Latest Windows Operating Systems such as Windows 11 and Windows 10 doesn’t come with the ability to keep any app window always on top of others. Nowadays, you need to use a third-party app for the same. Micorsoft has made the task a little easier by adding the “Always on Top” feature to its PowerToys utility collection.
If you’re watching a movie or using a calculator with other windows open, you may want the focused window to be on top of all windows sometimes.
Till now, users need to run apps designed for that purpose. Now if you run PowerToys, a set of utilities with the PowerRename feature that recently got the ability to find mouse cursor on large screens, you can do that by using a shortcut.
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Microsoft Power Toys Gets Always on the Top
“Always on Top” is one of the most requested features by users and the Windows community.
The latest PowerToys release v0.53.1 added it along with improvements and new features.
PowerToys Always on Top with a keyboard shortcut support, puts the focused window on top, here is how to use it.
You may use it for task Manager or Notepad or another so that it always appears on top of everything else.
How to Pin a Window on Top Using PowerToys in Windows 11 / Windows 10?
- Download and install PowerToys.
Note: PowerToys is also available on Micorsoft Store. So you can either visit the PowerToys project page on GitHub or open Windows Store and search for App and can add it to Windows. - Press the Win key and search for “Power”, click on the best match to open PowerToys. You can use its system tray icon also to launch it.
- Click on Always on Top, and ensure “Enable Always on Top” is set to on.
- Utilize the shortcut Win key+Ctrl+T to pin and set the currently focused window to always on top.
You can use the default shortcut or assign another one that doesn’t interfere with others used by other apps. - You’ll here hear a chirp sound to inform the app window was pinned.
If you now click any other window, it will open behind the pinned window.
To differentiate from other windows, a border appears around the pinned window (check the below screenshot).
To unpin the window, use the shortcut again
Note: by default, the feature shortcut doesn’t work while you play games. You can change this by visiting the Always Top section in PowerToys Settings.
How to Exclude Certain Apps From Pinning on Top?
You can exclude certain apps from pinning on top by mentioning their name here:
PowerToys Settings > Always on Top > Excluded apps.
For instance, if you want to exclude Notepad, try adding notepad or notepad.exe one per line in the area appearing below the above-mentioned path.
You should be writing extensions explicitly (ex:notepad.exe) to avoid PowerToys from excluding apps with the same names such as Notepad and Notepad++.
Final words:
Microsoft added Always on a top feature to PowerToys on Windows 11 and Windows 10. This allows users to pin windows on top of others w/ a keyboard shortcut.
What’s your take on PowerToys Always on Top feature? Have you found it useful? Let us know in the comments below.
Always on Top Windows 10 FAQ’s
1: How do I keep an app window always on top in Windows 10/11?
Use PowerToys from Microsoft to set a shortcut key for the “Always on Top” feature, or opt for third-party utilities like DeskPins to pin your desired app window.
2: Can I use a third-party utility to keep an app window always on top?
Yes, third-party utilities like DeskPins can be used to easily keep app windows always on top in Windows 10/11.
3: Does keeping an app window always on top affect the performance of Windows 10/11?
Typically, keeping an app window always on top doesn’t significantly impact system performance, but running numerous applications simultaneously might consume substantial system resources.
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