How To Keep a Window Always-on-Top in Windows 11

Getting PowerToys on Windows 11 & Making Windows Stay on Top

Honestly, it’s kinda wild how Windows doesn’t have a built-in simple “Always on Top” option — or at least I couldn’t find one easily. That’s where PowerToys comes in. It’s this kind of hidden gem from Microsoft that adds all sorts of useful tweaks, including the ability to pin windows to stay on top. First, you gotta get it installed. Just head over to the official GitHub repository at https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases. Download the latest version — I recommend always grabbing the newest build because they fix stuff and add features fairly often.

Installation is pretty straightforward — run the .exe installer, click through the prompts, maybe give admin permissions if Windows wants to be difficult. After it finishes, you can start PowerToys from the Start menu. It doesn’t automatically run on login unless you tell it to — so it’s worth enabling ‘Run at logon’ when setting it up, so you don’t forget to turn it on every time.

Finding the Right Spot for “Always on Top” in PowerToys

Once PowerToys is up, the interface can feel a bit overwhelming at first because it’s pretty packed — think lots of modules, options, and settings. Look for the “Always on Top” module on the sidebar. Honestly, I missed it the first few times myself; it’s not always super obvious. Sometimes it’s tucked under General or Keyboard Manager. The key is to keep looking for the label “Always on Top.” Some versions might list it as a dedicated module. If it’s not visible, double-check you have the latest PowerToys version — support for some modules varies by version.

Click on “Always on Top,” and you’ll see a toggle switch—you wanna turn that on. Doing so lets you pin certain windows so they stay on top of everything else. Very handy for multitasking or when Windows decides to shuffle your taskbar or overlay windows in a weird way. After enabling it, you can manually pin any window just by using hotkeys or the right-click menu, depending on how you set things up.

Hotkeys to Pin and Unpin Windows – The Quick Way

The cool part is the hotkey combo. By default, it’s Windows + T. So, just make sure the window you want is active, then press Win + T. Usually, it does the job—windows stick on top. Sometimes, I’ve run into hiccups—like if PowerToys isn’t focused or if a system update messes with hotkeys. You can also remap this hotkey inside PowerToys if it conflicts with other shortcuts or just for easier access — just head into the “Keyboard Manager” module and change the hotkey to whatever works best.

To unpin a window, hit the same hotkey again. It’s pretty simple. If hotkeys aren’t responding, make sure PowerToys is running with proper permissions — running as a regular user sometimes causes issues with hotkeys. Also, restarting PowerToys or the specific module in the system tray can help if things get wonky.

Pin Multiple Windows or Set Hotkeys for Different Apps

If the hotkey method isn’t enough, you can assign different hotkeys to pin specific apps or windows. It’s a little more advanced but super useful if you’re juggling multiple tasks and want certain apps always on top. PowerToys supports hotkey customization that way. Just remember, pressing the same hotkey repeatedly will pin multiple windows, but overlapping or windows with different z-orders can sometimes make things confusing. Still, better than having to manually keep resizing or rearranging everything.

Cleaning Up with Borderless Windows and Custom Settings

One minor gripe I have is the borders around pinned windows — they can be thick and kinda ugly, especially if you’re trying for a sleek look. Luckily, in PowerToys, there’s an option called Show borders around pinned windows. This toggle is usually under General or directly in the “Always on Top” module. Turn it off, restart PowerToys if necessary, and you get cleaner, borderless pinned windows. It’s such a small thing, but it makes a difference in the cluttered UI.

Adjusting Hotkeys, Silence, and Managing Exclusions

If the default hotkey (Win + T) clashes or you just want to set something more comfortable, you can remap hotkeys inside the “Keyboard Manager” module. Also, if you don’t want to get notifications every time you pin or unpin, there’s an option called “Play sound on hotkey activation” — turn that off to keep it quiet. After all, silence is golden when you’re tweaking stuff late at night.

A neat feature is the ability to add apps to an exclusions list. This means if you pin a lot of windows but want certain ones (like streaming pop-ups or security alerts) to stay unaffected, you can add their process names (like chrome.exe or explorer.exe) in the exceptions section. That way, hotkeys won’t accidentally keep those windows on top, preventing some weird frustrations.