The 6 steps I take to make Home windows 11 feel and appear extra like macOS

The graphical person interfaces of each Windows 11 and macOS Sequoia are already fairly comparable — in spite of everything, each working techniques have taken inspiration from each other for many years at this level.

That being mentioned, there are nonetheless numerous apps, instruments, extensions, and different utilities that may take issues to the following stage. They are saying that imitation is the sincerest type of flattery, and so listed below are 5 issues you are able to do to show your Windows 11 PC into one thing resembling more of a Mac.

1 Middle your Home windows 11 taskbar

The best method to bestow a Mac-like look onto your Home windows desktop

By far essentially the most straight ahead and user-accessible technique of macOS-ifying your Home windows PC’s interface, is by opting to heart your taskbar. The choice is ready this fashion by default on recent installations of Home windows 11, however in case it isn’t, observe these steps:

1. Click on on the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Personalization > Taskbar.
3. Scroll down till you see Taskbar behaviors.
4. Click on on the Taskbar alignment drop-down menu after which click on on Middle.

Similar to that, all of your pinned icons will likely be shuffled to the middle of your taskbar, versus the basic left-justification. This structure has its professionals and cons when in comparison with the normal Home windows model, but it surely undoubtedly gives a extra macOS dock-like feel and appear.

In case your PC runs Windows 10, then you definately will not discover the choice to heart your taskbar throughout the Settings app. As an alternative, you will have to depend on third-party utilities — some common options on the market embrace:

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2 Invert the colour of your mouse cursor

A easy pallette swap can go a great distance

For a few years, Home windows has shipped with a white coloured mouse cursor by default. In distinction, macOS has historically include a black cursor out-of-the-box. Fortunately, it is slightly straightforward to customise the looks of the arrow pointer throughout each working techniques.

As a way to swap your default Home windows cursor from its regular white coloration to one thing extra akin to macOS, observe these steps:

1. Navigate to the Settings app through the Begin Menu, the search interface, or the Fast Settings panel.
2. Head to Bluetooth & units > Mouse > Mouse Pointer > Mouse pointer model.
3. Faucet or click on on the Black pointer theme to pick out it.

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3 Obtain the Circulate Launcher app

Circulate Launcher

A macOS Highlight-esque app that brings speedy file looking out capabilities to Home windows.

In the event you’re one of many many individuals who disapprove of Microsoft’s fashionable OS search implementation throughout the Start Menu, then Circulate Launcher is a superb various. The app is free and open-source, and it is analogous in design to Apple’s glorious Mac Spotlight search interface.

The app consists of choices to configure a customizable hotkey to set off the search window, numerous theming choices, in addition to a complete community-driven ecosystem of plugins. Alternatively, the free Fluent Search app obtainable on the Microsoft Retailer affords an identical expertise, with a easy design that extra carefully resembles Fluent Design principles.

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4 Obtain the QuickLook app

Unlock a macOS Preview-style expertise for Home windows

QuickLook

An app that brings a macOS-like Preview interface to the Home windows OS.

One of the vital helpful macOS options is the built-in Fast Look Preview software, which lets you shortly look at nearly any file, with out having to open a devoted app to take action. In the event you’re transitioning over from macOS to Home windows and miss the comfort of Preview, then the free QuickLook app is a must-download.

The app works equally to its macOS equivalent, permitting you to ‘peak’ at paperwork, pictures, movies, and extra just by highlighting a file and urgent the Spacebar. QuickLook works like a allure whereas providing a nice design language, and for my part, it bridges a significant hole between macOS and Home windows.

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5 Obtain the complete suite of Apple-published apps from the Microsoft Retailer

Sure, Apple publishes apps on the Microsoft Retailer, and so they’re fairly good

The legacy iTunes program has been obtainable for Home windows PCs for a lot of, a few years now, but it surely’s akin to abandonware in 2024. Fortunately, Apple has just lately taken the freedom to port over a few of its main service-based apps to the Microsoft Retailer on Home windows.

It goes with out saying that if you wish to make your Home windows 11 PC function extra like a Mac, then downloading these Apple apps is a should. They’re surprisingly well-built, benefiting from Microsoft’s newest growth instruments and interface pointers. Whereas we could not have iMessage or FaceTime apps on Home windows anytime quickly, there is a rising collection of apps obtainable from Apple.

The next Apple-published apps can be found for obtain immediately from the Microsoft Retailer:

Moreover, when you use a Chromium-based internet browser like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome in your Home windows PC, then contemplate downloading Apple’s iCloud Passwords extension for some added internet login integration.

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6 Obtain the MyDockFinder app

The most effective all-in-one answer for a complete macOS makeover

MyDockFinder

A full-fledged Home windows Shell alternative app that brings the macOS dock and menu bar expertise to Microsoft’s OS.

Final however not least, when you really wish to rework your Home windows 11 working system into one thing carefully resembling macOS, then there’s the nuclear alternative: MyDockFinder. This app ports over the Mac dock, menu bar, Management Middle, and different interfaces to Home windows, whereas additionally providing extra customization choices from the get-go.

MyDockFinder may be downloaded through the Steam storefront, with a one-time payment of $5. There are different third-party choices obtainable for emulating the macOS interface — together with Rainmeter, RocketDock, and others — however I discover MyDockFinder to be essentially the most polished and least fiddly choice on the market.

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