How to Open Multiple Windows in Windows 11

To open another window of an app in Windows 11, hold Shift and click the app’s icon on the taskbar, or press Ctrl + N inside the app. Then put the windows side by side with Windows + Left arrow and Windows + Right arrow, or press Windows + Z to pick a Snap layout.

These steps apply to current Windows 11 releases on desktops, laptops, and tablets. Windows 10 shares most of the same shortcuts, but Snap layouts, Windows + Z, and Snap groups are Windows 11 features.

How to open another window of the same app

Pick whichever method suits you. Each one opens a new, separate window of the app.

1. Shift + click the taskbar icon. Microsoft’s keyboard shortcuts page lists this as the way to “open another instance of the app.” A new window of that app opens on top of the others.
2. Middle-click the taskbar icon by pressing the scroll wheel on your mouse. On most mice this also opens a new window.
3. Right-click the taskbar icon and select the app’s name near the bottom of the menu. This works from the jump list even if you don’t know any shortcuts.

4. Press Ctrl + N inside apps like File Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Word, Excel, and Notepad. The new window opens in front of the current one.
5. Press Windows + Shift + a number. Microsoft says this starts a new instance of the app pinned in that position on the taskbar, counting from the left. Windows + Shift + 1 opens another copy of the first pinned app.

Some apps only allow one window. In that case, these methods switch to the window that’s already open instead of starting a new one. Some websites suggest Ctrl + Shift + click for a new window, but that shortcut actually opens the app as an administrator. Windows then asks for permission through User Account Control, and you usually don’t need it, so stick with Shift + click.

To open a different app alongside the first one, click its taskbar icon or open it from the Start menu as usual. Every app you start gets its own window, so you can mix and match.

Open Two or More Folders in Separate Windows

Press Windows + E to open File Explorer and browse to your first folder. Press Ctrl + N in that window to open another File Explorer window, then browse to the second folder there. Repeat for additional folders. Check each address bar so you know which folder each window displays, then use the Snap steps below to arrange them. Microsoft’s Windows shortcut list documents Windows + E and File Explorer’s Ctrl + N.

A separate window is different from a tab inside the same window. Ctrl + T opens a new tab in File Explorer, which keeps things tidy but only shows one folder at a time. Two windows side by side are easier when you want to drag files from one folder to another. Read about using File Explorer in Windows 11 for more on tabs and moving files.

Open a new browser window

In Edge, Chrome, and Firefox, press Ctrl + N for a new window. You can also drag a tab by its title away from the tab bar and let go. The tab becomes its own window, which you can snap next to the original. Drag it back onto the tab bar to merge it again.

How to arrange multiple windows with Snap

1. Select the first window and press Windows + Left arrow to snap it to the left half of the screen. The window fills the left half, and Snap Assist shows your other windows on the right.

2. Select one of the thumbnails to fill the right half.
3. To resize both, drag the divider between them. The other window adjusts so there’s no wasted space.

You can also drag a window’s title bar to the left or right edge of the screen, or to a corner to fill a quarter of the screen, as described in Microsoft’s Snap your windows guide. Holding Windows and pressing the arrow keys keeps moving the window until you let go. For example, Windows + Left arrow and then Windows + Up arrow puts a window in the top-left quarter.

Microsoft also notes you can drag a window to the top edge of the screen to stretch it to the full height while keeping its width, or press Windows + Shift + Up arrow to do the same from the keyboard.

Use Snap layouts for three or four windows

1. Hover over a window’s maximize button, or press Windows + Z. A set of layout grids appears.
2. Select the zone where you want this window.
3. Snap Assist then offers your other windows to fill the rest of the layout.

The layouts you see depend on your screen size. A small laptop screen may only offer two or three layouts, and four windows can be cramped at 13 or 14 inches. You can also drag a window to the top of the screen to open the Snap bar, then drop it on a layout zone. For more on Snap layouts, read about splitting the screen on Windows 11.

Windows 11 doesn’t have the old Windows 10 taskbar commands for cascading or stacking windows. Right-clicking an empty part of the taskbar only shows a short menu, so use Snap to tidy several windows at once.

Get back to a set of snapped windows

Windows remembers windows you snapped together as a Snap group. Hover over one of those apps on the taskbar to see the group, and select it to bring the whole arrangement back at once. This is handy after you switch to another app for a moment.

Windows can also clear every window off the screen at once. The shortcuts are quick to learn: Windows + D shows or hides the desktop, Windows + M minimizes everything, Windows + Shift + M restores those windows, and Windows + Home minimizes all windows except the one you’re using.

Spread windows across two monitors

With a second monitor connected, select a window and press Windows + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow to move it to the other screen. Each monitor has its own Snap zones, so you can snap two windows on each screen. If the second screen isn’t set up yet, follow the steps to set up multiple monitors on Windows 11.

Switch between many windows

• Alt + Tab: hold Alt and press Tab to cycle through open windows, then let go to switch. You can also click a thumbnail, or close a window from there.

• Task view: press Windows + Tab or select the Task view button to see every window at once.
• Ctrl + click a taskbar icon: when an app has several windows open, this steps through them one at a time.
• Edge tabs in Alt + Tab: in Settings > System > Multitasking, choose whether recent Edge tabs appear alongside windows.

To learn what else it can do, such as closing windows and creating desktops, see what Task View does in Windows.

Use multiple desktops

When one screen gets crowded, group windows on separate desktops. According to Microsoft’s multitasking guide:

1. Press Windows + Tab and select New desktop, or press Windows + Ctrl + D. A new, empty desktop opens.
2. Open the apps you want on that desktop.
3. Switch with Windows + Ctrl + Left arrow or Right arrow. Each desktop keeps its own set of windows.

To move a window you already opened, open Task view, right-click the window, select Move to, and pick a desktop. You can also right-click a desktop in Task view to rename it (for example, “Work” or “School”) or give it its own background.

To close a desktop, open Task view and select the X on it, or press Windows + Ctrl + F4. Its windows move to the next desktop rather than closing. To move between desktops, read about switching between desktops in Windows 11.

If something doesn’t work

• Shift + click only brings the old window forward: the app supports a single window. Look for a New window option in its own menu, or use tabs inside the app.
• Windows + Shift + number opens the wrong app: the number matches the app’s position on the taskbar, counting only app icons from the left. Count again, or drag the icons into a new order.
• Snap layouts don’t appear: go to Settings > System > Multitasking and turn on Snap windows. Then expand it and check the box for showing Snap layouts when you hover over the maximize button.
• One window won’t snap or resize: some games, installers, and dialog boxes have a fixed size and can’t be snapped.
• A new window opens off screen: press Alt + Tab to select it, then press Windows + Up arrow to maximize it. For more fixes, read about moving an off-screen window.
• The PC slows down: every window uses memory. Close the ones you no longer need with Alt + F4, or right-click an app’s taskbar icon and select Close all windows.

Frequently asked questions