Summary
- PowerToys 0.101 just introduced Window Hopper, which uses a configurable shortcut to cycle through windows from the current app only.
- Window Hopper complements rather than replaces Alt + Tab, making it particularly useful for managing multiple browser, File Explorer, or Terminal windows.
- The update also adds a compact Command Palette and on-device Phi Silica support for AI-powered Advanced Paste actions on supported PCs.
Alt + Tab is one of Windows’ most useful keyboard shortcuts, until it isn't. If you have three Chrome windows, a couple of File Explorer windows, and a handful of other apps running simultaneously, shuffling through everything to find the window you want can quickly make your head spin.
Thankfully, Microsoft has decided to address that problem through PowerToys. According to the company’s official announcement for PowerToys 0.101, a new Window Hopper utility lets you cycle through windows belonging only to whichever app is currently active. It is a small addition, but it could be one of the most immediately useful PowerToys features in years.
Window Hopper gives Alt + Tab a much-needed filter
You can switch windows without cycling through every open app
Once Window Hopper is enabled in PowerToys, pressing the configurable Alt + backtick/tilde shortcut cycles through windows belonging to the app you are currently using. The backtick key is usually located directly below Esc on a US keyboard, but you can change the shortcut if the default combination doesn't feel natural to you. It works similarly to the Command + backtick shortcut on macOS, which has been a surprisingly obvious gap in Windows’ multitasking system.
For instance, if you are working in one Chrome window and need to reach another, Window Hopper will move between your Chrome windows without showing Spotify, Slack, File Explorer, or anything else you have open. The same applies to multiple Terminal sessions, editor instances, and File Explorer windows.
Window Hopper does not replace Alt + Tab entirely. You will still need the original shortcut when moving between different apps. More advanced third-party options such as Alt-Tab Terminator can replace Windows’ task switcher with searchable previews and additional window controls. However, Window Hopper’s narrower approach may be more practical if your only complaint is having to cycle past unrelated programs. It's free, integrated into PowerToys, and doesn't require installing another single-purpose utility.
This is far from the only useful upgrade in PowerToys 0.101
PowerToys’ Command Palette is already a capable replacement for Windows Search, and the update gives it an optional compact mode. Instead of immediately covering a large portion of the screen, it can now appear as a focused search box and expand only after you start typing or press Tab or the down arrow. Moreover, search ranking, icon loading, and Window Walker performance have also been improved to result in a snappier experience.
Also, while Advanced Paste can already transform and reformat clipboard content, version 0.101 adds Microsoft’s Phi Silica as an on-device provider for custom actions on supported Windows PCs. This allows you to run AI-powered clipboard transformations without configuring a cloud endpoint or API key.
Altogether, the list of features is extensive enough that using PowerToys in Windows is useful for many users. PowerToys feels less like a collection of experimental extras and more like the missing feature pack Windows needs.