Windows 10 & 11 · Gesture snapping guide

Snap Windows without dragging them all the way to the edge.

Snappy turns placement into a short gesture: hover a window, hold a trigger, throw toward the destination, check the preview, and commit.

Notes— □ ✕
Terminal— □ ✕
Browser— □ ✕
Left half
Ctrl+Altthrow to snap
SNAP FORMAT
Halves
Thirds
Sixths
Eighths

Why avoid edge dragging?

Dragging to an edge works well, but it makes the pointer travel farther than the window placement itself requires. On large or multiple monitors, that repeated distance can interrupt fast mouse-driven work.

Keyboard shortcuts are another excellent native option. A gesture tool is useful when your hand is already on the mouse and you want visual confirmation of the destination.

The Snappy throw workflow.

Hover the eligible top-level window, hold the configured modifier or custom combo, and move the pointer toward a side, corner, or grid cell. Snappy displays an activation marker and a live overlay for the target rectangle.

  • Release to commit, place immediately, or click to commit.
  • Scroll while armed to cycle grid formats with the on-screen HUD.
  • Throw onto another monitor by moving the pointer across monitors.
  • Use a downward throw to restore, then a deeper throw to minimize.

Preview makes the gesture predictable.

A fast gesture is only useful when it stays understandable. Snappy freezes the preview and commit classification together, so the window should land in the rectangle that was shown rather than switching targets at release.

Start with the default behavior, then tune the trigger, threshold, timing, gap, and commit mode after the basic motion feels familiar.

Practical questions.

Answers based on the current public-beta build and documented Windows behavior.

Can Windows snap without dragging by itself?

Yes. Windows includes keyboard shortcuts such as Win+Arrow and the Win+Z Snap Layouts menu. Snappy adds a mouse gesture option.

Will Snappy move elevated administrator windows?

Windows integrity boundaries can prevent a non-elevated app from moving an elevated window. Snappy surfaces a warning when the selected window cannot be moved for that reason.

Can I preview where the window will land?

Yes. Snappy shows a live target overlay during the armed throw and commits the previewed target.

Snap the next window with a throw.

Snappy is free during the public beta. Paid checkout remains test-only until the signed release is ready.

Download Snappy free