Back in early 2019 when Windows Terminal was released, Microsoft intended it to be the default system terminal and has been introducing modern features such as tabs, emojis, etc. According to Microsoft, any application with a command line interface can be run in Windows Terminal. This includes PowerShell, Command Prompt, Azure Cloud Shell and all applications from any WSL distribution such as Ubuntu or Oh-My-Zsh.
As planned, Windows Terminal will be the default command line tool for Windows 11 starting in 2022, and the importance cannot be overstated. So, how can you open Windows Terminal on Windows 11? Here are a few methods for you to try out.
Method 1. WinX menu
Right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar to open the WinX menu (or press the shortcut key Win + X).
If you want higher privileges, click Windows Terminal (Administrator).
Method 2. Search for Windows Terminal
Click the Search icon on the taskbar.
Type Windows Terminal and click it from the search result.
Method 3. Start menu
Click the Windows icon on the taskbar or use the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
Click the "All Apps" button.
Scroll down until you reach the "W" application and find Windows Terminal, then choose to "Run as administrator".
Method 4. Use the Run command
Use the shortcut key Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type "wt.exe" and press Enter.
Method 5. Create a desktop shortcut
Right-click the desktop and select "New" - "Shortcut command".
In the "Type the location of the item" text box, type the following.
%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe
Click "Next", and then type "Windows Terminal" in the "Type a name for this shortcut" text box.
Click "Finish" and you will see the new shortcut icon on your desktop, double-click it to access the Windows Terminal application.
Method 6. Pin to Taskbar
Click the Search icon and type Windows Terminal.
Right-click the Windows Terminal option and select "Pin to Taskbar".
The Windows Terminal application will appear on the taskbar and you can click it at any time to open Windows Terminal.
Method 7. Autorun Windows Terminal on startup
If you need to access Windows Terminal frequently, you can also set it to open automatically on boot.
Use any of the above methods to open the Windows Terminal application. Click the down arrow at the top of the window and select "Settings".
Turn on the toggle switch next to "Launch on machine startup", and close the Settings app.
Now, Windows Terminal will start whenever you start your computer. To disable this option, simply turn the toggle switch off.