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If you're working on a traditional PC with Windows 10 installed, some (potentially many) of your apps will be “traditional” Windows apps. But, as more and more modern Windows apps are published, you'll no doubt have several favorites. On touch devices such as tablets and smaller handhelds, many of your apps will probably be modern Windows apps.

NOTE

The term modern Windows app refers to an app that is designed for Windows 8.x and later Windows versions. Formerly called Metro apps after the original name for the Windows 8 interface, modern Windows apps generally have a streamlined, minimalist appearance.

In general, working with a modern Windows app should be fairly intuitive. The gestures and actions you use to work with the Start menu and other Windows 10 screens are the same for apps. For example, to scroll up or down in the Maps app, just swipe up or down.

Rather than focus on specific modern Windows apps, this section of the chapter focuses on actions and methods you use in general to work with modern Windows apps.

Opening and using a modern Windows app

Opening a modern Windows app couldn't be any easier. Just open the Start menu, locate the app's tile, and tap or click the tile. If you're working on a non-touch device, and you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can use the wheel to scroll through the Start screen's tiles. Then, just click the tile for the app you want to open.

Unlike in Windows 8.x, which runs modern apps only in full-screen mode, Windows 10 enables you to run apps in a window or full screen and change between full screen and windowed mode just as you can with a legacy desktop app. When Windows 10 is running in tablet mode, however, all apps run full screen. When running in a window, the apps display minimize, maximize, and close buttons just like a desktop app. Use these buttons to change the window state.

How you work in a modern Windows app depends entirely on the app, but relies on the standard touch gestures and mouse actions described earlier in this chapter. To open a modern Windows app's application menu (see Figure 2.7) when running in window mode, click or tap the button in the upper-left corner of the app. Or, right-click in the app (or tap and hold on a touch device). The app menu offers options for the current app.

NOTE

The term “modern app” refers to apps written for Windows 8.x or later versions. In this chapter, the term “app” refers to these modern apps.

TIP

When Windows 10 is running in tablet mode, right-click the app or tap and hold to open an app's menu.

Figure 2.7 Use an app's menu to configure the app or set options.

Snapping apps on the screen

At first, it may seem that you can view and work with only one app at a time when running in tablet mode because all apps run full screen by default. But, you can actually snap two apps to the screen at once and easily switch between them. You can even view the desktop and any running apps there side-by-side with an app, or snap a legacy app beside a modern app.

To snap two apps to the screen, follow these steps:

1. Open the two apps.

2. Switch to the app you want to be “primary,” and size it to occupy most of the screen space.

3. Using the app's title bar, drag the app to the left or right side of the screen. Either action snaps the second app to the left or right of the screen. If the title bar isn't visible, slide down from the top of the display over the app to make the title bar visible.

Figure 2.8 shows two apps snapped side-by-side.

Figure 2.8 Two Windows apps snapped side-by-side.

You can snap a modern Windows app beside a legacy app, enabling you to see and work with a traditional Windows app on the desktop while also using a modern Windows app. For example, Figure 2.9 shows the Windows 10 Store app snapped beside Notepad.

Figure 2.9 Notepad and a Windows 10 app snapped side-by-side.

To snap the desktop and a modern Windows app, first switch out of tablet mode (if the device is not already in window mode). Then, open the app in a window. If you want to work with a desktop app, open it from the desktop or Start menu. With either app in the foreground, drag the title bar of the other app to the left or right side of the screen to dock the app. You can drag the edge of an app's window to resize it as needed.

Switching between apps

If you're an experienced Windows user, you'll be happy to learn that the methods you've used in the past to switch between apps are still available in Windows 10. For example, you can press Alt+Tab to view a list of running apps (see Figure 2.10) and select one to bring to the foreground. Continue pressing Alt+Tab until the desired app is highlighted; then release the keys to switch to that app. You can also press Windows+Tab or swipe in from the left edge to open the task view showing thumbnails of your running apps (see Figure 2.11). Click or tap on an app to bring it to the foreground.

Figure 2.10 Use Alt+Tab to switch between apps.

Figure 2.11 Use Windows+Tab to switch between apps.

Closing a modern Windows app

Closing a modern Windows app is easy, although you may not have figured it out on your own if Windows 10 is running in tablet mode. Just grab the app at the top and drag it down to the bottom of the display.

This method isn't very intuitive, but it's the easiest way to close a app. When using a mouse, move the cursor to the top of the app until the title bar appears; then click and drag the app by its title bar to the bottom of the screen. When using a touch device, swipe down from the top to the bottom of the screen. The app should close.