Microsoft just gave PowerToys a nifty new feature and I think it's high time some of these goodies came to Windows 11

Date:
Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:45:02 +0000

Description:
Microsoft is busy improving Windows 11, and there's an obvious easy win it's missing: porting over smart PowerToys features.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter There's a new version of PowerToys out The suite of tools has a new utility called Window Hopper This allows you to easily cycle through open instances of the same app, and it's a nifty trick for multi-tasking in certain situations Microsoft has released a new version of PowerToys, its suite of tools for Windows 11 (and 10), and it packs a smart new addition.

This is PowerToys v0.101.2362.0, and as flagged by XDA Developers , the release notes on GitHub introduce us to Window Hopper. As the name suggests, this utility lets you easily hop between windows in Microsoft's OS with a shortcut that defaults to Alt + backtick (the ` symbol top-left of your keyboard, usually under the Escape key, or on the left of the number 1 key). Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

At this point you may be thinking: can't you switch between the windows of running apps by using Alt + Tab? Yes, you can, but there's a key difference between that shortcut and this new ability.

With Window Hopper, you are switching between the open instances of the same app, in the case that you're running multiple windows of said app. For example, like me, you might commonly have three or four browser sessions running in different windows, and pressing Alt + backtick will cycle between just those. You may like Windows 11 is 5 years old and I think Microsoft's finally onto a winner Windows 11's August update has arrived here are 3 reasons to download it How I think Microsoft's campaign to fix Windows 11 is going so far

That's handy because it means all the other apps you may have open won't get in the way if you specifically just want to 'hop' between multiple instances of Chrome, say, or a clutch of Word documents you're working with (or folders in File Explorer).

If you don't like the default key combination to invoke Window Hopper, that can be changed. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign
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On top of this new PowerToy, the existing Command Palette tool now has a compact mode, so it opens as a tiny window (and then expands with results
when you start typing). This offering has also been tweaked to be more responsive and stable in general.

The new version of PowerToys also features some general interface polishing and tweaks to some other tools, including PowerDisplay, which is now capable of controlling the brightness of multiple monitors simultaneously. The Mouse Highlighter feature, which draws attention to the cursor when you left or right click (with a color to differentiate between both clicks), now has a smart new ripple effect. Analysis: more power, fewer problems (Image credit: Microsoft) I'm a big fan of PowerToys , and I think there are some highly useful tools here. Granted, some of these bits of software are for
power-users only, but some are very handy for everyday users and the good thing with this suite is that you can install it and only turn on a small handful of utilities that you really want, leaving the rest aside. What to read next Windows 11 is finally getting the Start menu changes we all wanted Microsoft is improving Windows 11's right-click menu at long last Windows 11 search is being improved across the board, and that's great news

However, PowerToys is still not all that well known, and many average Windows users are missing out on nifty bits of functionality because they simply
don't know about them. This is why I've argued in the past that certain PowerToys features should just be ported over to Windows 11 directly, where Microsoft could have them as options in the Settings app, removing the hurdle of having to find and install this suite of utilities (which, in overall terms, still remains somewhat obscure).

I think the Window Hopper is a prime example of something that could be
easily ported over to Windows 11, where it would be useful for some folks to have as a native ability. Power Display, which just got a smart tweak with this new release of PowerToys, is another utility that I've said in the past would be great to have in the full version of Windows 11.

Would these tools be adding to system bloat, arguably? Well, some people may feel that way, but remember, they would be disabled by default and therefore wouldn't be eating any system resources (save for a small bit of drive space) unless you turned them on. Microsoft could also focus on very lightweight additions, too, as a starting point (simple tricks like Window Hopper, or partial ports of pieces of the beefier utilities).

For some people, PowerToys could even reduce bloat, as it might mean they can uninstall other third-party software that they've set up to achieve certain ends.

Hopefully Microsoft will at least be considering picking some choice pieces
of functionality from PowerToys for inclusion in its desktop OS and I note that there is a modernized mouse-finding ability inbound for Windows 11 (as Windows Latest spotted ), which is good to see. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-just-gave-powertoys-a-ni fty-new-feature-and-i-think-its-high-time-some-of-these-goodies-came-to-window s-11


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