Snapping windows is a useful way to organize and multitask in Windows. With snap, you can quickly arrange windows side-by-side or in quadrants on your desktop. This can help maximize screen real estate, especially on ultrawide monitors with extra horizontal space. In this article, we’ll cover how to snap windows on an ultrawide monitor in Windows 10 and 11.
What is Window Snapping?
Window snapping is a feature that allows you to dock windows to the edge of your screen. This automatically resizes the windows to fill half or a quarter of the screen.
For example, you may want to snap two windows side-by-side so you can see both at the same time. Or snap four windows into four quadrants to view multiple windows simultaneously.
Snapping eliminates the need to manually resize windows. It also ensures the windows neatly fill the desired portions of the screen.
Benefits of Snapping on an Ultrawide Monitor
Snapping windows is particularly useful on an ultrawide monitor for a few reasons:
- Maximizes screen real estate – An ultrawide monitor has extra horizontal space you can take advantage of. Snapping allows you to efficiently use this space.
- Improves multitasking – You can snap up to 4 windows on an ultrawide monitor thanks to the extra width. This makes it easier to work across multiple apps and documents.
- Organizes messy desktops – Snapping keeps windows neatly arranged even when you have lots of windows open. This prevents a cluttered look.
Whether you’re trying to multitask or want a tidier desktop, snapping is a handy technique to know.
How to Snap Windows in Windows 10
Snapping windows in Windows 10 is easy to do in just a few steps:
1. Drag the window to the edge
To snap a window, click and drag the window title bar to the left or right edge of the screen.
When the mouse pointer touches the screen edge, you’ll see a transparent overlay appear indicating the snap positions.
2. Release the window at the snap position
With the overlay visible, release the window. This will dock it to fill half the screen.
Repeat this process to snap a second window to fill the other half. The two windows will now sit side-by-side.
3. Use keyboard shortcuts
You can also use the following keyboard shortcuts to snap windows:
- Win + Left Arrow or Right Arrow – Snap window to left or right half of screen
- Win + Up Arrow – Maximize window
- Win + Down Arrow – Minimize window
- Win + Shift + Left/Right Arrow – Move window to other monitor
4. Fill quadrants
Follow the drag method above, but drag a window to any of the four screen corners instead of just left or right edges.
This will snap the window to fill a quarter section of the screen. Repeat with other windows to fill the remaining quadrants.
5. Cycle through snap positions
When you already have multiple windows snapped, hover over a window and press Win + Left/Right Arrow keys.
This will cycle the window through the different snap positions while keeping other windows in place.
How to Snap Windows in Windows 11
Windows 11 features a couple tweaks to the snapping system. But overall, it works similarly to Windows 10:
1. Drag windows to screen edges
Just like before, click and drag a window to the left, right, or corners of the screen. Hold it at the edge for the snap overlay to appear.
2. Use keyboard shortcuts
The same Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts work the same way in Windows 11. Win + Arrow keys will snap windows to halves, maximize, minimize, or move between monitors.
3. Access snap layouts
Windows 11 introduces snap layouts – arrangements of up to 4 snapped windows in preset positions.
To use them, first hover over a window’s Maximize button. This will display a small overlay thumbnail with layout options.
Click this, then select your desired layout. Your windows will automatically be rearranged.
4. Snap windows in thirds
Windows 11 adds the ability to split the screen into thirds.
Simply drag a window to the far left or right edge and hold until you see the new third-width overlay appear.
Tips for Snapping Effectively
Follow these tips to master snapping on an ultrawide monitor:
Minimize unused windows
Don’t forget to minimize windows you aren’t actively using. This prevents them from occupying valuable snapping real estate.
Try vertical snapping
Although less common, you can also snap windows vertically for a columned layout. Simply drag windows to the top or bottom edge.
Adjust scaling
If text and icons look too small when snapping, increase interface scaling under Display settings so elements are legible.
Use multiple desktops
Create separate virtual desktops for different tasks and easily switch between them. This allows for more screen space to snap without windows overlapping.
Install FancyZones
For advanced window management, check out Microsoft’s free PowerToys utility. The FancyZones module lets you create custom snap layouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about snapping windows on an ultrawide monitor:
How many windows can I snap at once?
You can snap up to 4 windows at the same time by arranging them in the 4 quadrants of the screen. Ultrawide monitors are uniquely suited for 3-4 window multitasking.
Can I snap windows vertically?
Yes, you can snap windows to the top or bottom edges to stack them vertically. This isn’t as common as side-by-side horizontal snapping.
What happens if I snap uneven window sizes?
Windows will try to resize snapped windows proportionally based on their original dimensions. But you may need to manually resize afterwards for the best fit.
Can I exit snap mode?
Drag a snapped window back away from the screen edge and it will return to a normal floating window. Or press Win + Up Arrow to maximize it back to fullscreen.
Do snapping shortcuts work with ultrawide resolutions?
Yes, the standard Windows 10 and 11 snapping shortcut keys (Win + Arrow keys) work for any monitor resolution.
Sample Ultrawide Snapping Layouts
Here are a few examples of handy window snapping layouts on an ultrawide monitor:
Side-by-side documents
| Window 1 | Window 2 |
Snap two documents side-by-side for easy comparison or copy/paste between them.
Triple column browser
| Window 1 | Window 2 | Window 3 |
View three browser windows together so you can quickly research and cross-reference information.
Quadrant media workspace
| Video editor | Assets browser |
| Rendering preview | File explorer |
Edit video while previewing the render and accessing needed files and assets.
Half code, half browser
| Code editor | Browser |
View code and web output side-by-side for efficient web development.
Mixed productivity
| Calendar | Todo app | Music player |
Snap together various productivity apps to handle multiple tasks at the same time.
Conclusion
Snapping windows makes the most of the abundant horizontal space on ultrawide monitors. With a bit of practice, you can easily leverage snapping to multitask like a pro in Windows 10 and 11. The increased productivity and convenience are well worth learning this useful time-saving trick.