, make sure that your time zone is correct, and then enter the details of the meeting, as shown inFigure 8-17. When you’re done, select Save.

Teams creates the meeting and gives you a dialog box from which you can copy the meeting link and even add it to Google Calendar. Either way, you want to share the meeting with the link or calendar with the people you want to attend.

FIGURE 8-17

When you send a meeting link, all the participant has to do is click the link to open the meeting in Microsoft Teams.

Need to cancel a meeting? No problem — select Calendar on the toolbar and locate your meeting on the calendar. Right-click the meeting and select Cancel. You can also right-click the meeting and choose Edit to change the date, time, and other details.

Manage Teams Settings

In Teams, select Settings and More and choose Settings from the menu, as shown in Figure 8-18.

In the Settings pane, choose Notifications. Teams will notify you if someone is trying to connect with you through notifications and sounds. You can manage the notifications and sounds by clicking Open Windows Notifications Settings. Here, you can determine what notifications you receive. For more information about Windows 11 notifications, see Chapter 3.

FIGURE 8-18

Select Appearance and accessibility in the Settings panel. Here, you can choose a theme for Teams. By default, Light is selected, but you can choose Dark or High Contrast if you like, as shown in Figure 8-19.

Select Privacy in the Settings panel. The default settings here are all you need, but there is one setting you should note. By default, when you read a chat or anything else in Teams, the sender can see that you’ve read it (called a read receipt). You can turn this feature off with the toggle button if you don’t want others knowing whether you’ve read their messages.

FIGURE 8-19

Chapter 9 Exploring Apps for Your Daily Life

IN THIS CHAPTER

Managing Life with the To Do app

Scheduling with the Calendar app

Video-chatting with Skype

Talking to Cortana

This chapter describes a handful of apps that the average Joe or Jane might use every day. It shows how to manage tasks and lists to keep track of your life with the To Do app. You also use the Calendar app to keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, and other events.

This chapter delves into the Maps app, showing you how to use it to get directions and to look up hotels and restaurants when you’re on the go. You see how two Windows 11 apps, Sticky Notes and Alarms & Clock, can help you complete tasks on time, and how WordPad can help you with your word processing chores.

Finally, this chapter demonstrates how to make the Lock screen indicate whether you’ve received email, how to chat face-to-face with family and friends over the Internet with Skype, and how to ask questions of Cortana.

Add a Task with Microsoft To Do

Select the Search icon on the taskbar and search for To Do. Select the To Do app that appears in the search results. The To Do app opens and likely opens with the Getting Started option selected in the left pane. If not, select Getting Started, shown in Figure 9-1.

FIGURE 9-1

Select Add a Task in the right pane. Type the name of the task. For example, you could type Pay phone bill, as shown in Figure 9-2.

After you type a name, three options appear in the name field: Add a Due Date, Remind Me, and Repeat (refer to Figure 9-2). Select Add a Due Date, shown in Figure 9-3, and select one of the options, or choose pick a date to choose a date from a calendar.

To set a reminder, select the Remind Me option and choose a default reminder time to appear, or you can pick a date and time. When you select a reminder, Windows 11 displays a reminder on your computer on the designated date and time.

FIGURE 9-2

If you want to want to make the task recurring, select the Repeat option. This feature is handy for tasks you do every week or month, such as paying a bill. The task will automatically recur, and if you set up a reminder, you’ll also get an automatic reminder as well. When you select Repeat, just choose how often you want to repeat the task (daily, weekly, and so on), or you can create a custom repeat schedule.

When you’re done, click the plus sign (+) that appears next to the task to save it (see Figure 9-4).

Tasks that have a due date appear in the Planned section in the left pane of the app. If you select Planned, you see a lists of tasks that you’ve created and when they’re due, as shown in Figure 9-5.

FIGURE 9-3

FIGURE 9-4

When you finish a task (or decide you don’t want it any longer), just select the circle next to the task’s name. This will make the task show as completed.

Edit a Task

Sometimes thing change and you need to edit a task as well. For example, say you have an appointment that gets moved to a different day or time. You don’t need to create a new task — you can just edit the existing one quickly and easily. Open the To Do app and locate the task you want to edit (you may find it by selecting Planned or Tasks in the left pane).

FIGURE 9-5

Select the task you want to edit. A pop-up panel appears with options to edit the task. For example, in Figure 9-6, Curt has an appointment to take the cat to the vet. He can simply select the date to change it and save the new date.

You can also change the Remind Me schedule or the Repeat schedule on this pane. Just select those options to edit them.

Change your mind and want to delete a task completely? No problem — just right-click the task and select Delete Task.

FIGURE 9-6

Create a List

Individual tasks are helpful, but sometimes you need a group of tasks that revolve around the same thing. In this case, you want to create a To Do List. For example, say you’re planning a birthday party for a family member and have several ideas you don’t want to forget. A list can help you remember them!

Open the To Do app and in the left pane, select New List. Type a name for the list and press Enter. The new list appears, as shown in Figure 9-7. Here, we’ve created a list to plan a birthday party.

Now, begin adding tasks to the list by clicking the Add a Task option at the bottom of the app. You can create as many tasks as you need for your list. The tasks appear under the list name, as shown in Figure 9-8.

FIGURE 9-7

You can make changes to any task in a list as needed. You can complete a task, edit it, or even delete it if you want. Refer to the previous “Edit a Task” section.

You can do other things with the To Do app, such as plan your day, flag important tasks, and manage groceries, but everything in the app revolves around Tasks and Lists, so feel free to explore the app a bit more. Also, you can download the Microsoft To Do app on your phone, and it will sync with your computer’s To Do List automatically (if you’re signed in with your Microsoft Account). Just search for Microsoft To Do at your app store to find and download it. The mobile app is a great tool when you need a list of to-do items at your fingertips or reminders about groceries you need — after all, you don’t want to forget the ice cream!

FIGURE 9-8

Add a Birthday or Anniversary to the Calendar

To see the calendar and add events, open the Calendar app by selecting the Search icon on the taskbar, typing calendar in the Search box, and selecting Calendar in the search results. You may see events and appointments from services you connected to in Mail.

On the Calendar app bar located along the top of the screen (refer to Figure 9-9), select each of the following formats:

Day: This format displays a single day with a box for each hour. Select arrows near the top of the screen to scroll back or forward one day at a time. Scroll up and down to see more hours in the day.

Week: The current week appears. Scroll or use the arrows to go from hour to hour or week to week.

FIGURE 9-9

Open the drop-down menu on the Week button and choose Work Week to see the current workweek (Monday through Friday).

Month: The current month appears in the classic month layout. (Depending on the size of your screen, you may have to scroll to see this format.) Today is highlighted with a different color. Use arrows near the top to move forward and back a month at a time.

Year: The months of the year appear. You can select a month to open a month in Month view.

Select the Today button on the Calendar app bar to go immediately to today’s date on the Calendar.

If you don’t see the Month or Year option, select the See More button to view them.

The Calendar offers two ways to add an event: the short-but-cursory way and the slow-but-thorough way:

Short but cursory: Click or tap the day on which the event is to occur (in the Month format) or the hour and date on which it is to occur (in the Day or Week formats). You see the pop-up window shown in Figure 9-10. With luck, this little window is all you need to describe the event. Type the event’s name, and if it isn’t an all-day event, deselect the All Day check box (if necessary) and use the start time and end time menus to describe when the event starts and ends. You can also type the event’s location. Select the Save button when you finish describing the event (or select the More Details link to open the Details screen and go to Step 4).

Slow but thorough: Select the New Event button (refer to Figure 9-9). The Details screen appears, as shown in Figure 9-11. Move on to Step 4.

FIGURE 9-10

FIGURE 9-11

Under Details, enter or (or change) any of the following data for the event:

Event Name: Describe the event in one to three words. The description you enter will appear on your calendar.

Location: If listing the location will help you get to the event on time, by all means list it. The location, like the event name, appears on the calendar.

Start and End: Select the calendar icon, and on the pop-up menu that appears, choose the day on which the event begins and then the day on which it ends.

Hours/All Day: If this isn’t an all-day event, deselect the All Day check box, if necessary. Then use the drop-down menus to describe when the event will occur.

If the event is one that recurs, you can schedule it on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis on the calendar. Weekly staff meetings, birthdays, and anniversaries are examples of recurring events. Select the Repeat button on the app bar along the top of the screen to schedule a recurring event. Then, using the Repeat options that appear in the Details screen, describe how often the event occurs, when it occurs, and when it will cease occurring.

Event Description: Describe the event in detail if you think it’s necessary. Should you wear the tux or the zoot suit? The ball gown or the formal dress? This is the place to record your thoughts on the matter.

Optionally, use the commands on the app bar at the top of the screen to further describe the event:

Show As: Choose an option on this menu if you share your calendar with someone, such as a receptionist, who may schedule you for other events. You can declare yourself free, tentative, busy, or out of the office.

Reminder: How far in advance of the event do you want Calendar to display a notification? Choose None, 5 Minutes, 15 Minutes, 30 Minutes, 1 Hour, 12 Hours, 1 Day, or 1 Week.

Private: Select this option (look for the lock symbol) to prevent this event from appearing on a shared or public calendar. The event remains visible on your own screen.

When you’re done, select the Save button. (Select the Delete button if you don’t want to create an event.)

On the calendar, your event appears on the specified date and time.

To edit an event, select it on the calendar. A pop-up screen appears with details about the event. Select the event’s name in the pop-up screen to open the Details screen, where you can add or change any detail.

To delete an event, open it in the Details screen and select the Delete button (a trash can).

If your Microsoft Account is connected to a third-party service such as Gmail, events from that service appear on your calendar. To load third-party service information into the Calendar app, select the Settings button (in the lower-left corner of the screen) and select Manage Accounts in the Settings panel. You see a list of accounts. Select the account, and in the Account Settings screen, select Change Mailbox Sync Settings. Then, on the Sync Settings screen, choose whether to sync the calendar on the third-party service with the calendar you see in the Calendar screen.

Search and Explore with the Maps App

Use the Search icon on the taskbar and search for Maps; then select the Maps app in the search results. Use this app to locate places and to get driving or walking directions.

Click or tap in the Search box. A drop-down list appears. It lists items you already searched for, if you searched already. You can select an item on the list to revisit it.

Type 1 california st, san francisco (you don’t need to enter capital letters) in the Search box. As you type, options appear in the Search panel. Select the address you entered, not the names of businesses located at the address. As shown in Figure 9-12, the Maps app shows you where the address is located; it also provides a photo. As well as typing addresses in the Search box, you can enter the names of places and landmarks.

FIGURE 9-12

Select the Zoom Out button (or press Ctrl+minus sign) on the app bar in the map. Then select the Zoom In button (or press Ctrl+plus sign). The tools on the app bar can help you read the map better (refer to Figure 9-12).

Select the Directions button (refer to Figure 9-12), which is the button in the upper-right corner near the Search box. (Or you can press Ctrl+D.) Tools appear to help you get from place to place. Click or tap in the Starting Point box (Box A), and when the drop-down menu appears, choose 1 California St, the address you already entered. In the Destination box (Box B), enter 1501 haight st and choose the 1501 Haight St address in San Francisco in the drop-down menu that appears.

Select the Get Directions link. As shown in Figure 9-13, the Maps app gives you several sets of driving directions between the two addresses and tells you how long each drive will take. Select a drive in the list to get specific instructions for driving between the two addresses. After you select a drive, you can click or tap the Print icon to print the instructions.

FIGURE 9-13

Are you walking, not driving? In that case, select the Walking icon at the top of the Search panel to get directions for walking between the two locations. You can also select the Transit icon to get directions for getting there by public transportation.

Select the Search button (the magnifying glass in the upper-left corner of the screen) and then select 1501 Haight St., San Francisco in the drop-down menu. You get a detailed look at the streets surrounding this address. Select the Restaurants icon under What’s Nearby (refer to Figure 9-12) to see restaurants on the map. You can select the name of a restaurant to find out more about it. The What’s Nearby icons also provide the means to find attractions, parking, hotels, and other goodies.

The Maps app keeps tabs on your travels. Select a tab along the top of the screen to retrace your steps and revisit a map you saw earlier.

Stay on Time with the Clock App

For the most part, the Clock app is a simple tool that gives you a few different options to set timers. Open the Clock app by searching for Clock, using the Search icon on the taskbar. You see a navigation pane on the left side of the app where you can toggle between different options (see Figure 9-14). They are:

Focus Sessions: You can choose Start Focus Session to create a timer for something specific. For example, if you’re exercising on a treadmill and you want to walk for a specific time, you can create daily focus sessions and track your progress over time (refer to Figure 9-14).

Timer: You can activate some present timers (1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes). You can also click the + icon to create a new timer. When you start a timer, a chime will sound when the timer is complete.

Alarm: You can set a daily alarm (or choose which days you want the alarm to sound). For example, you could set a daily wake-up alarm, a daily exercise alarm, and so forth.

FIGURE 9-14

Timer: Here you find a simple timer you can use. You can also select the Lap/Split button while you’re using the timer to mark laps and such. This feature is helpful if you’re exercising and want to flag the time a lap took to complete.

World Clock: This lets you view the local time, but you can also select the + button to see the time and date in any city in the world.

You can select the Settings option (refer to Figure 9-14) to make some adjustments to the Clock app. For example you can turn on or off end-of-session or break sounds (and adjust the sounds as well). You can also adjust the app theme if you like.

Write Documents with WordPad

Windows 11 comes with a word processing app called WordPad. Word processors are applications that you can use to write letters, reports, and other documents. WordPad isn’t as sophisticated as its cousin Microsoft Word, the world’s most famous word processor, but it’s pretty darn good. And it doesn’t cost anything. Moreover, you can open documents created in Word in WordPad (though the document may not display all of Word’s formatting correctly). Word can read WordPad documents, too. To start WordPad, type WordPad using the Search icon on the taskbar and then select WordPad in the search results. WordPad opens, as shown in Figure 9-15.

FIGURE 9-15

Type a few words and then select the words by dragging over them. You can tell when words are selected because they are highlighted. After you select words, you can reformat them. Open the Font Family menu on the toolbar and choose your favorite font. Then open the Font Size menu and choose a font size. By changing fonts and font sizes, you can change the words’ appearance.

Click or tap the Bold button (the B) on the Home tab (or press Ctrl+B). The words are boldfaced. Boldfacing, italicizing (select the Italic button), and underlining (select the Underline button) are other ways to change the appearance of words.

Select the Linespace button and choose an option — 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, or 2 — on the drop-down list that appears. In this way, you can change the amount of space between lines. For example, choosing 2 double-spaces the text you selected.

You can choose formatting commands before you start typing. The commands you choose are applied to the words you write next. It isn’t necessary to write the words first and then select them to make formatting changes.

Drag the Zoom slider in the lower-right corner of the screen to the right (or click or tap the Zoom In button on the right side of the slider). Zooming in increases the size of text on the screen so that you can see it better. Drag the slider to the left (or click or tap the Zoom Out button) to make the text look smaller.

Press Ctrl+S or select the Save button (located in the upper-left corner of the screen) to save your document. You see the Save As dialog box. WordPad documents are saved in the RTF format (RTF stands for rich text format). As we mention earlier, Microsoft Word can read and display RTF files. Enter a name for your document and select the Save button.

Chapter 15 explains how to open, save, and otherwise manage files.

Write a Sticky Note to Yourself

Use the Search icon and search for Sticky Notes. Select the app in the search results to open it. A sticky note — like the ones in Figure 9-16 — appears on the screen. Sticky notes are the digital equivalents of the yellow stick-’em tabs that people attach to their computers and desks. Use sticky notes to remind yourself to do something or be somewhere.

FIGURE 9-16

Type the note. Then move the pointer over the stripe at the top of the note and drag the note to a corner of the screen.

You can change the size of a sticky note. Move the pointer over the lower-right corner of the note. When the pointer changes to double arrows, start dragging.

Click or tap the New Note button (refer to Figure 9-16). Another sticky note appears. Write a second note and drag it to a corner of the screen.

Click or tap the Delete Note button on one of your notes when you no longer need it. You can also format the note text or even add an image (refer to Figure 9-16).

Chat Face-to-Face with Skype

Select the Search icon on the taskbar and type skype in the Search box; then select the Skype app in the search results. You can use this app to video chat with others. (You can also use the Microsoft Teams app to video chat; see Chapter 8 for more information.) To use Skype, your computer must have audio and video capability. You can also use Skype if a webcam is connected to your computer.

You need to sign in to your Microsoft Account before you use Skype. See Chapter 4 for information about creating a Microsoft Account.

The first time you use the Skype app, the screen asks you to sign in with your Microsoft Account as well as add a photo (if you like), and then it asks you to test your microphone and webcam. Just follow the instructions to check everything.

The Skype screen lists the names of people on your Contacts list and people you have called before using Skype. You can select one of these people to call them now. If the person you want to call isn’t listed, enter their name in the Search Skype box and select the Search button (which looks like a magnifying glass). The Skype directory opens, as shown in Figure 9-17. Scroll to find the person you want to call, using the person’s photo ID and geographical information as your guide.

When you see the name of the person you want to call, select the name. Then, on the call screen, select the Video Call button. You hear a ring tone as the call is made, and you see the person’s face if they answer. Your face appears in the lower-right corner of the screen so that you can see what your face looks like to the caller. (You can drag this screen from place to place.) Start talking. Smile. Trade the latest news. Have a ball.

FIGURE 9-17

Select the Video and Microphone buttons when you need a little privacy. Select the Video button to turn off your video (the other caller can’t see you); select the Microphone button to turn off your audio (the other caller can’t hear you).

Select the Open Conversation button (in the upper-right corner of the screen) to send an instant message to the other caller. The message panel appears. In the bottom of the message panel, type your message and press Enter. Sending text messages is a useful way to communicate when you have technical difficulties or the other caller isn’t answering. Select the Close Conversation button (at the top of the Chat window) to close the message panel.

Select the red End Call button to complete your call.

When someone calls you, the Incoming Call panel appears. Select Turn Video On (at the bottom of the panel) to initiate the call.

Ask Questions of Cortana

Select the Search icon on the taskbar and type cortana in the Search box; then select the Cortana app in the search results. The first time you use Cortana, the app asks you to sign in with your Microsoft Account. Click or tap the Speak to Cortana button (it looks like a microphone) on the lower-right side of the app window. Cortana can respond to questions you ask with your voice.

To use Cortana, your computer’s microphone must be up and running. Turn to Chapter 14 if the microphone on your computer isn’t connected or working properly.

Say aloud, “Tell me a joke.” As you say these words, they appear in the text box, and if all goes right, Cortana recites a joke. As well, the words of the joke appear on the screen, as shown in Figure 9-18.

Select the microphone button and ask, “What is the weather in Chicago, Illinois?” Cortana gives you the weather in Chicago.

Select the microphone button and ask, “What is the safest car?” As shown in Figure 9-19, Cortana quickly searches the Internet and provides an answer. Regardless of whether Cortana can answer a question well, you can always select the See More Results on Bing.com link in Cortana to open your browser to the Bing website and conduct a search there.

Cortana can remind you to attend events and appointments. Say “Remind me.” Cortana replies, “Sure thing, what should I remind you about?” or “What do you want to remember?” Next, say “Walk the dog.” Cortana asks when you want to be reminded. Reply, “In five minutes,” and answer “yes” when Cortana asks you to confirm that you want to be reminded. As long as you begin by saying “Remind me,” Cortana can record reminders like this.

FIGURE 9-18

FIGURE 9-19