Disable Window Snapping in Windows 11: Complete Guide

If you're bothered by windows automatically snapping to edges or popping up suggestions for tidying up your desktop, you've come to the right place with the snapping feature. Windows 11 (Snap). This article walks you through disabling it completely or adjusting only the areas that bother you, and also shows you how to use it when you're interested in splitting the screen in half or into four zones.

We've compiled all the official methods and the most useful variations: from the Settings switch to the Registry trick to control the suggestion panel, through keyboard shortcuts, layouts that adjust when you hover over the maximize button, and options to reduce distractions in Windows. This way you can decide whether to turn off Snap or tame it to your liking.

What is window snapping in Windows 11 and how to use it?

Snapping windows automatically arranges the windows. apps in predefined layouts So you can work with two, three, or four windows without overlapping them or wasting time resizing. You can activate it and customize its behavior from Settings or use it on the fly with your mouse and keyboard shortcuts.

To access Snap's quick controls, open Settings with Win + I, go to System, then Multitasking, where you'll see Snap windows. From there, you can turn the setting on or off, expand its options, and select the boxes that define how and when guides and suggestions are displayed.

1. Open Settings with Win + I and go to System > Multitasking.
2. Activate Dock Windows and expands the options to choose the six behavior preferences (show guides, offer suggestions, resize together, etc.).

Once active, you can drag windows to the edges or corners to fit them together; you can have two, three, or even four windows visible at once. When you adjust one, the rest will fall into place so there are no awkward gaps.

You can also change sizes by dragging the dividing lines between docked windows, and when you change the width of a column, the adjacent columns automatically adapt to keep everything aligned.

Create a full-screen window

When you want an app to take up the entire screen, there's no mystery: maximize from the top right corner of the window.

1. Click the maximize icon in the upper right corner to expand the window to fill the entire screen.

Split the screen into two halves

You have two quick ways to put a window in half the screen: with the mouse over the maximize button or by dragging the window to a side edge.

1. Hover over the maximize button to see the available fit designs.
2. Choose the layout with two columns (left and right) to fit the window in the half you prefer.
3. Windows will display the other open windows on the opposite side: Select one to complete the two-column mosaic.

Keyboard alternative: Press Windows + Left Arrow or Windows + Right Arrow to quickly snap to the left or right half.

Divide the screen into four zones (a quarter of the screen)

When you need four apps visible at once, the four-quadrant layout is ideal, especially on large screens or with DPI suitable.

1. Place the pointer over the maximize button for Snap designs to appear.
2. Choose the four-panel design and select the corner where you want the current app.
3. Windows will suggest the rest of the windows to you to complete the other three positions.

It also works with the mouse: Drag a window to a corner of the screen until you see the outline indicating a quarter of the screen, and release it.

Using Snap with the mouse: hotspots

The most intuitive method is to drag the title bar from a window to an edge or corner. You'll see a transparent outline indicating where it will go.

1. Select and hold the title bar of the window you want to adjust.
2. Drag to an edge or corner until the adjustment contour appears.
3. Release the mouse button and the window will be docked to the displayed area.
4. If you adjust to the left or right, Windows shows the other open windows on the opposite side to complete the remaining column with a single click.

Snap designs on hover over the maximize button

Windows 11 lets you choose layouts on the fly by hovering over the maximize button, without the need to drag or click shortcuts.

Just hover over the maximize button and choose the layout that you're interested in (halves, thirds, quadrants, etc.). Keep in mind that some older apps may not display these layouts.

Snap Groups on the Taskbar

When you create a layout with multiple apps, Windows remembers that set as a Snap Group, and you can retrieve it from the taskbar.

Hovering over an app icon in the taskbar You'll see the Snap Group thumbnail so you can return to the entire group in one click—perfect for getting back to your workflow.

Docking keyboard shortcuts

• Windows + Left/Right Arrow: attach to left or right half.
• Windows + Up/Down Arrow: snap to top or bottom half, or maximize/restore depending on context.
• Windows+Z: Display the Snap layouts available for the active window.

In addition to Snap, remember shortcuts to switch and organize tasks: Alt + Tab to switch between windows, Windows + Tab to see all windows and virtual desktops.

Note on Windows 10

If you also run Windows 10 computers, the pairing is very similar: Drag windows to the edges to snap them, and use Windows + Arrow to split them. The options are in Settings > System > Multitasking, where you can turn on Snap windows and its related checkboxes.

How to disable window snapping in Windows 11

If you find the automatic adjustment annoying, you can disable it completely in Settings or disable only the parts you don't care about. There's also a registry key to control the Snap Assist pane, which is useful if you want to snap, but don't want Windows to recommend what to open next to it.

Method 1: Disable from Settings

1. Right click on the Start button and go to Settings (you can also press Win + I).
2. Go to System > Multitasking.
3. Turn off the Snap Windows switch to turn off the coupling completely.

If you prefer fine-tuning, expand Dock Windows and uncheck any specific boxes you don't want (e.g., to have suggestions appear when adjusting, or to have adjacent windows resize when you resize one).

Method 2: Disable the Suggestion Panel from the Registry

This method controls the Snap Assist Flyout (the panel that suggests windows when snapping), not basic docking. Use this if you still want to be able to snap windows but without automatic recommendations.

1. Open Registry Editor: press the Windows key, type Regedit and press Enter. Accept the account control prompt.
2. Navigate to the key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Locate the EnableSnapAssistFlyout value. If it does not exist, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value with that name.
4. Double click and set its value to 0 to disable it (1 enables it).
5. Restart the computer to apply the changes.

To revert the change, edit the same value and set it to 1, confirm and restart again.

Which parts of the dock can you disable without turning it off completely?

Windows 11 lets you selectively disable Snap behaviors from System > Multitasking, expanding Snap Windows:

• Show guides and layouts on hover to maximize (if it distracts you, remove it).
• Offer window suggestions to complete the opposite side (also controlled by the Registry with EnableSnapAssistFlyout).
• Resize adjacent windows when resizing one (if you prefer to adjust each one separately).
• Show app tabs on Alt + Tab/Snap (you can limit to 3, 5, 20 or no tabs).

This way you can maintain the basic snapping (dragging to the edges) without Windows intervening with suggestions or animations. that sometimes break the flow.

Shortcuts and related functions that you should know

In addition to Snap, Windows 11 offers multitasking tools that you can adjust so there are fewer distractions if you decide not to use the dock.

• Alt + Tab: : window view for task switching.
• Windows + Tab: Task view with virtual desktops.
• Desks: Sets whether the taskbar and Alt+Tab show windows only from the current desktop or from all desktops.
• Title Bar Window Switcher: Option to minimize all windows except the active one with a shake.

Extra options to reduce distractions in Windows

If your goal is to focus better, there are more settings that complement or replace Snap to leave the desktop cleaner.

Accessibility: Visual Effects

1. Go to Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Visual Effects.
2. Adjust options to minimize visual noise:
   • Always show scroll bars (you can disable it).
   • Transparency effects (if it's distracting, turn it off).
   • animation effects (turn it off for a more sober environment).
   • Discard notifications after this amount of time (choose how long they stay on screen).

With these tweaks the interface becomes more static and predictable, ideal if you are distracted by animations or opacity changes.

Taskbar: fewer icons in view

1. Open Start > Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
2. Manage which elements are displayed:
   • Taskbar items: Task View, Widgets, Search, etc.
   • System tray icons: Pen, Touch Keyboard, Virtual Touchpad.
   • Other tray icons: Enable or hide icons for apps like Teams, Outlook, or Explorer.
   • Behavior: Center or left alignment, auto-hide, badges and blinks.

The fewer items you have jumping on the bar, the fewer interruptions you will have. while working with multiple windows.

Do not disturb and notifications

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Notifications.
2. Activate Do Not Disturb to mute banners and sounds whenever it suits you.
3. Define priority notifications to allow key notifications even with Do Not Disturb active.
4. Activate automatic rules for specific times or situations (such as screen mirroring or gaming).

If notifications are taking you off focus, this section is just as important as Snap, because it prevents interruptions just when you are most focused.

Focus mode

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Focus.
2. Start a focus session and adjust its duration.
3. Choose whether to show the timer, hide badges, disable taskbar blinks, and turn on Do Not Disturb. automatically.

This mode further reduces noise so you can enjoy your desktop without surprises or interruptions.

Multitasking: Advanced Settings

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Multitasking.
2. Turns Docking Windows on or off and expand to adjust the behavior boxes.
3. Configure Alt + Tab to display 3, 5, 20 recent browser tabs or none.
4. On Desks, decides whether you see windows from all desktops in the taskbar and on Alt + Tab.

With this you can leave a minimalist environment, or powerful multitasking but under your rules.

Read without distractions in Microsoft Edge

When browsing, use the built-in tools for clean reading. if you prefer not to mix browsing and multitasking.

• immersive reader: Open a page and press Function + F9 for a simplified layout; customize font and background.
• Out loud reading: activate from the toolbar or context menu to listen to the content.

You can continue working in other windows while Edge narrates the text, and thus maintain the rhythm without constantly looking at the screen.

Quick tips for switching and organizing windows

• Alt + Tab: Switch between running windows.
• Windows + Tab: Manage virtual desktops and select tasks with the mouse or keyboard.
• New virtual desktop: Create separate spaces for work, leisure, or study, so you're not as reliant on Snap.

If you end up disabling Snap, these shortcuts and virtual desktops will keep you organized. without the need for visual guides or suggestion panels.

With all the above you have two equally valid paths: Turn off docking because it's in your way, or keep it your way by only disabling the things that distract you, while also relying on Do Not Disturb, Focus, and a cleaner taskbar to work at your own pace.