When you’re working on your PC, you might find it useful to pin a window so that it always stays on top of the programs you’re using. Maybe you want to always have a calculator app or text document visible, or maybe your favorite team is playing and you want to make sure you don’t miss all the action.
Windows does not provide this feature by default, but you can add it through the Powertoys app. This tool brings a lot of great features to Microsoft’s OS, including Always On Top, which lets you pin any window so it’s on top of all other windows in your workspace. Here’s how to set it up:
How to set it to always appear on top
1. Download the Powertoys app from the Microsoft Store. Once the program is installed, it will open automatically.
2. In the left sidebar, always on top To set. By default, you can trigger features using keyboard shortcuts. Windows + Ctrl + THowever, you can also change it to something else. More on this later.
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3. You are now ready to use Always on top. Then, open the app or window you want to keep on top and press the keyboard shortcut to pin it in place. Unpin using the same shortcut.
How to customize it so it always appears on top
By default, a thick blue border appears around pinned windows, but you can change or remove this.
1. Open Powertoys and go to the “Always On Top” section in the sidebar.
- Pro tip: If you can’t find the app, windows logo Click on the Start bar and use the search field at the top of the window that appears.
2. click Open settings.Scroll down to the bottom appearance and behaviorYou can remove the border completely if you wish by simply toggling the switch next to it. Display a border around pinned windows.
If you don’t want to remove the border, you can change the border color. By default, this feature uses the current system color (Windows default), this is defined by the wallpaper, but you can switch it to any color you want.Just open the dropdown menu next to color modeClick custom color.A new entry named color will be displayed in the menu, and you can select your favorite tone by operating the color picker on the right.
You can also make the border transparent by dragging the horizontal slider. Opacity to the left or right. Unfortunately, there are no previews to guide you on how different opacity levels will look, but if you already have a window docked to the top of your workspace, you can see the changes in real time. Drag the slider all the way to the left to make the fixed window frame completely see-through.
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Another element that you can customize is the border thickness. Try playing with the slider on the side. thickness. Again, the window must be pinned in place beforehand to see what the changes look like in real time.
Finally, by default, a sound plays every time you pin or unpin a window. this is, sound Settings section.
Other options include the ability to exclude certain apps from pinning or change keyboard shortcuts to always keep them on top.click pencil icon under Activation Enter your favorite shortcut. Be careful that the key combo you use is not used by another action. Otherwise, things can quickly become confusing and annoying.