The Edge Tiling Annoyance
Ubuntu features a window management system known as “Edge Tiling” or “Window Snapping.” If you click the title bar of a terminal or browser window and drag it near the top edge of your screen, Ubuntu assumes you want to maximize it and instantly expands the window to fill the entire monitor. While this is helpful for some, it is incredibly annoying if you are simply trying to move a small window slightly higher up on your screen to see the text underneath it. Instead of moving the window, Ubuntu violently resizes it.
How to Disable Window Snapping
You can turn off this automatic expansion behavior using the built-in Ubuntu Settings application, restoring your ability to freely drag windows anywhere on the screen without them resizing.
1. Open the main Ubuntu Settings application.
2. In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Ubuntu Desktop (or Multitasking if you are using Ubuntu 22.04 or newer).
3. Look for the section titled “Window Management” or “Active Screen Edges.”
4. Locate the toggle switch labelled Active Screen Edges (or “Window Tiling” / “Snap windows to screen edges”).
5. Click the toggle switch to turn it Off.
Using GNOME Tweaks for Finer Control
If you cannot find the setting in the main control panel, you can enforce the change using the advanced GNOME Tweaks tool.
1. Open your terminal.
2. Install the tool by running: sudo apt install gnome-tweaks
3. Launch the application by pressing the Super key, typing Tweaks, and pressing Enter.
4. In the left sidebar, click on Windows.
5. Look for the toggle switch labelled Edge Tiling.
6. Turn this switch Off. Your windows will now remain exactly the size you set them, no matter how close to the edge of the monitor you drag them.