These 5 hacks make Windows PCs run more like Macs for creators

I’ve been on Mac for years because I’m a creator who produces, writes, and edits web content. Professionally, I’m a film and TV editor, so I’ve used both Mac Pros and Windows workstations. For the last 12 months, I’ve been using a Microsoft Surface Pro 11, and I thought I’d have a hard time with my personal projects because everything just works so seamlessly in the Apple ecosystem. From my iPhone and iPad to my iMac Pro or MacBook Pro, moving files and sharing content online is just dead simple.

While there is no 1:1 replacement for using Macs with iPhones, here are 5 tips I’ve used to get my workflow as seamless as possible using Microsoft’s Surface Pro 11 with an iPhone 16 Pro Max! I will admit that if you are an Android user, this is even easier thanks to Windows Phone Link, but I digress. Read below for help with your workflow!

Windows Phone Link

Minimize interruptions without touching your phone!

One of the best features of the Apple ecosystem is not having to check my phone every time I’m locked in and need to respond to an important text message, since everything stays in sync with iCloud enabled. I can respond to messages from whatever is in front of me, whether that’s my iPhone, iPad, or desktop/laptop.

I don’t hear folks talk about it too often, but Windows Phone Link is awesome if you’re using an Android device, and though it has less functionality when connected to an iPhone, it’s still great for responding to text messages and checking notifications without having to pick up your phone. It’s easy to set up! Just open the app, click the settings cog in the upper-right corner, choose Devices, then Add device. After that, just follow the onscreen prompts and you’re good to go!

Efficient creator-centric views

Staying efficient with a creator-centric folder user experience

This one frustrated me just a bit. On macOS, I love using the filmstrip view to review images I’ve captured and select the “keepers.” That view gives me a large stage to view the images on, while also showing the previous and next images as thumbnails below. On Windows 11, no extra tricks or downloads needed!

No add-ons, just double-click an image and the Photos app opens — unless you set a different default photo editing app. Now, look at that filmstrip icon in the lower-left corner of the window. Click on that icon, or use the “F” keyboard shortcut, and you’ll open up that filmstrip view. In this view, all of the images in the same folder as the one you double-clicked will show up in the filmstrip. Best of all, there are some basic things you can do right from there, like open up a metadata inspector, reverse search with Bing, scan text in an image, and more.

Peek-a-Play

Don’t feel like opening a file in the music or video player?

While the filmstrip is a great way to browse stills, macOS offers a quick way to play video or audio clips. Simply press the space bar while a file is selected. On Windows, you’ll need to go through a couple of steps to access similar functionality. There’s a Windows add-on called “ Windows PowerToys” that is absolutely indispensable for getting even more out of Windows 11.

Windows PowerToys is actually a suite of small utilities that add big functionality to Windows 11, and the one you’ll activate for this tip is called “Peek.” After you’ve installed Windows Power Toys, go into the settings and enable Peek. The default works just like macOS: simply highlight a file in File Explorer, then press the space bar. You can customize that, and I’ve configured mine to launch a preview by pressing Ctrl + Space.

Preview for quick edits

Markup, AI-assisted edits, crops, and more

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a CoPilot+ certified PC, which means AI is built into the platform’s very core. While Preview on Mac is solid and allows you to do some quick editing of files without having to launch Photoshop, Gimp, or some other tool, the updated Photos app on Windows 11 is a monster. Not only does it have the filmstrip view I talked about earlier, but by clicking the Edit option in the upper-left corner of the window, I can perform the usual photo edits, like cropping and adjusting exposure, saturation, warmth, etc.

AI takes the editing tools beyond the basics, allowing things like blurring or completely removing a background, relighting an image, erasing objects, or changing the image style to something like a watercolor painting or an anime-style cartoon. They all work pretty well, except for the image style adjustment. If the focus of the image is inanimate objects, like the ones I’m frequently photographing, it doesn’t work so well. The AI is trained on faces, so no face in the image may produce weird results.

Batch image conversion needed?

Microsoft: That sounds like a “you” problem

Writing articles for this and other sites, I often process dozens of images at a time. I need batch image conversion, especially when I have to post a dozen or more screenshots of an app, or for a “how-to,” and although Microsoft has several options for this in the Microsoft Store, unlike macOS, this functionality isn’t built directly into Windows 11.

Have no fear, Windows creator! My all-time favorite video and image converter, and an amazing tool for ripping online videos to your computer, is Wondershare UniConverter. They offer annual or biannual subscriptions, but the best deal on their Swiss Army knife of a creator’s tool is lifetime access for a one-time $80 fee. As a post-production professional, social media manager, and producer, this is absolutely one of the best investments I’ve made toward creating efficient, time-saving workflows. It pulls video from almost every site I’ve ever needed to, and its batch conversion tools are excellent.

What secure tools do you use? Any that should be on this list? Let me know in the comments below.