Snap Layout is one of the stellar features of Windows 11. When you open a bunch of windows across various applications, Windows 11 lets you organize all of them on the screen based on different layouts, which are then saved in a particular arrangement. This way you get more available space on your screen to maximize your multitasking capabilities.
For those looking to achieve a Snap Layout experience like Windows 11 in Windows 10, you can utilize Windows 10’s built-in functionalities which support similar navigation. Here we show the various methods to achieve this.
What is Snap Layout in Windows 11?
Windows 11 Snap Layouts are a set of predefined templates that arrange the application windows on the screen based on your choice from a “Snap Navigator.” This navigation feature immediately springs into view while you’re hovering the mouse around the Maximize button.
Furthermore, the selected arrangement of windows in Snap Layout view can be minimized and restored as a “Snap Group” from the taskbar.
Currently, there are six types of layouts in which you can snap the windows:
- 50:50 layout of two equally sized windows
- 80:20 layout includes a major and minor window screen
- Three-column equal layout requires a laptop/computer screen which is fully HD-compliant at 1080p (1920×1080).
- 50:25:25 layout for three window screens
- 25:25:25:25 layout is useful for multitasking with four open windows.
- Three-column unequal layout.
In Windows 11, there is a “Multitasking” Settings page where you can customize what happens when two or more windows are snapped. The same functionality exists in Windows 10. (See the section on snapping with Snap Assist.)
How to Use Snap Layout in Windows 10
There is a Snap Layout feature in Windows 10 as well, which may not feel as easy and intuitive as Windows 11 but gives very similar results. There are three ways to achieve the snapping of windows in Windows 10: your mouse, keyboard shortcut keys, and Snap Assist.
1. Snap with Your Mouse
Snapping with the mouse is very easy on Windows 10. You just need to select the title bar of any application window and drag it all the way to the corners of your screen. When you release the pointer, it will be snapped in that position.
You can arrange multiple application windows side by side and resize them as per your needs. While the mouse method is manual and slightly more time consuming, it is quite an efficient method for those who want more space utilization of their available screens.
2. Snap with Shortcut Keys
If you want an automatic snapping feel in Windows 10 with equally-sized windows, it’s better to use the keyboard shortcut keys: Win + Arrow Keys. Go to the open window first, use the keyboard shortcut and it will automatically fix the program windows.
In the following example for the Command prompt window, the “left” arrow key was used along with the Win key. This got the Command prompt into the left corner, occupying nearly a quarter of the screen.
Another example below shows the snapping of the Microsoft Edge browser window into the right corner of the screen. For this, the “right” arrow key was used along with the Win key. The other application windows are neatly arranged in a scrollable grid layout.
3. Snap with Snap Assist
Windows 10 has a dedicated “Snap Assist” feature, which controls how you want the windows to be split. It can be accessed from “Snap settings” system settings in the Search box. A similar feature exists in Windows 11 under “Multitasking,” which you can search in the same manner.
Turn the “Snap windows” on for enabling the snapping functionality in Windows 10. Also enable the other options, such as the automatic sizing of available space and the simultaneous resizing of adjacent snapped windows.
Now you just have to click the thumbnail of the window you want snapped using Snap Assist. It will be fixed in a corner. The other windows will be neatly resized besides the first one so that there is no empty space remaining.
While Windows 11 greatly enhances it, the “snapping” functionality has been around since Windows 7. Although it isn’t exactly the same as Windows 11, there are many benefits in using the Snap Layout feature in Windows 10.
