Windows 8 & Windows RT tutorial

Use the charms—search, share, change settings, and more

No matter where you are in Windows 8 or Windows RT, the charms help you do the things you do most often, like search, share links and photos, connect devices, and change settings. What you can do with the charms can change depending on if you're on the Start screen or using an app.

The five charms—Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings—are always available on the right side of your screen. Here’s how to open them:

Touch

If you're using touch, swipe in from the right edge of the screen and then tap the charm you want.

Mouse

If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right or the lower-right corner of the screen, move up or down, and then click the charm you want.

Search

With the Search charm (

+F), you can search for anything. You can search just the app you're in (like finding a specific message in Mail), search another app (like looking up something on the Internet), or search your entire PC (for an app, setting, or file).

Search your PC. When you’re on the Start screen or desktop, you can search your whole PC. Open the charms, tap or click Search, enter a term, and you’ll see the results. You can filter the search results to show apps, settings, or files, depending on what you're looking for. Tip: To search from the Start screen, you don’t even need to open the charms. Just start typing!

Search your apps. If you’re using an app, you can search just that app. For example, you can find specific email messages in the Mail app or look up meetings in the Calendar app. From within the app, open the charms, tap or click Search, and then enter what you're looking for.

Search the Internet. You can also search the web from anywhere on your PC. Open the charms, tap or click Search, enter your search term, and then tap or click Bing. You'll see Bing results for whatever you’re searching for.

When you’re in a specific app, you can use the Share charm (

+H) to share files, photos, or webpages with people you know. Select the item you want to share, open the charms, and then tap or click Share.

Start

You can always get back to the Start screen by using the Start charm (

). Open the charms and then tap or click Start. Tip: If you're already on Start, you can use this charm to get back to the last app you used.

Devices

You'll mainly use the Devices charm (

+K) to set up printers and print documents, but you can also use it to sync info with your phone and stream video to your wireless TV. Open the charms and then tap or click Devices to see all the devices you’ve connected to your PC at any time.

Settings

You can use the Settings charm (

+I) to personalize your PC by changing things like your account picture and the background and color of your Start screen. If you're in an app, you can use the Settings charm to get to the settings for that specific app. There are also some common settings, like volume and brightness, that you can get to quickly. For more settings and ways to personalize your PC, open the Settings charm and then tap or click Change PC settings from anywhere on your PC.