If you work with two or more applications simultaneously (for example, comparing a spreadsheet with a report, or copying text from a web browser into a Word document), you probably spend a lot of time manually dragging and resizing windows until they sit neatly next to each other. This process is slow, imprecise, and needs to be repeated every time you open a new window.
Windows 11 introduced a feature called Snap Layouts that eliminates this frustration entirely. By simply hovering your mouse over the maximise button, you are presented with a selection of pre-designed screen arrangements (such as two equal halves, three columns, or a grid of four), and Windows will automatically resize and position your windows into the chosen layout.
How to Use Snap Layouts
Snap Layouts are accessed through the maximise button on any open window.
- Open any application (for example, Google Chrome).
- Look at the top-right corner of the window. Hover your mouse cursor over the Maximise button (the overlapping squares icon between Minimise and Close). Do not click it.
- After holding your cursor still for approximately one second, a small pop-up menu will appear displaying several layout options. The exact number of options depends on your screen size and resolution, but common choices include:
- Two equal halves (50/50 split).
- Two unequal sections (70/30 split).
- Three equal columns.
- A grid of four equal quadrants.
- Click on the specific zone within the layout where you want to place the current window (e.g., click the left half of the 50/50 split).
The window will instantly snap into position, filling exactly the area you selected. Windows will then display thumbnails of all your other open applications, asking you to choose which one should fill the remaining empty zone.
How to Use Snap Layouts with Keyboard Shortcuts
For faster window management, you can use keyboard shortcuts instead of the hover menu.
- Windows Key + Left Arrow: Snap the active window to the left half of your screen.
- Windows Key + Right Arrow: Snap the active window to the right half of your screen.
- Windows Key + Up Arrow: Maximise the active window to fill the entire screen.
- Windows Key + Down Arrow: Minimise the active window (or restore it if it is maximised).
You can also combine these shortcuts to snap windows into quarter-screen positions. For example, pressing Windows Key + Left Arrow followed immediately by Windows Key + Up Arrow will snap the window into the top-left quadrant of your screen.
Snap Groups: Switching Between Layouts
When you snap two or more windows into a layout, Windows 11 automatically remembers those windows as a Snap Group.
If you minimise one of the snapped windows to check something on your desktop, hover your mouse over the taskbar icon of either snapped window. You will see a small thumbnail of the entire group appear above the taskbar. Clicking this thumbnail will instantly restore all the windows in the group back to their exact snapped positions.
This is incredibly useful for office work, where you might have one Snap Group for “Email + Calendar” and another for “Spreadsheet + Browser,” and you can switch between the complete arrangements with a single click.