The desktop environment used in Tails is [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org). This page describes some important features of the desktop in the context of Tails.

[[!toc levels=3]]

<h1 id="top-navigation-bar">Top navigation bar</h1>

In the upper left corner of the screen there are twois one button and three menus:

In the upper left corner of the screen there is one button and three menus:

The <b>Activities</b> button

The <span class="guimenu">Applications</span> menu

The <span class="guimenu">Places</span> menu

<h2 id="activities">Activities overview</h2>

To access your windows and applications you can either:

Click on the <b>Activities</b> button.

- Throw your mouse pointer to the top-left hot corner.

Click on- Press the [[!img lib/system-shutdown.png alt="Power Off" class="symbolic" link="no"]] button to shut down your computertart.png class="symbolic" link="no" alt="Super"]] key on your keyboard.

- Press the [[!img lib/start.png class="symbolic" link="no" alt="Super"]] key on your keyboard.

You can see your windows and applications in the overview. You can also start typing to search your applications, files, and folders.

<h2 id="applications">Applications menu</h2>

The <span class="guimenu">Applications</span> menu provides shortcuts to the
[[included software|about/features]] and to GNOME configuration utilities.

[[!img applications.png link="no" class="screenshot" alt=""]]

<a id="help"></a>

<div class="icon">

[[!img lib/apps/settings.png link="no" alt=""]]

<div class="text">