To keep a window always on top in Windows 11, install Microsoft PowerToys, turn on Always On Top, click the window you want and press Win+Ctrl+T. A colored border shows it's pinned. Press Win+Ctrl+T again to unpin. The same steps work on Windows 10 version 2004 and later.
Does Windows 11 have a built-in always on top option?
Not for every window. The Win32 API has supported "topmost" windows since the 1990s, but Windows only exposes the option inside individual apps. A few Microsoft and third-party apps include it:
| App | Where the option is |
|---|---|
| Task Manager (Windows 11) | Settings > Window management > Always on top |
| Calculator | The "Keep on top" button next to the mode name in Standard mode |
| VLC media player | Video > Always on top |
| Chrome and Edge video | Picture-in-picture from the video's right-click menu or the media controls |
For anything else (a browser window, Notepad, a chat app, a PDF) you need a tool. The two good ones are PowerToys and AutoHotkey.
How do you pin a window with PowerToys Always On Top?
- Install PowerToys. Get it from the Microsoft Store, from the GitHub releases page, or in a terminal with
winget install --id Microsoft.PowerToys --source winget. Microsoft lists Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) and newer, on x64 or ARM64 (Microsoft Learn: Install PowerToys). - Turn on Always On Top. Open PowerToys Settings, select Always On Top in the left list, and switch it on. It's usually on by default after install.
- Click the window you want to pin. The shortcut acts on the active window, so focus matters.
- Press Win + Ctrl + T. A border appears around the window. It now stays above every normal window, even when you click elsewhere.
- Unpin it. Press the shortcut again with that window focused, or close the window.
Prefer the mouse? Turn on "Show Always on Top in the title bar context menu" in the same settings page. Then right-click any window's title bar to pin it.
PowerToys Always On Top settings worth changing
| Setting | What it does | Our take |
|---|---|---|
| Activation shortcut | Changes Win+Ctrl+T | Leave it unless another tool uses it |
| Do not activate when Game Mode is on | Stops accidental pins mid-game | Turn on if you game |
| Show a border around the pinned window | Colored outline | Keep on. Without it you'll forget what's pinned |
| Color mode, Color, Opacity, Thickness | Border looks | Thinner border if it's visible on calls |
| Play a sound when pinning a window | Audio cue on pin and unpin | Useful when the border is off |
| Excluded apps | Blocks pinning for listed apps | Use Notepad.exe, not Notepad, which also blocks Notepad++ |
That last row is straight from Microsoft's docs (PowerToys Always On Top): exclusions match partial names, so a short entry can block more apps than you meant.
Can you make a window always on top without PowerToys?
Yes, with AutoHotkey. If you already run AutoHotkey v2, this one-line script toggles the active window with Ctrl + Space:
^Space::WinSetAlwaysOnTop -1, "A"Save it as ontop.ahk and double-click it. The -1 means toggle and "A" means the active window. You don't get a border, so you'll need to remember which window is pinned. Pick a different hotkey if Ctrl+Space switches your keyboard input language.
Installing AutoHotkey only for this is overkill. PowerToys does the same job and comes from Microsoft, which matters on work PCs where IT reviews what you install.
Can a pinned window follow you across virtual desktops and monitors?
Across monitors, yes. A pinned window stays pinned when you drag it to another screen, and Win + Shift + Left or Right moves it without losing its place on top.
Virtual desktops are different. Each desktop has its own set of windows, so a window pinned on Desktop 1 vanishes when you switch to Desktop 2. Windows has a separate fix for that: press Win + Tab, right-click the window's thumbnail and choose Show this window on all desktops. Combine the two and a notes window or a chat stays visible and on top wherever you go. It's the setup we'd use for a reference window during a long working session, because it survives the habit of flicking between a "work" desktop and a "personal" one.
A second monitor is also an alternative to pinning in the first place. If you have one, a full-height window on the side screen is often more comfortable than a small pinned window covering part of your main one.
Why won't my window stay on top?
Microsoft is upfront about this: Always On Top can't guarantee a window stays above other topmost windows. When two windows both claim the top, the most recently activated one usually wins. The common cases:
- Another topmost window. Task Manager with its own option on, a screen recorder toolbar, or a meeting app's floating controls can cover your pinned window.
- Remote desktop, Citrix and VMware. Their windows can be topmost themselves, so pinned windows may appear behind them. Microsoft lists all three as known issues.
- Apps running as administrator. Windows blocks a normal-privilege process from changing an elevated window. Run PowerToys as administrator (General settings) if you need to pin an elevated app.
- Full-screen games. Exclusive full-screen mode takes over the display. Switch the game to borderless windowed.
- The shortcut does nothing. Another app may have grabbed Win+Ctrl+T, or PowerToys isn't running. Check the system tray for its icon.
Does an always-on-top window show up in screen share?
Yes. Pinning changes the stacking order on your screen, nothing else. If you share your entire screen in Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, viewers see the pinned window exactly where you see it. People get caught by this with notes pinned over a presentation.
Your options: share one window instead of the whole screen, keep the pinned window on a monitor you aren't sharing, or use an app that excludes its own window from capture. The trade-offs are in our guide to hiding a window from screen share.
Want an AI chat pinned on top that screen shares leave out? AuraCloak does both by default.
Get AuraCloakWhat if the window you want on top is an AI chat?
This is the most common reason people search for always on top in 2026: they want ChatGPT or Claude floating over a document, a code editor or a call. PowerToys works on the ChatGPT and Claude desktop apps and on browser windows. It just doesn't add anything beyond pinning. No transparency, no click-through, and the window still shows up in shares.
AuraCloak is built for that case. It's a Windows overlay that is topmost by default and has an opacity slider (20 to 100 percent), a click-through mode (Alt + C) so you can work in the app underneath, and it's excluded from Windows screen capture. Inside it you can load ChatGPT, Claude.ai or Gemini with your normal login using browser mode, or use your own API keys with BYOK. Voice input runs on Alt + V. It's $9 a month or $49 once (pricing). The step-by-step for ChatGPT specifically is in how to keep ChatGPT always on top.
FAQ
What is the shortcut for always on top in Windows 11?
Win+Ctrl+T, once Microsoft PowerToys is installed with Always On Top turned on. Windows 11 has no built-in shortcut for pinning any window. Press the same keys again to unpin.
Does always on top work on Windows 10?
Yes. PowerToys supports Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) and later, so Win+Ctrl+T works the same way as on Windows 11. AutoHotkey works on older builds too.
How do I unpin an always-on-top window?
Click the pinned window and press Win+Ctrl+T again, or close it. If you turned on the title bar menu option, right-click the title bar and untick Always on Top.
Why is my pinned window going behind another window?
The other window is probably topmost too, such as Task Manager, a remote desktop session or a meeting toolbar. Windows can't keep two topmost windows above each other at once, so the last one activated usually wins.
Is PowerToys free and safe to install?
Yes. PowerToys is a free, open-source set of utilities made by Microsoft and published on GitHub and in the Microsoft Store. Always On Top is one of its modules, and you can turn the others off.
Can I make a window always on top and transparent?
Not with PowerToys Always On Top, which only pins. AutoHotkey can set transparency with WinSetTransparent, and some apps, including AuraCloak, have their own opacity setting.