Windows 11 comes with Snap Assist, a feature to organize windows on the screen to help improve the multitasking experience when working with two and more applications.
The feature includes various functions to quickly and perfectly snap windows to the sides or corners of the screen using the mouse, keyboard, or touch. The idea is to use this assistive feature so you don’t have to take extra steps to change the size or move the window manually on the screen.
Snap Assist isn’t new to Windows 11. It’s been available since Windows 7, but it’s been evolving throughout the years, and now, you have access to many more functions, such as Snap Layouts, Snap groups, more accessible shortcuts, and more.
This guide will show you the steps to arrange windows on the screen using the Snapping feature on Windows 11.
How to use Snap Assist and Layouts on Windows 11
On Windows 11, you can snap windows in multiple ways using the mouse and keyboard. Here’s how.
Snap apps with mouse
You can snap windows on the screen using the mouse in multiple ways. If you have a touch-enabled device, you can use the mouse actions as gestures to snap.
To snap two windows side by side, drag a window to the left edge of the screen to snap it to the side. Continue with Snap Assist and select the other window you want to snap to the right.
If you ignore Snap Assist, you can drag the other window to the right edge to snap it.
You can also drag the window to the corner edge to snap the window in one of the quadrants of the screen. Using the corners, you can snap three or four windows.
When you snap windows side by side, you can also resize the view by dragging the middle edge to the left or right.
Alternatively, you can hover over the maximize button with the mouse to open the Snap Layouts flyout and select where to snap the windows. Continue with Snap Assist and complete the snapping.
You can also drag a window to the top edge of the screen to reveal the Snap Layouts drop-down. Drop the window in the zone you want, and then continue with Snap Assist and complete the snapping.
The available layouts will appear according to the screen size if you use Snap Layouts.
Snap apps with keyboard
You can also use the keyboard keys to use the snapping feature.
To snap two windows, press the “Windows Key + Left arrow” shortcut to snap the window in focus to the left side. Continue with Snap Assist and select the other window you want to snap to the right.
If you ignore Snap Assist, you can use the “Windows Key + Right arrow” shortcut to snap the window in focus to the right side.
You can also use the “Windows Key + Left and Up arrows” keyboard shortcut to snap the window to the top-left side corner. The “Windows Key + Right and Up arrows” shortcut to snap the window to the top-right side corner. The “Windows Key + Left and Down arrows” shortcut to snap the window to the bottom-left side corner. And the “Windows Key + Right and Down arrows” shortcut to snap the window to the bottom-right side corner.
Windows snap layouts
Alternatively, you can use the “Windows Key + Z” shortcut to open the Snap Layouts flyout from the maximize button, press one of the numbers to select the layout, and then press the number to select the snap zone. Continue with Snap Assist and select the other window you want to snap to the right or use the “Windows Key + Z” shortcut again to continue snapping windows.
The display size determines the number of layouts, meaning you can’t get more snap layouts.
Windows snap groups
Whether you use the mouse or keyboard to snap windows, you can switch between groups of snapped windows or jump to another application and then come back to the group using “Snap groups” by hovering over an app in the Taskbar that belongs to a group and selecting the Snap group from the thumbnail previews.
Turn Snap feature on or off
Windows 11 gives you granular control over features while snapping windows. You can turn on or off snapping altogether and control each option individually.
To enable or disable Snap features on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings.
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Click on System.
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Click the Multitasking tab.
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Turn on or off the Snap windows toggle switch to enable or disable the feature on Windows 11.
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Check the “When I snap a window, suggest what I can snap next to it” option to enable Snap Assist. If you turn off the option, you won’t see a list of suggestions on what to snap next when snapping a window.
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Check the “Show snap layouts when I hover over a window’s maximize button” option to enable the flyout in the maximize button.
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Check the “Show snap layouts when I drag a window to the top of my screen” option to enable the new layouts down-down from the edge of the screen. If you turn off the option, the layouts flyout at the top of the screen will no longer be available.
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Check the “Show my snapped windows when I hover over taskbar apps, in Task View, and when I press Alt+Tab” option to show thumbnail previews of snap grouping. This feature is also known as Snap groups.
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(Optional) Check the “When I drag a window, let me snap it without dragging all the way to the edge of the screen” option to bring up Snap Assist as drag a window closer to the edge of the screen.
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(Optional) Use the “Show Microsoft Edge tabs when snapping or pressing Alt + Tab” setting to decide the number of tabs in Snap Assist. You can also choose not to show tabs.
Once you complete the steps, you can use the keyboard and mouse to organize your windows on the screen.
If some snapping features are not working, you may not be using the latest version of Windows 11. Some features, such as Snap groups, Snap Layouts from the top of the screen, and Snap Layouts with numbers when using the keyboard shortcut, are only available after upgrading to version 22H2.
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