The Snap feature allows you to quickly resize and position windows on your screen by dragging them to the edges or corners. This helps you work more efficiently by arranging multiple windows to maximize your screen space. In addition to dragging, you can also use predefined layouts to organize your windows seamlessly. This flexibility ensures that you can easily manage your workspace, whether you're working with two windows side by side or arranging multiple windows in a grid.
With Snap, you can arrange all the open windows on the screen using the mouse, touch, or keyboard. Expand the following sections to learn more:
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Snap to side: drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen to snap it to that side
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Snap to corner: drag a window to a corner to snap it to that quarter of the screen
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Maximize vertically: drag a window to the top of the screen to expand it vertically, filling the entire height while maintaining its current width
Use your mouse to Snap in Windows:
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Select and drag the window or app you'd like to Snap to the side or edge of your screen. The Snap layout box will display automatically
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Drop the app into the layout you want to use
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Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you'd like to snap together
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Press and hold the Windows Logo Key + Arrow to Snap the app you are on. You can keep changing positions of the snap using your keyboard arrows
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Use the Left Arrowto position the app on the left side of your screen
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Use the Right Arrow to position the app on the right side of your screen
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Use the Up Arrow to position the app on the upper side of your screen
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Use the Down Arrow to position the app on the lower side of your screen
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When you've found the location you want, release the Windows Logo Key to position the window
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Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you'd like to Snap together on the same screen
You can easily resize snapped windows by selecting and dragging the dividing lines. Resize a window on one side, and the adjoining windows will resize to fit alongside so you don't have any wasted screen space.
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Hover over or tap the divider: when you select the edge separating the two snapped windows a bar appears. If you use a mouse, the mouse cursor changes to a double arrow
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Drag to resize: select and hold the separator bar, then drag it to adjust the size of the snapped windows
Snap Assist
Snap Assist is an enhancement to the Snap feature that makes it even easier to organize your windows. When you snap a window to one side of the screen, Snap Assist will display thumbnails of your other open windows, allowing you to quickly choose which window to snap to the other side. This feature helps you create a more organized and efficient workspace by providing visual cues and options for arranging your windows.
How to use Snap Assist:
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Snap the first window: select and drag a window to the edge of the screen until a translucent overlay appears. Release the window to snap it into place
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Snap the second window: select another open window from the thumbnails displayed by Snap Assist to snap it to the other half of the screen
Snap Layouts
The Snap feature in Windows offers predetermined layouts that you can choose from to organize all your open windows. After selecting a layout, Snap Assist is invoked to help you fill out the rest of the layout with other windows.
Note: Depending on the size of your display, you might see different predetermined layouts.
Snap Flyout
The Snap Flyout appears when you hover over the maximize button on a window. Here’s how to use it:
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Hover over the restore or maximize button of a window, or press Windows key +Z
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Select the desired layout. Snap Assist is then triggered, allowing you to fill out the rest of the layout with the windows of your choice
Snap Bar
The Snap Bar appears when you drag a window to the top of the screen. Here’s how to use it
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Drag a window towards the top of the screen.
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Select the desired layout. Snap Assist is then triggered, allowing you to fill out the rest of the layout with the windows of your choice.
Snap Groups
Snap groups are collections of windows that you have snapped together, saving time by allowing you to quickly switch back to a specific arrangement of windows. They are created automatically when you snap multiple windows together, ensuring that your workspace is organized without any extra effort on your part.
If you are interrupted and open a new app, you can easily return to your Snap Group. Simply hover over any app icon on the taskbar that is part of a Snap Group, and you will have the option to restore the entire group or just that app.
Additionally, Snap Groups are displayed in Task View and the Alt + Tab view, making it even easier to multitask.
Configure Snap settings
Here's a list of settings available for the Snap feature and how to configure them:
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In the Settings app on your Windows device, select System > Multitasking, or use the following link:
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Use the Snap windows toggle to turn Snap On or Off
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To customize Snap, expand the Snap windows section and select the options you prefer by using the checkboxes:
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When I snap a window, show what I can snap next to it: enables or disables Snap Assist
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Show snap layouts when I hover over a window's maximize button: enables or disables the Snap Flyout
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Show snap layouts when I drag a window to the top of my screen: enables or disables the Snap Bar
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Show my snapped windows when I hover over the taskbar apps, in Task View, and when I press Alt + Tab: enables or disables Snap Groups
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When I drag a window, let me snap it without dragging all the way to the screen edge: enables snapping windows without having to drag them all the way to the edge of the screen
Support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025
After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11.
The Snap feature allows you to quickly resize and position windows on your screen by dragging them to the edges or corners. This helps you work more efficiently by arranging multiple windows to maximize your screen space. In addition to dragging, you can also use predefined layouts to organize your windows seamlessly. This flexibility ensures that you can easily manage your workspace, whether you're working with two windows side by side or arranging multiple windows in a grid.
With Snap, you can arrange all the open windows on the screen using the mouse, touch, or keyboard. Expand the following sections to learn more:
-
Snap to side: drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen to snap it to that side
-
Snap to corner: drag a window to a corner to snap it to that quarter of the screen
-
Maximize vertically: drag a window to the top of the screen to expand it vertically, filling the entire height while maintaining its current width
Use your mouse to Snap in Windows:
-
Select and drag the window or app you'd like to Snap to the side or edge of your screen. The Snap layout box will display automatically
-
Drop the app into the layout you want to use
-
Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you'd like to snap together
-
Press and hold the Windows Logo Key + Arrow to Snap the app you are on. You can keep changing positions of the snap using your keyboard arrows
-
Use the Left Arrowto position the app on the left side of your screen
-
Use the Right Arrow to position the app on the right side of your screen
-
Use the Up Arrow to position the app on the upper side of your screen
-
Use the Down Arrow to position the app on the lower side of your screen
-
-
When you've found the location you want, release the Windows Logo Key to position the window
-
Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you'd like to Snap together on the same screen
You can easily resize snapped windows by selecting and dragging the dividing lines. Resize a window on one side, and the adjoining windows will resize to fit alongside so you don't have any wasted screen space.
-
Hover over or tap the divider: when you select the edge separating the two snapped windows a bar appears. If you use a mouse, the mouse cursor changes to a double arrow
-
Drag to resize: select and hold the separator bar, then drag it to adjust the size of the snapped windows
Snap Assist
Snap Assist is an enhancement to the Snap feature that makes it even easier to organize your windows. When you snap a window to one side of the screen, Snap Assist will display thumbnails of your other open windows, allowing you to quickly choose which window to snap to the other side. This feature helps you create a more organized and efficient workspace by providing visual cues and options for arranging your windows.
How to use Snap Assist:
-
Snap the first window: select and drag a window to the edge of the screen until a translucent overlay appears. Release the window to snap it into place
-
Snap the second window: select another open window from the thumbnails displayed by Snap Assist to snap it to the other half of the screen
Configure Snap settings
Here's a list of settings available for the Snap feature and how to configure them:
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In the Settings app on your Windows device, select System > Multitasking, or use the following link:
-
Use the Snap windows toggle to turn Snap On or Off
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To customize Snap, select the options you prefer by using the checkboxes:
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When I snap a window, automatically size it to fill available space
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When I snap a window, show what I can snap next to it
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When I resize a snapped window, simultaneously resize any adjacent snapped window
