This week's top tips

An indispensible free tool  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Remote Desktop software has been essential to so many people for decades now. It's especially useful when you want to help someone you know with their computer. (But you can use it to access your own PC on the go, too.) Rather than traveling to someone, you can remotely access their computer, seeing what's on their screen and controlling it with your mouse and keyboard as if you were sitting in front of it. The built-in Windows solutions for this aren't great. The classic Remote Desktop tool requires too much configuration, and [Microsoft's Quick Assist utility](=) only works on Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs. Readers have recommended many different remote desktop tools to me, but there's one that stands out for being completely free, easy to use, and trustworthy. It's been around for over a decade now. ⌚ This entire email will take you two minutes to read. Remember: If you'd rather not receive these Monday tip roundups, [you can easily opt out of them](=) without affecting the rest of your subscription. ☑ [Got it — don't show this again](=)​ This week's reader suggestion 🖥️ Remote desktop software lets you control a PC as if you're sitting in front of it. It's great for troubleshooting someone else's PC — and it's great for remotely accessing your own PC, too. Many readers have recommended a wide variety of different remote desktop programs to me. But, if you're looking for something that is easy to use and is 100% free without a nag to pay up, I've got just the ticket. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. ➜ It's called [Chrome Remote Desktop](, and it's made by Google. JR Raphael of Android Intelligence fame recommended it to me, and he's just one of many people I've heard endorse it over the years. In just a few clicks, you can set up Chrome Remote Desktop on your PC. For example, you can: - Get an access code, and provide that code to give someone else one time access to your PC. - Type an access code someone else gave you to gain one-time access to their PC. - Set up remote access, which will let you access your own PC remotely — for example, from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. But, unless you go out of your way to set up remote access, Chrome Remote Desktop just makes it easy to give someone else one-time access to your PC. They can use their mouse and keyboard to control it like they were sitting in front of it, and you'll see a message saying someone else has access to your PC while they're controlling it. You can cut the connection in a single click, if you like. Want to gain remote access to someone else's PC? Just point them at the website, ask them to set it up in a few clicks, and get the code from them. [The Chrome Remote Desktop sharing confirmation dialog.] Tools like this have always been an indispensable way to help someone else you know with their PC. You don't have to travel to them and sit down in front of their computer — you can just walk them through setting this up on the phone and then use their computer as if you were sitting in front of it. Chrome Remote Desktop is also great because it works everywhere: Windows 11, Windows 10, chromeOS, Android, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Linux. It's also totally free, but you will need to sign into a Google account to use it. To get started, just head to the [Chrome Remote Desktop website](. The website will walk you through setting things up — if you want to help support someone remotely, they'll need to go to the "Remote Support" page and click a few buttons to install the Chrome Remote Desktop software and get a code they can provide to you. While the connection is active and someone else is remotely accessing your desktop, you will always see a sharing notification bar with a big "Stop Sharing" button you can click. You're in control. [The Chrome Remote Desktop sharing bar.] For more information on setting up Chrome Remote Desktop, check out [JR's very informative getting started guide](. And, if you're at all interested in Android or Google in general, I recommend [subscribing to his excellent Android Intelligence newsletter]( if you haven't already done so! 🚗 Looking for this week's Android Intelligence reader tip? It's all about an awesome upgrade for your Google Maps adventures. [Read it here!](=)​ ​ 💡 Got a useful tip you'd like to share with other Windows enthusiasts? [Submit it here](=) — or just reply to this email and share it with me! I'd love to feature your useful advice in a future newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- Some tips you don't want to miss Now, a rapid-fire summary of the best useful tips from our most recent issues — just in case you overlooked something or haven't explored it yet! 🎨 Give your taskbar some color: Did you know you can change your PC's taskbar to any color you like? You're not limited to a white or black taskbar — you can have your taskbar be green, blue, red, or any other color. The options are built right into Windows, but they're a little disguised. [Here's how to add a splash of color](=). 🎯 Activate a very visible text cursor indicator: Windows lets you enable a colorful text cursor that's much easier to spot. On Windows 11, open the Settings app and head to Accessibility > Text cursor. On Windows 10, open the Settings app and head to Ease of Access > Text cursor. Then, activate the "Text cursor indicator" here and choose your preferred size and color. 📂 Change the view in a folder in File Explorer: You can quickly switch between views in a file explorer folder without clicking toolbar buttons or menus. Just position your mouse cursor over the folder view, hold down the Ctrl key, and rotate your mouse wheel. Or, press Ctrl+Shift along with a number key one through eight — for example, Ctrl+Shift+5 — to choose different views. 🔮 See into the future of big tech: Discovering where big tech is securing new patents has never been easier! [Patent Drop](), a bi-weekly newsletter that uncovers where tech titans are investing their time and money, keeps you ahead of the curve with news and analysis of innovation at its earliest stages. [Sign up to learn all about the tech of tomorrow](), absolutely free. [SPONSORED] 📹 Try a privacy-conscious video chat app that works everywhere: A nifty new service called [Yep](=) lets you fire up video chat rooms with two to 12 people [without any downloads, required sign-ins, or any manner of data being collected](). It works on any type of device, too — Android, iOS, Windows, you name it — without any restrictions or limits involved. 🪄 Create some awesome on-demand floating widgets: What if you could call up any widget with a quick press of one of your phone's physical buttons for easy on-demand access, no matter what else you're doing? Good news: [JR has found a way]( — and he's got a feeling you're gonna love it as much as he does. 🌍 Turn any web page into a custom Android widget: One last widget-related wonder to wow you with: An excellent free app called [Widgetify]( makes it possible to transform any web page into a live, interactive widget you can keep on your home screen. Just download the app, then press and hold your finger onto any open space on your home screen and select the option to add a widget to get it going. It shouldn't take you more than a couple minutes, tops. 🗳️ Everyone's talking about the controversial Windows Recall feature. Do you plan on using it? [Vote in this week's Windows Intelligence poll!]() I'll share the final results on Friday. 📖 Save big on ebooks: Remember the days of rummaging through discounted book bins to find a great deal? [BookBub](=) helps you find the same deals, only on ebooks. Just answer a few questions about your reading preferences and BookBub will send you daily emails with deals picked specifically for you. [Start saving up to 95% off of bestselling books](=) today!* [SPONSORED] * Available for U.S. residents only. --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think? Was this email worth your time? Did you enjoy reading it? [Thumbs Up]() [Thumbs Down](=) Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down above to let me know what you think. Thanks as always for reading, and I hope you have an awesome week! Too much email? No worries: You can [opt out of receiving these roundups or unsubscribe entirely here](=). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider]( to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, our on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Finally, if you enjoyed this issue, please consider supporting my work directly with [one-time contribution](=), or make a contribution via [PayPal]( or [Venmo](=)!