I use these apps to get macOS features on my Windows PC

If you switch from Mac to Windows, you’ll lose some nifty features like Spotlight, Preview, and AirDrop. Fortunately, you can use these apps to bring your favorite macOS features to your Windows PC.

1 Search like Spotlight with PowerToys Run

Spotlight in macOS helps you find files, open settings, and even do quick calculations. Windows Search doesn’t do any of this by default. However, you can search using PowerToys Run in Windows with similar functionality.

To set it up, download and install Microsoft PowerToys from the Microsoft Store. Next, launch the application and open Dashboard table Find and switch here PowerToys Run option to turn it on.

Click PowerToys Run show additional settings that allow you to activate shortcuts and toggle other options, such as the ability to perform calculations, browse folders, open a Windows terminal, etc.

Press Alt + Spacebar run Run. You can now search for apps, folders and files. You also get additional options to run applications as an administrator, another user, or to open a file location.

Like Spotlight, you can use Run to perform a quick calculation, execute a system command, or search for system settings.

You can further refine your searches using identifiers or keywords. For example, if you enter $audio it will only show sound settings. If you enter < you can browse open application windows directly from the search bar.

Download: PowerToys (Free)

2 Quickly preview file contents with PowerToys Peek

MacOS has a great Quick Preview feature that allows users to preview the contents of a file – such as PDF files, images, audio or video files – without having to open them in an associated program first. Windows Explorer also has a preview pane, but has limited format support.

While you can turn to a popular third-party app like Quick Look for Windows, a better alternative is PowerToys’ Peek. It allows you to quickly preview files in File Explorer and supports most file formats, including images, videos, and text documents. You can even copy text from documents directly from the preview window.

To use Peek, launch PowerToys, open Take a look in the left pane, then switch to Enable Peek switch to turn it on.

Now you can select any item in File Explorer and press Ctrl + Spacebar open the quick preview. You can also use right or left arrows to browse other files in the same folder.

Download: PowerToys (Free)

3 Share files instantly like AirDrop with Snapdrop

Airdrop enables instant file transfer between Apple devices. Windows with Phone Link does support instant file sharing, but you need to set up each device before you can start sharing.

Snapdrop simplifies this process. It is a web application that allows you to share files between devices on the same network. What’s more, you can even send quick text messages to devices connected to your local network.

To share a file from your computer to another device, make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. Then go to Snapdrop.net on your computer as well as your tablet or smartphone to make sure both are discoverable.

Next, click on the name of the other device, select the files you want to send and click OPEN. On the other device, tap Impose to download the file.

You can install Snapdrop as a web app and pin it to your dashboard for easy access. To do this, tap on Install Snapdrop (mobile phone icon) in the upper left corner, select Install, and wait for the installation to complete. You can now open Snapdrop from Windows search as a standalone application.

While Snapdrop works well for sharing files between devices, requires an internet connection to work. Those who prefer a native app can use LocalSend to send files between devices without an internet connection.

4 Send messages and make phone calls from your computer using Phone Link

You can easily text and call from your Mac. Windows offers similar features with Phone Link, which lets you manage notifications, send and receive text messages with AI-suggested responses, and even make calls.

To get started, you must first set up Phone Link on your Windows PC and smartphone. It’s a quick process, so simply follow the linked guide to complete the setup.

Phone Link comes pre-installed on your Windows PC, but you’ll need to download it from the Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS.

After the setup is complete, launch Phone Link and open calls table Then click Get started. A pop-up window should appear on your smartphone. Choose Allow to allow calls.

That’s it! Now you can call and reply to text messages without any problems from your Windows PC.

Download: Link to Windows Android | iOS

5 Get macOS screenshot shortcuts with ShareX

You can use the Clipboard tool in Windows to record and take screenshots. However, it lacks other keyboard shortcuts that macOS offers for its screenshot tool.

For example, on a Mac you can use Shift + Command + 3 capture full screen Shift + Command + 4 to capture part of the screen, or Shift + Command + 4 + Space to capture a specific window or menu.

ShareX is a feature-rich open source screenshot tool that allows you to get Mac-like screenshot capabilities on Windows. I love that ShareX lets you assign custom shortcuts to capture areas, entire screens, active windows, and more.

To create a custom shortcut, run ShareX and click Setting keyboard shortcuts in the left panel. Choose Add and select the feature you want to assign (such as capturing an area, full screen, or active window). Set the keyboard shortcut by pressing the keys you want to use.

You can also edit, delete or duplicate existing shortcuts to customize your workflow for different applications.

Download: ShareX (Free)

6 WinDynamicDesktop gives you dynamic wallpapers for Mac

macOS has some great wallpapers that change depending on the time of day. While Windows Spotlight can automatically change the background image and lock screen every day, it lacks the seamless transition throughout the day that the Mac offers.

WinDynamicWallappers is a third-party application that brings the Dynamic Desktop feature to Windows. It uses your location to determine the time and changes your desktop wallpaper accordingly.

You can set a theme from an existing collection of dynamic wallpapers imported from various macOS editions, including Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma.

Click after choosing a theme Download to save files to local disk. Then click Use set as desktop background. Additionally, you can get additional themes online or import your own theme from a file.

Download: WinDynamicDesktop

macOS has several useful features that improve the way you work with your computer. While we hope macOS brings more quality-of-life features to get official Windows OS integration, third-party apps and Microsoft’s PowerToys can help you bring some of these features to your Windows PC right now.