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How to Configure Snap Layouts for Multiple Windows in Windows 11

Find Snap settings in Windows 11, choose a layout with Windows key + Z, and arrange, resize, and revisit multiple windows.
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To configure Snap Layouts in Windows 11, open Settings > System > Multitasking, turn on Snap windows, and choose which snapping options to enable. Then press Windows key + Z or hover over a window’s maximize button, select a layout, and choose open windows to fill its spaces.

Turn on and configure Snap windows

  1. Open Settings > System > Multitasking.
  2. Turn on Snap windows.
  3. Expand the Snap windows section to see its controls. Depending on your Windows version and device, the wording or availability of individual options may vary. Microsoft’s guide to Snap Your Windows describes these settings:
  • Show what I can snap next to it: Controls whether Snap Assist suggests other open windows after you place the first one.
  • Show snap layouts when I hover over a window’s maximize button: Turns the maximize-button route to the layout flyout on or off. You can also open layouts with Windows key + Z.
  • Show snap layouts when I drag a window to the top of my screen: Controls the top-edge Snap bar entry point.
  • Show my snapped windows when I hover over the taskbar apps, in Task View, and when I press Alt + Tab: Controls whether Windows surfaces snapped groups in those places.
  • When I drag a window, let me snap it without dragging all the way to the screen edge: Allows snapping before the pointer reaches the display edge.

Choose a layout and fill it with windows

  1. Open the layout flyout by pressing Windows key + Z, or hover over the active window’s maximize button.
  2. Select the layout that suits the number of windows and the relative space each task needs. The available layouts can depend on display size, so not every PC shows the same choices.
  3. Select another open app in Snap Assist to fill a remaining space. Continue selecting windows until the areas you need are filled.

You can also drag a window to the top of the screen to open the Snap bar when that option is enabled. Dragging a window toward a screen edge or corner offers another way to position it.

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Use keyboard shortcuts or drag to snap windows

For direct keyboard placement, press Windows key + Left Arrow or Windows key + Right Arrow to snap the active window to a side. Continue using the arrow keys to change its placement. Microsoft’s Windows 11 multitasking guidance also describes snapping with keyboard shortcuts and by dragging windows. After placing one window, use Snap Assist to select another for the remaining space.

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Resize and return to a snapped group

Adjust the space shared by adjacent windows

Drag the divider between adjacent snapped windows to change their relative sizes. Microsoft notes that the neighboring snapped windows can resize together as you move the divider.

Reopen an arrangement

Windows can treat windows snapped together as a Snap Group, preserving them as an arrangement you can return to. Hover over the relevant app on the taskbar to find the group; snapped groups are also surfaced in Task View and Alt + Tab when the corresponding setting is enabled. Microsoft describes Snap Groups in its Windows accessibility and multitasking guidance.

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Choose a layout that fits the work

Use the layout that gives the most important task enough room while keeping the other windows visible. Consider how many windows you need at once and the space each one needs; the choices available in the flyout may vary with display size. You can use Snap with your existing display—Microsoft’s guidance does not establish a monitor purchase or a particular monitor size as a requirement.

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