No operating system is perfect, not even Ubuntu. Whether you’re interested in productivity or just ease of use, here are a few things that Ubuntu should steal from Windows to win the OS features arms race.

5
Windows’ Focus Sessions

If you work on computers, you know exactly how distracting it can be. The incessant stream of dings, beeps, flashing lights, and pop-ups can make it feel like you’re at a carnival rather than sitting at a computer.

Microsoft has done a good job implementing Focus Session on Windows, and it is something that Ubuntu should take inspiration from.

Focus Sessions enables Do Not Disturb (which blocks most notifications), disables Taskbar badges, and prevents the Taskbar icons from flashing.

It also lets you set a Pomodoro timer that will periodically remind you to take a break from whatever it is you’re working on.

You can also set goals, sync up your timer with your to-do list, and integrate Spotify, if you work better with music.

4
Passkey Support

Passkeys, which are a replacement (partially) for passwords, are going to become increasingly popular going forward.

However, Ubuntu has no native way to handle them at all.

The integration in Windows is extremely simple. Once you’ve set up Windows Hello—a prerequisite for Passkeys on Windows—you’ll start seeing prompts to create a passkey whenever you visit a site that supports them. It even integrates with non-Edge browsers, like Firefox.

You can manage your passkeys by pressing Windows+i, then navigating to Accounts > Passkeys.

3
Advanced Window Snapping Options

It’s in the name—Windows. The Windows operating system’s window-snapping feature is fantastic, intuitive, and capable, especially on Windows 11.

As with most operating systems, you can drag a window to either side of the screen to snap it to the edge, but the variations don’t end there. If you drag a window to the corner of the screen, it’ll size the window to take up only one quarter of your screen.

From there, you can snap the rest of your windows to each take up one quarter of the screen, or fill one half with a tall window and fill the remaining corner with another smaller window.

If you hover over the maximize button (the square icon between the minimize and close buttons), you’ll see all the default window configurations available.

Ubuntu has basic window snapping, but it doesn’t work as seamlessly as the snapping in Windows.

PowerToys (software authored by Microsoft for Windows) also introduces a feature called “Fancy Zones” that increases your options even further.

2
The Windows 11 Game Bar

The Game Bar present in Windows 11 brings together video and audio recording, plus the ability to take screenshots. It also has a refreshed UI, which is a definite improvement over the old version.

Game Bar isn’t exactly unique; other apps, like OBS Broadcaster Software, can do many of the same things.

However, there is something extremely convenient about having it integrated directly into the operating system and located all in one place.

1
Clipboard History: Windows’ Underused Feature

Your clipboard is where everything you’ve copied is stored temporarily before you paste it elsewhere.

One of the best, most underutilized features in Windows is clipboard history. As the name suggests, clipboard history keeps a running log of the things you copy so that you can pull from it later. You can press Windows+V to open it. If it isn’t working, head to Settings > System > Clipboard to enable it.

It also stores the images you copy; not just text.

It doesn’t sound like it’d be a big deal, but during my normal workday, I use the feature dozens of times.

Copy-pasting is an essential part of every digital workflow, and Clipboard History is the little feature I’d miss the most if switched to Ubuntu permanently.

None of these features are exactly groundbreaking. It isn’t like Ubuntu completely lacks huge, mission-critical features. However, when considering switching to another operating system, the little things make a big difference.