How To Add Sticky Notes To Your Windows 10 Desktop
Sticky notes have been part of the Windows repertoire of features for quite a while now. They may have outlived their usefulness for many, given the countless productivity apps now available across all major desktop, web, and mobile platforms, but Microsoft clearly hasn’t forgotten them. The feature was retained in Windows 10, fortunately for those of us who’d still want to make use of it.
There are, of course, fancier solutions available out there, some that work quite well with Windows itself, but sometimes, all one needs is a place to quickly take down an important piece of info. The Sticky Notes UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app in Windows 10 offers that simplicity and easy accessibility that a once-in-a-while use case scenario would require. The app’s nativity allows it to integrate with Bing and Cortana via a new Insights feature that automatically identifies important information like dates, times, flight numbers, and addresses, allowing you to view additional info or perform related actions.
Intrigued? Stick with us to learn how to use the new Sticky Notes app and the aforementioned Insights feature.
How To Launch Sticky Notes
There are two ways to launch the Sticky Notes app:
You can press the Windows and W keys together to launch the Windows Ink Workspace and select Sticky Notes.
You can also simply enter “Sticky Notes” into Windows Search or the Start Menu and launch the app from there.
How To Add/Delete Notes And More
If you’re opening the app for the first time, it will automatically create a new, blank note for you. Click the ‘+’ button in the top-left corner of the note to add another floating note to the screen, the ‘…’ button to change the background color of the note, or the trash can icon to delete it.
You can click and drag the top portion of a note to reposition it anywhere on the screen. Notes can also be resized the same way you would resize a window. Notes always appear over the desktop and below any other apps or windows you may have open. The Sticky Notes app can be closed from its icon in the Taskbar. Doing so will not delete any of the notes you’ve created. The next time you open the app, you will find all your notes as you left them, in the very same positions as before.
The ‘x’ at the top-right of the screen only gets rid of the overlay. It does not close any of your notes.
How To Enable & Use The Insights Feature
The first time you launch the Sticky Notes app, it will ask you if you’d like to enable Insights. If you missed or ignore the prompt, click the ‘…’ button to the top-right corner of any note, then the cog-shape icon in the bottom-left corner, and toggle Enable Insights to On in the window that follows.
Once that is done, the app will automatically highlight contextual info, allowing you to take corresponding actions through Bing or Cortana. For example, mentioning a particular time or date within a note will allow you to add a reminder for the same using Cortana while addresses can be viewed within Bing maps.
Contextual information is automatically highlighted. All you need to do is click the highlighted portion and confirm the action displayed within the note.
Did this guide help you? Show us some love by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for instant social media updates from our website!
