- 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.
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.
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. Email him at [email protected].