How to always open Windows Terminal center on screen

Windows Terminal lets you change the settings to decide the location of where to open the console, and here's how.

Windows Terminal always open center
Windows Terminal always open center

On Windows 11 (or 10), you can configure the Windows Terminal to always open center on the screen, and in this guide, you will learn how.

The terminal always opens somewhere on the top-left side of the screen, but if you find yourself always moving it to the center of the screen, you can change the Settings.json file to avoid the extra step every time you open the console.

This guide will teach you how to change the settings to always open the Windows Terminal app at the center of the screen on Windows 11.

Always open Windows Terminal center on screen from Settings.json

To always open the Windows Terminal at the center of the screen, use these steps:

  1. Open Windows Terminal.

  2. Use the “Ctrl + Alt + ,” (comma) keyboard shortcut to open the settings.json file with the default code editor.

    Quick tip: It is recommended to use Visual Studio Code. You can also open the file by clicking the menu (down-arrow) button next to the tab and selecting the Settings option.
  3. Before the “profiles” settings, type the following code to enable the terminal to open in the center of the screen:

    "launchMode": "default", 
    "centerOnLaunch": true,
    "initialPosition": ",",

    Terminal json code always open center

  4. Use the “Ctrl + S” keyboard shortcut to save the file.

After you complete the steps, the next you launch the terminal on Windows 11 or even on Windows 10, the app will open in the center of the screen.

Always open Windows Terminal center on screen from Settings

To always open the Windows Terminal at the center of the screen, use these steps:

  1. Open Windows Terminal.

  2. Click the menu (down-arrow) button and select the Settings option.

  3. Click on Startup.

  4. Click the Launch parameters setting.

  5. Turn on the “Center on launch” toggle switch.

    Windows Terminal enable center launch

  6. Click the Save button.

Once you complete the steps, the terminal will now always launch at the center of the screen. (This option is available on version 1.17 and higher releases.)

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.