Microsoft has updated its PowerToys utility suite for Windows with a new feature called Window Hopper, designed to speed up switching between windows of the same application. The tool functions similarly to the standard Alt+Tab Windows shortcut but restricts its cycling to the windows of the currently focused app, rather than showing every open window on the desktop. This is aimed at users who frequently juggle multiple browser windows, terminals, File Explorer windows, or editor instances, allowing them to move between those specific windows without wading through unrelated applications. The default keyboard shortcut is a configurable Alt+backtick combination, and users can adjust it in PowerToys settings to cycle forward or backward through an app’s windows.
The new utility arrives in PowerToys version 0.101.2362.0, which was released today. That same update introduces a compact mode for the Command Palette quick launcher, turning the tool into a search box that can be positioned at a user-defined vertical location on the screen. Additionally, the release adds support for PowerDisplay linked controls, enabling users to adjust brightness across all connected displays simultaneously. Another change is the addition of Windows-key activation for Shortcut Guide, a PowerToys component that was introduced earlier this year and displays keyboard shortcuts relevant to Windows and the currently active application.
Two existing PowerToys tools also receive enhancements in this version. DemoMirror, a feature within the ZoomIt utility, now lets users mirror a specific screen region, a single window, or the entire display onto a secondary monitor. The Mouse Highlighter tool gains a new ripple mode, which applies composition-based visual effects to mouse clicks. These additions build on a pattern of regular updates to PowerToys, which Microsoft has maintained since reviving the project in 2019 as an open-source collection of utilities for enhancing Windows functionality.
Earlier this year, Microsoft released PowerToys 0.97, which introduced CursorWrap, a mouse utility designed for multi-monitor setups. That tool "teleports" the mouse pointer to the opposite edge of an active monitor, making it easier to move the cursor across large distances between screens. PowerToys is available through the official GitHub repository, where Microsoft also publishes a detailed changelog for each version.
The PowerToys project itself has a long history, dating back to the Windows 95 era, when it began as a set of small freeware tools created by Windows developers for their own use. After years of dormancy, Microsoft brought the project back in 2019 as an open-source utility pack meant to extend Windows capabilities and handle tasks that previously required third-party software. The current release continues that mission, offering users more control over window management, display settings, and system shortcuts directly within the operating system.
More software news from TechManNews.
