However, you don’t have to use the default options forcibly and can add most of these macOS features with the help of third-party apps. Since Windows 11 is flexible with third-party app installations, many apps can help you get Mac features on your Windows PC. In this post, I’ll list five useful apps that can bring Mac features to Windows 11. Let’s begin.
1. Preview Any File with QuickLook
Windows 11’s File Explorer has a preview pane that does a good job of opening documents and images. But it doesn’t support many file types and cannot play videos. To have a powerful preview experience like Mac, where you can press Space to preview a file, you can use QuickLook. It has the same keyboard shortcuts as Mac, and you can press Spacebar to preview any file, such as images, videos, docs, etc. QuickLook is free and available on the Microsoft Store, so you don’t have to worry about its security. Simply launch the app after installation, and it’ll minimize to the system tray. Go to any file on the Desktop or the File Explorer and press Space to preview it. It can identify registry files and app installer files without any issues. If you need to view more file types, such as e-books, you can download and install plugins available on GitHub.
2. Mac-like Dock with TakbarXI
Windows 11 has a centered layout option that doesn’t look like the Mac’s Dock. TaskbarXI can help you with that issue and is free to use. Once you launch the app automatically hides the rest of the Taskbar except for the Start button, pinned icons, and the system tray. But you can also open the TaskbarXI configuration app to hide the system tray for a cleaner look.
3. Mimic AirDrop with SnapDrop
Apple’s AirDrop file-sharing tech is one of the cornerstones of its ecosystem. You can drop files to any Apple device with the same account, reducing the need to send files via mail, upload them to cloud storage, or use a USB drive. SnapDrop can help you achieve the same functionality for all devices (Phone, Windows PC) connected to the same network. Launch the SnapDrop website on both devices and then pick a file to send to the other device. You can also message the other PC or phone using SnapDrop.
4. Spotlight-like Search with Flow Launcher
Flow Launcher uplifts your Windows PC’s search capabilities but doesn’t stop at that. You can preview files in it, do web searches, run terminal commands, and do more. We like its new UI that blends with the overall Windows 11 theme. Download the portable version and run it on your PC. You’ll notice the difference between Windows Search and Flow Launcher. If the default feature set doesn’t excite you, explore its plugins section to add functionalities like Obsidian Notes and Spotify Premium.
5. Screenshots Upgrade with ShareX
Microsoft includes multiple image-related apps in Windows 11, but they cannot match the convenience of screenshots on Mac. ShareX can help you manage all your shortcut needs and lets you bind a hotkey to capture images. It has multiple other features, such as capturing the open app window, sharing files with others, capturing video clips, and scanning text in images with the OCR tool. Snipping Tool has been trying to catch up to ShareX for quite some time, but if you want a reliable solution for screenshots and screen capture, ShareX is the app to pick. Wrapping Up Windows 11 has closed the aesthetic gap between itself and Mac, but some features are still lagging. Use our app list to add a powerful search tool, image, and file preview features, and turn the Taskbar into a dock.
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