Windows 11 Snap layouts to get top of screen drop-down

Snap layouts to get more useful for mouse and touch in future releases of Windows 11.

Windows 11 Snap layouts top menu
Windows 11 Snap layouts top menu
  • Windows 11 may get a new Snap layouts interface.
  • The interface is a new drop-down menu available from the top of the screen as you drag the window.
  • The drop-down in the maximize button will continue to be available.

On Windows 11, Microsoft originally introduced a new feature to help users snap windows on the screen. The feature is known as “Snap layouts, and it’s a feature that, when hovering over the maximize button in File Explorer or other apps, gives you a visual aid to snap windows on the screen using different grids quickly. However, the company is now experimenting with a new way to snap windows into snap layouts for touch and mouse.

The new experience lets you drag a window to the top of the screen to reveal the snap layouts, drop the window on top of a zone to snap it, and use snap assists to finish snapping the windows in the layout you selected.

Snap layouts top menu
Snap layouts top menu

Similar to the original version of Snap layouts, the number of layouts will depend on the screen resolution, which means that you may see four or six different layouts in the drop-down.

Furthermore, the company has improved snap assist to seamlessly animate between zones in a layout for a better end-to-end experience.

Since features in the Dev Channel are experimental and not tied to any specific version of Windows 11, it’s unclear when or if this feature will ever roll out in the stable channel.

In addition to these touch gestures, Windows 11 build 22557 also ships with a bunch of new features that may eventually make their way to the stable channel. For example, drag and drop capabilities for the Taskbar, folders in the Start menu, redesigned Task Manager, graphics improvements, and much more.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of (est. 2010). With over 21 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.

Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.

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