1. Power Toys (Native Tools for Windows)

Power Toys alone will send you going gaga over it in front of your friends. The open-source project from the house of Microsoft packs over 15 tools all rolled into one. If macOS has Alfred, Windows has Power Toys. You can extract text from images, batch rename files, enable hidden add-ons for File Explorer, measure pixels or screen ruler, and so much more. Power Toys is available on both GitHub and Microsoft Store though downloading the app from the latter will automatically keep it updated. It is free to use and the active dev community keeps adding new features every now and then. The list of tools has grown since the last time I reviewed it. Certainly one of the best personal productivity app for Windows. Download Power Toys

One of the benefits of using an iPhone and a MacBook is how everything syncs between the two devices. Now you can have the same, and more, feature on your Windows and Android. Download Phone Link on Windows and Link to Windows on Android devices. Once the setup is done, you can make and receive calls, check messages, and view images and videos saved in the Gallery app right from your computer. Other small but valuable features include the ability to share links and text across devices. If you have Samsung S series, you can also access apps and drag and drop files between your desktop and mobile. Download Phone Link (For Windows) and Link to Windows (For Android)

3. Feem (Share Files Across All Desktop and Mobile OS)

This is the default personal productivity tool of choice that many of us at TW use for sharing screenshots and other files from across devices as well as operating systems. Feem is available on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. No matter what file type you want to share and where Feem simply works. You can also share text and links across devices and it’s all done quickly. Feem is the last file-sharing app that you will ever use or need. Works everywhere and is completely free to use. They do have a premium plan that unlocks advanced features like offline file sharing, use on more than 4 devices, removing ads, and rename devices. Download Feem

4. Fences (Organize Desktop and Preview Files)

macOS is excellent at organizing desktop files. But it does one more thing and that’s preview files without even opening them. Yup. Simply select a video file and it begins playing right inside the icon without opening in a video player. Now all of that and more can be done on Windows using Fences. A must-have for Windows 10 and 11 users. Fences will sort and organize your files by type or any other rule you set. It then creates a ‘shaded area’ where all icons are neatly stacked. I like how you can ‘roll up’ the stacked area so it consumes less space on the desktop so you can view the wallpaper. And finally, you can now preview files right on your desktop without having to open them in a separate app window. I was using Seer app for that but no longer. The free version is good for a single PC, however, anything more and you will need to shell out money and plans begin at $49. Download Fences

5. Push Bullet (Sync Files and Notifications Anywhere)

While Feem has us covered when it comes to transferring files and links from one device to another irrespective of the operating system in use, what about notifications? Push Bullet also manages your phone notifications and sends them to you. Not just that, they have an API that lets other services integrate Push Bullet meaning you can also receive notifications from these channels. Thanks to the API, you can also use it as a messaging app and chat with your friends even if they are not on the same Wi-Fi network or connected via Bluetooth. Think of it as a cross between Phone Link and Feem with some features missing while some benefits present. Works on popular browsers as well. Plans begin at $40 per year. The only drawback is that it doesn’t work on the Apple ecosystem. Download Push Bullet

6. Rambox (All-in-One Workspace)

Another powerful and must-have personal productivity Windows app that pretty much everyone at TW uses. Rambox allows you to use tens of apps from a single window. Something like this. I am using Slack, WhatsApp, Trello, multiple instances/accounts of Gmail, Notion, and whatnot from a single window. Rambox makes this possible. In fact, I can sign in to Rambox on any PC and my entire workspace is live within moments. I recently covered 5 of the best all-in-one messaging apps for Windows and macOS. Here, we dive deeper into the pros and cons of each. Note that Rambox will consume a good amount of resources and it will depend on how many apps you have added to the list. Download Rambox

7. Everything

File Explorer (Windows+E) is a neat utility tool to search for and open files and folders on Windows 10 and 11. However, it is slow and clunky. Enter Everything. A lightweight but powerful search engine for your files and folders on Windows. It offers near-instant search results no matter how deep your files are stored. This is made possible by indexation. One would think that an app like this would consume resources and make PC slow over time but that’s not true. What’s more? It will also monitor changes made to system files. It also supports boolean search operators like and, or, searching by file types like .png, .mp4, *, /, and more. Everything app is free to use with no ads. Download Everything

8. Photoscape X

Photoscape X is an open-source and powerful image editor. While the UI is nothing to write home about, the number of tools at your disposal is mind-blowing. There are an n number of filters and transformations to choose from. Then there are frames and objects tools. Removing backgrounds or objects is easy. Creating GIFs is fun. Photoscape X can handle batches and you can save your favorite presets to save time. For example, I add a border on all screenshots after resizing them and so I have a preset for the same. Makes life easier. Download Photoscape X

Windows Apps to Improve Personal Productivity

These are some of the best personal productivity apps for Windows 10 and 11 users that we personally use and recommend. They will definitely 10x your productivity and help you not only save time but also unlock some features that you didn’t know you needed.