Windows 8 – What is the Charms Bar?

I’ve seen a number of references to the “Charms Bar” in discussion about Windows 8. What is it, and how is it accessed?

Solution:

What is it?

The Charms Bar is the name for the bar that can be made to appear on the right-hand side of the screen:

The charms bar

It is designed to allow a common way of accessing search, sharing, devices and settings for the Start screen and Modern UI apps.

How do I access it?

It can be accessed in a number of ways:

  • Swiping in from the right-hand side of the screen on a touchscreen device
  • Swiping in from the right-hand side of the trackpad on a laptop, where supported by the drivers
  • Moving your mouse to the very top-right or bottom-right of the screen
  • Pressing Windows+C