How to Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Windows 10
Your screen can get cluttered if you have a lot of opened app windows. The Snap windows (aka: Aero Snap) feature includes Snap Assist and 2x2 snapping to help you organize these opened windows on your desktop.
For more details about Snap windows, see: Arrange your Windows in a Snap
Starting with Windows 10 build 10547 when in Tablet mode, from Task View you can now snap apps to left and right, replace a previously snapped app with another (teeter) and swipe down to close an app.
Snap Assist
Drag a window to the left or right edge of your screen until you see a transparent overlay appear, then drop the window to have it snap to that half of the screen.
Snap Assist will then show thumbnails of all other snappable windows in the available space on the other side for you to click/tap on one to choose, and it'll also automatically snap in to place.
2x2 Snap
You can snap up to four windows in a 2x2 grid on your screen.
Drag a window to the top or bottom corner of the left or right edge of your screen until you see a transparent overlay appear, then drop the window to have it snap to that quadrant of the screen.
Modern universal apps will not reduce in vertical height as much as a desktop app, so a they will be larger than a quarter of the screen.
Keyboard shortcuts:
Win + Left arrow
Press to snap the current active window to the left half of the screen. If you have multiple screens, then you can keep pressing to move and snap the window to the screen to the left.
Win + Right arrow
Press to snap the current active window to the right half of the screen. If you have multiple screens, then you can keep pressing to move and snap the window to the screen to the right.
Win + Up arrow
If the window isn't snapped, then it will maximize the window. If the window is snapped to a side, then it will snap the window to the top quarter of that side.
Win + Down arrow
If the window isn't snapped, then it will minimize the window. If the window is maximized, it will restore down the window. If the window is snapped to a side, then it will snap the window to the bottom quarter of that side.
This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off the Snap windows (Aero Snap) feature for your account in Windows 10.
If you turn off Arrange windows automatically by dragging them to the sides or corners of the screen (Aero Snap), you will no longer be able to drag maximized windows.
Contents
- Option One: To Turn On or Off Snap Windows, Snap Fill, Snap Assist, and Snap Auto Resize in Settings app
- Option Two: To Turn On or Off Snap Windows in Ease of Access Center
- Option Three: To Turn On or Off Snap Windows, Snap Fill, Snap Assist, and Snap Auto Resize using a REG file
EXAMPLE: Snap windows in Windows 10
Music in video is "Do the Pump" by Mr Juan licensed under a Attribution 3.0 France License.
1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the System icon.
2 Do step 3 (on) or step 4 (off) below for what you would like to do.
This is the default setting
A) Click/tap on Multitasking on the left side, and turn on Snap windows under Work with multiple windows on the right side. (see screenshot below)
B) Check (on - default) or uncheck (off) the Snap settings below for what you want, and go to step 5 below.
- When I snap a window, automatically size it to fill available space (Snap Fill)
- When I snap a window, show what I can snap next to it (Snap Assist)
- When I resize a snapped window, simultaneously resize any adjacent snapped window (Snap auto resize)
A) Click/tap on Multitasking on the left side, turn on Snap windows under Work with multiple windows on the right side, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)
5 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.
1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Ease of Access Center icon.
2 In the Ease of Access Center, click/tap on either the Make the mouse easier to use, Make the Keyboard Easier To Use, or Make it easier to focus on tasks link. (see screenshot below)
3 Do step 4 (on) or step 5 (off) below for what you would like to do.
This is the default setting.
A) Uncheck the Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edged of the screen box, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)
A) Check the Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edged of the screen box, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below.
6 When finished, you can close the Ease of Access Center if you like.
The downloadable .reg files below will change the registry key and value below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
WindowArrangementActive REG_SZ (string value)
0 = Off
1 = On
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
JointResize DWORD
SnapFill DWORD
SnapAssist DWORD
0 = Off
1 = On
1 Do step 2 (Snap), step 3 (Snap Fill), step 4 (Snap Assist), or step 5 (Snap Auto Resize) below for what you would like to do.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.
Turn_On_Aero_Snap.reg (default)
Download
OR
Turn_Off_Aero_Snap.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.
Turn_On_Snap_Fill.reg (default)
This will also turn on Snap windows.
Download
OR
Turn_Off_Snap_Fill.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.
Turn_On_Snap_Assist.reg (default)
This will also turn on Snap windows.
Download
OR
Turn_Off_Snap_Assist.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.
Turn_On_Snap_Auto_Resize.reg (default)
This will also turn on Snap windows.
Download
OR
Turn_Off_Snap_Auto_Resize.reg
Download
6 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
7 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
8 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
9 Sign out and sign in or restart the PC to apply.
10 You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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