There are many tools and utilities in Windows that you can use to increase your productivity. One such power-packed utility on Windows is PowerToys. Here, you will find many cool tools to make your digital life easier.
Using Windows PowerToys is quite easy. You can download it easily from GitHub, Windows Store, and Command Prompt.
With FancyZones, you can easily create a custom window layout, making multitasking a breeze. This tool works independently from the snap layouts, a default feature available in Windows 11. FancyZones lets you take it a step further by creating and customising your zones according to your requirements.
You can watch the YouTube video or continue reading the article below:
In this article, we’ll explain how to use FancyZones on Windows. Do read the article till the end to get a complete picture of the said tool.
Creating and customising layouts using FancyZones
To launch FancyZones, double-click on the PowerToys icon and then turn o the toggle beside the FancyZones button in the PowerToys menu. Once activated, you can open FancyZone by the keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + Shift + `
You can change this shortcut and assign any key by clicking on the inverted pen button beside the shortcut.
Now, follow the steps given below to create a FancyZones custom layout:
Step 1: Click on Launch Layout Editor.

Step 2: Click on Create new layout.

Step 3: Next, select the layout that you want to select. FancyZones allow Grid or Canvas layouts to choose from. The Grid layout is sorted and can be horizontally and vertically stacked. However, with Canvas, you can create new, overlapping zones as per your liking.

Step 4: Now, tap on the Plus button to add windows. Follow these keyboard shortcuts for easy management:

- Ctrl + Tab: To switch focus between dialogue and zones.
- Shift + Arrows: To resize the focused zone by 10px (5px per edge).
- Ctrl + Shift + Arrows: To resize the focused zone by 2px (1px per edge).
- Arrows: To move the focused zone by 10px.
- Ctrl + Arrows: To move the focused zone by 1px.
Step 5: Once you are done, you’ll see your layout under Custom. To tweak it, click on the inverted pen icon at the top right of the layout.

Step 6: You can rename your layout, assign a shortcut key, and select a highlight distance. Select Save when you’re done.

To use FancyZones, hold down the Shift key and drag your window to see the available layouts. You can snap windows into these zones easily.
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FancyZones advanced settings
There are several other settings that you can
- Span Zones Across Monitors: Enable zones to span multiple monitors.
- Custom shortcuts: You can add custom shortcuts for quicker navigation between layouts.
- Override Windows Snap: Customise how Windows Snap with FancyZones.
- Exclude Applications: Prevent specific applications from snapping into zones by listing them one per line.
- Quick Layout Switch: Enable or disable quick layout switching.
- Transparency and Child Window Snapping: You can adjust these settings for better control over window behaviour.
FancyZones is a powerful tool for boosting productivity by organising your workspace efficiently. Experiment with different layouts and settings to find out what works best for you. Whether you’re working on a single monitor or multiple screens, FancyZones can help streamline your workflow.