Don’t Be a Square: How to Use and Configure FancyZones in Windows 10
PowerToys are additional features, applications, and utilities that come with Windows operating systems. Some of them were developed by Microsoft, but many others were created by third-party developers with the approval of Microsoft. You can enable PowerToys by going to Turn Windows features on or off in Control Panel and selecting the PowerToys checkbox. If you use Windows 10, you can install the FancyZones PowerToy.
What are fancy zones?
FancyZones is a window manager that allows you to quickly and easily organize your open windows into tidy, customizable layouts. This can be especially helpful if you often have multiple windows open at once and find yourself constantly juggling them. With fancy zones, all the things you need are right at your fingertips! To create a layout with two rows of three columns each (similar to what’s shown below), click the plus sign under Layout on the left side of the screen, then select Two Rows.
Next click + Columns twice and type 3 for both. Drag any desired application from the list on the left onto one of the squares, and you’re done! You can adjust which square an application appears in by clicking it, dragging it to another square, and releasing it.
Basic Features
Windows 10’s FancyZones is a great way to organize your open windows and make better use of your screen real estate. You can configure FancyZones to suit your needs, and it’s easy to use once you get the hang of it. Here’s a quick guide to get you started. First, click on the start menu icon in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. Next, type PowerToys into the search bar at the top of your screen and press enter.
The PowerToys folder will appear as one of several options on the list on the right side of your screen. Click on this folder, then scroll down until you see FancyZones. Click it and a window with different configuration options will pop up. One of these options is Size; if you want all the windows in your FancyZone to be the same size, select this option before configuring any other features like Width or Height.
Advanced Features
FancyZones is a utility that allows you to customize your workspace by creating zones of different sizes and shapes. You can use FancyZones to organize your applications, windows, and files for easy access. To configure FancyZones, right-click on the taskbar and select FancyZone from the list of options. The following window will appear.
Click the + button at the bottom-left corner to create a new zone or click an existing zone and drag it around the screen. Once you’ve created a few zones, click the Lock Zones icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. Once locked, zones cannot be moved or resized and they are automatically unlocked when you log off of your computer.
Download and install fancy zones
If you’re looking for a way to increase your productivity and optimize your workflow, look no further than FancyZones. FancyZones is a free utility that allows you to create custom window layouts for your applications. Simply download the utility from the Microsoft Store, install it, and launch it from the Start menu. You’ll be prompted to select one of three options (left, right or central).
Next, choose how many windows you want to show on each side. For example, if you have six open apps and want two visible at any given time, set two left-hand windows and four right-hand ones. Click the plus button on either side to add more windows. With this configuration selected, when you press Ctrl + Tab twice in succession, the first tab will switch between tabs 1 and 2; the second tab will cycle through tabs 3 through 6; and so forth.
