Microsoft PowerToys get a Windows 11 UI, universal mute, and find my mouse feature

On Oct 29, 2021

Microsoft is updating its PowerToys for Windows with new UI changes for Windows 11, a universal video conference mute, and a find my mouse feature. The software maker has been gradually improving PowerToys ahead of the Windows 11 launch, with a settings interface to match the OS and now changes to its PowerRename feature that better match the Windows 11 design improvements.

PowerRename, a feature to make it easier to rename files, no longer looks like it has a dialog box from the Windows 7 era. Microsoft has updated PowerRename with a far more modern interface, and easier to find options for renaming files in bulk.

Alongside the design tweaks, PowerToys is also getting two new features with this 0.49 version update. Video Conference Mute debuts with this release, a feature that lets you mute your microphone or disable your webcam globally across Windows 10 or Windows 11.

You can bind Video Conference Mute to a keyboard shortcut, and pick the webcam and microphone you’d like to disable. There’s even a toolbar that appears when a webcam or microphone is in use. Microsoft had been planning to launch Windows 11 with its own universal microphone mute button, but this feature didn’t make the release and should be coming at some point in the future.

*The PowerToys Video Conference Mute feature.*

*Find My Mouse will dim your screen to reveal the cursor location.*

The second new feature is Find My Mouse, which as the name implies will help you find your mouse cursor. Windows has had built-in support for finding a cursor for years, but this is a far better implementation. You simply tap CTRL twice and your screen will dim to highlight where your cursor is with a spotlight. While you probably won’t need this on a laptop, it will be useful if you’re working with large high-resolution displays.

Both of the new PowerToys features are available in the latest 0.49 update from Microsoft’s PowerToys GitHub. PowerToys also includes a number of other utilities, including a feature to keep your PC awake, FancyZones to improve layouts and multitasking, and a PowerToys Run launcher.

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