Search to Open an App

February 2023 — Tip of the Month

Need to open an app on your PC or smartphone?

Browsing directories and swiping through home screens is so 2010.

The fast way to open an app is to search for the first few characters of the app name and then click or tap the icon when it pops up on your screen. The search method works on both desktop and mobile operating systems.

Windows 11

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard (or click the Windows icon or search icon in the taskbar.
2. Type the first few characters of the app name.
3. Press Enter when the app name appears (or click the icon if it's not the first result).

macOS

1. Press the Command + Space Bar on your keyboard (or click the search icon in the menu bar.
2. Type the first few characters of the app name.
3. Press Enter when the app name appears (or click the icon if it's not the first result).

iOS

1. Swipe down from the middle of the home screen (or tap the "Search" button near the bottom.
2. Type the first few characters of the app name.
3. Tap the app icon when it appears.

Android

Perform the same process as iOS, but swipe up from the middle of the screen instead of down.

- Per Christensson