Chicago
Track Your Order
0
You Can Pin Windows for an Extra Productivity Boost in Windows 11: Here's How
Pinning windows is one of the most useful ways to keep the things you are 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 press Ctrl + F11 on your keyboard.
This activates the built-in "always on top feature for that app. You can unpin a window anytime by pressing Ctrl + F12. Its handy, but unfortunately, it does not always work as intended.
Some apps wont 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 full screen mode. While that can be handy, it does not always help your workflow. Thankfully, there is another method.
Use PowerToys Always On Top for More Precise Pinning
The best way to take advantage of window pinning in Windows 11 is by downloading PowerToys. This suite of handy Windows tools is provided free by Microsoft, and is one of the 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 press Ctrl + Win + T to 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 can 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 you quickly preview files in File Explorer. You can combine multiple of these tools together can help you improve your workflow significantly.
