Instead of turning green with envy for not having this feature integrated into your Windows computer, install a free and easy to use Windows extension called QuickLook. Thanks to this extension, you won’t have to use your mouse as much when previewing files.
How to Add macOS’s Quick Look Feature on Any Windows Computer
With this simple Windows extension, you won’t have to envy macOS users anymore for their quick preview feature. You’ll also be able to do the same thing on your Windows computer. The extension you’re going to need is called QuickLook.
One thing to keep in mind is that the extension won’t work on Windows S devices. Also, there could be specific files you may not be able to preview, but the developer hasn’t specified which ones. If you’re ready to install the extension, click on the blue “Get the app” button.
The download shouldn’t take very long, and once the extension is ready, it’s ready to test. To see the extension in action, open the Windows File Explorer and click to highlight any file. Once you highlight the file, press the Space bar, and you should be able to see a preview of the file you chose.
QuickLook Tricks
There are two ways you can close the preview. You can either click on the “X” as you usually would you can press the Escape button. If there is a preview you want to prevent from closing accidentally, click on the pin icon at the top left of the preview. Once you click it, you can’t close the preview by pressing the Escape button, but you can close it by clicking on the “X”
If you think you’ve found the file you’ve been looking for, you can open the file directly from QuickLook. Just tap on the “Open With” option, and choose how you want to open th file. You can select an app already installed on your computer, or you can go to the app store to install another app.
Other hidden tricks for the extension include scrolling the mouse wheel to adjust the volume for video files. To zoom in and out of the image, press the Ctrl button (without letting go) and scroll the mouse wheel in either direction. While testing the Windows extension, it worked just great with files such as PDF’s, pictures, ZIP, videos, and music, but unfortunately it had trouble working with spreadsheets. It’s still an excellent extension to have around despite the spreadsheet issue.
Conclusion
Any extension that can help save time when working on your computer is always a good thing. QuickLook for Windows is one of those welcomed extensions, and hopefully it will have more to offer in the future. Do you think you’ll give it a try? Let us know in the comments.
