How to Use Windows 8.1 Start Screen on Tablet

The Start Screen in Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 operating system is meant to assist first-time Windows 8 tablet users. It’s packed with swipes and gestures to make tasks that would otherwise take a lot of time instantly available. Still, it can be very confusing – here’s how to use the Windows 8.1 Start Screen on a tablet, especially if you have a long history with older versions of Windows like Windows 7.

Understanding Movements

When you first boot up your Windows 8.1 tablet, you may have noticed a small tutorial video that tries to educate you about the intricacies of Windows 8. almost no one does and there is no way in your face to trigger it again.

To master the touchscreen in Windows 8.1, you need to master the art of gestures and scrolling. In other words, most basic Windows 8 menus and commands do not include a display element. Instead, users need to instinctively know what to do in any situation.

Charms Bar

Swiping your Windows 8.1 tablet’s screen from right edge to left will reveal what’s called the Charms Bar. The Charms Bar is the place to go to do just about anything on your Windows 8.1 tablet. Charms Bar has five options. Let’s smash them.

Search is the first Charm at the top. Users can search almost anywhere on their device by clicking on it. By default it searches for everything on your tablet, but you can narrow searches to apps, settings, files, web videos, and web images. The Bing integration built into Charm immediately goes to the web and gives you local and online search results when you search using the Charms Bar. Many apps also integrate with Search Charm for internal calls. For example, searching Netflix’s catalog of television shows and movies is as useful as swiping to open the Charms bar, tapping Search, then selecting Netflix from the drop-down menu.

Sharing Charm

Share Charm integrates directly with the built-in Contacts app. This allows you to quickly share status updates and pictures with friends and family without a web browser. In some cases, you can share information with applications that are not built into Windows 8.1. For example, news readers will let you use the Share Charm to tweet links to interesting stories.

The Start Charm will always take you to the Start Screen.

Device Charm

The Device Charm is the most complex of the bunch, as its functions are not always direct. If you want to stream anything to a smart TV or Xbox One, mirror anything to a screen, or print a document, the Devices Charm is the place to go. The problem here is that these functions only reveal themselves if there is a compatible device.

Settings Charm

Finally, there’s the Settings Charm. It does exactly as the name suggests. Tapping this charm will instantly open the settings of each Windows Store app. In addition, it allows you to change the settings on your device. For example, if you wanted to adjust the screen brightness on your tablet, you would.

Apps and Multitasking

Putting our finger on the right side of the screen of your Windows 8.1 tablet and lightly dragging it will reveal the multitasking bar. It will appear here every time you open a Windows Store app. From here you can switch between different apps or drag apps to either side of your screen for some multitasking.

Note this left margin, because it also takes you back to the last app you opened, and nothing could be more confusing than that.

While we’re on apps, moving your finger to the top of the screen and dragging it down closes apps. Dragging the top of apps to the left edge of your screen closes it and opens a previous app.

Practice Sticks

In addition to the other hidden sticks we’ve mentioned, there’s a third, equally inconspicuous, stick. Swipe up from the bottom edge of your screen and you’ll find the app bar in some apps and on the Start Screen. These vary depending on the application – some apps use them heavily and others don’t. It usually hides a few more options than you see on your screen. For example, there is a customization option that pops up when you open the app bar on the Start Screen.

start screen

The Start Screen itself is pretty basic. Think of each tile as a shortcut. By default Windows 8 includes a ton of Live Tiles to get you started. As you add more apps you add a new potential Live Tile that you can pin to the Start Screen for further updates.

Desktop apps can be pinned to the Start Screen as well as Windows Store apps, but this is the last one to offer you neat Live Tiles that show you the current weather or your next appointment. Pinning something to the Start Screen is as simple as swiping up the Start Screen and tapping and holding the app you want to pin.

You can zoom out your live tiles by placing two fingers on the Start Screen and moving your fingers towards each other. There you can sort them into groups and rearrange them.

Here you got it. If you have a tablet running Windows 8.1, these are the basics of the Start Screen. It will be a little confusing at first, but the more you practice with it, the easier it will get. If you’ll be using your tablet frequently with a mouse and keyboard, you’ll also want to read. Moyens I/O’s Guide to Using the Start Screen with Mouse and Keyboard in Windows 8.1.