Pinning windows is one of the most useful ways to keep the things you’re working on front and center so you never lose focus. Luckily, you can easily pin windows two different ways in Windows 11.
Pin Windows With a Keyboard Shortcut
While not the most effective, the easiest way to pin a window in Windows 11 is to select the app you want to pin and then pressCtrl + F11on your keyboard.
This activates the built-in “always on top” feature for that app. You can unpin a window anytime by pressingCtrl + F12. It’s handy, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always work as intended.
Some apps won’t become pinned at all. Others, like File Explorer, tend to get wonky, with bits of the window displaying off the screen. This makes it almost impossible to use the app, requiring you to unpin and repin it.
I’ve also noticed using this method tends to sometimes send the window into fullscreen mode. While that can be handy, it doesn’t always help your workflow. Thankfully, there’s another method.
Use PowerToys Always On Top for More Precise Pinning
The best way to take advantage of window pinning in Windows 11 is bydownloading PowerToys. This suite of handy Windows tools is provided free by Microsoft, and is one ofthe best ways to be more productive in Windows.
The tool you want to take advantage of here is called Always On Top. When enabled, all you have to do is pressCtrl + Win + Tto pin any window to the front of your desktop. This activates a glowing outline around the window, showing you it has been pinned.
With a window pinned, you’re able to quickly move other windows around without worrying about losing the one you need to focus on. This makes it exceptionally easy to keep your work focused while also giving you the freedom to move through other apps.
There are a multitude of reasons you may want to take advantage of Windows 11 window pinning. Students will find it handy for writing research papers or working on homework. You can pin important documents that have data you need to refer to often so you never lose them.
Others may find it useful for pinning applications like the calculator, a to-do list, or even sticky notes you don’t want to lose track of. PowerToys also comes with other useful tools, like Peek, which lets youquickly preview files in File Explorer. You can combine multiple of these tools together can help you improve your workflow significantly.
