How to Find Apps Faster

by Barry Dysert
(last updated December 7, 2020)

I'm always looking for ways to make myself more efficient on the computer. One way I've found is to speed up how long it takes me to find an app that I want to use. There are many ways to find apps, of course, and probably my favorite way is to press the Windows key and start typing the app name. This is great if the app you're looking for has been indexed so that the Start menu can find it. But what about those apps that don't fit this category?

You can still use the Start menu to find your apps by using a special feature of the Start menu to quickly zero in on the app you want to use. You'll notice that the Windows 10 Start menu is divided into sections, and each section is preceded by a single letter to indicate the names of the apps below that letter: (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Start menu.

Now that the Start menu is displayed, if you want to launch an app that's near its bottom (for example, an app that would be listed in the "W" section) you don't need to scroll all the way down to find it. You can simply click any letter of a section header—like the "A" above all the Apps that begin with an "A"—and your Start menu will transform to something like an index. (Make sure you click the "A" heading; don't type the letter "A.") (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The Start menu as an index.

Now you can click the "W" and the traditional Start menu appears, but it has instantly jumped down to the Apps that begin with "W." You can now launch an app in the "W" section like normal, and you didn't have to waste time scrolling through the Start menu to get to it.

 This tip (1213) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

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