How to Pin Windows on Top of Others in Windows 10

Windows 10 has many features, but it doesn’t always offer what a user needs, such as pinning windows on top of others. Sure, Windows 10 offers “Pin to taskbar” and “Pin to Start” from the start menu app list, as well as “Pin to Desktop” when using Edge, but those features incorporate a different type of pinning. Whenever you want to pin a window so that it stays on top of other windows, the OS does not have an option. To have windows that stay on top, you need a third-party application.

Why would you want to “pin” windows on top of other windows?

There can be many reasons to place a window on the top layer of the desktop over other windows.

• You could be doing calculations and need the calculator to remain on top.
• You may be attending a visual meeting and need a notetaker on top.
• You may require an active messaging window to remain open (in a small state) while using other windows.
• You may require your browser to layer over top of all other pinned or unpinned windows and then minimize it or close it when done, while still maintaining the other pins.
• You may require a specific window to always show on top when you click its taskbar icon. You can also minimize and maximize windows as needed while maintaining their “on top” status.

No matter what windows you need to remain on top, here’s what you can use to pin your calendar, notes, or any other application window.

DeskPins in Windows 10

DeskPins is a Windows app that has been around for a long time. However, it has not been updated since 2017. Regardless, it still functions great and works seamlessly to pin windows so that they stay on top, no matter what windows are currently open. It was chosen by tech-junkie due to it’s simplistic yet powerful functionality. The program readily provides an icon in the system tray for all actions and options.

The app’s official download page (after clicking a file to download) gets blocked as suspicious when using some lightweight security protection programs or certain browser extensions such as Malwarebytes. Still, the scan and many real-time security apps find no risks when you download from Softpedia. Just be sure to scan the “unzipped folder” no matter where you download the application.

DeskPins is easy to use and not intrusive at all! The app also provides several custom options, including “Autopin,” “Hotkeys,” “Pin Icon Color,” and more.

How to pin a window, so it stays on top.

1. Click the DeskPins icon in the System Tray, located in the bottom-right corner of your desktop.
2. The cursor becomes a pin (red by default or based on the color you selected in the options).
3. Move the pin cursor (like the regular cursor) to a window you want to pin to top.
4. Left-click to pin the window. A pin icon will display in the window’s title bar.

Note: Many apps and installed programs used in Windows 10 (Sticky Notes, Calculator, Netflix, Discord, etc.) have unique windows, unlike the original explorer windows found in Windows 7 and earlier. For pinning those items, you’ll get a popup error, and a pin icon will not appear in the title bar, but the window will still move to the top layer without problems.

Yeah, we know. The little icon to the right of “Standard” in the image above is an option to “Keep on top.” We just wanted an example to use for DeskPins.

How to unpin windows, so they don’t stay on top of all others.

Unpinning Individual Windows:

1. Move the mouse cursor over the pin icon in the title bar of the window you want to “un-top.” A red “X” appears next to the icon.
2. Click the icon to remove the pin function.

Note: For windows that do not show the pin icon, you can either close the window to remove pinned status or use the option below to unpin all windows. You can also minimize the window and call it a day, but it will still hold its “on-top” status when maximized.

Unpinning All Windows:

1. Right-click the DeskPins icon found in your system tray (bottom-right).
2. Select “Remove all pins.”

Don’t be afraid to add pins to multiple windows. If you have pinned more than one window, none of them have priority, meaning that they all show over other windows but can be moved over each other when selected. In other words, you can easily click one pinned window, and it will layer over the other pinned windows.

As you can see from this article, DeskPins is an easy-to-use application that works in Windows 10 without any issues. Just don’t forget to scan the download for security threats to ensure safe and effective operation, no matter where you obtained it. As we mentioned above, the official site’s download page gets blocked by some security extensions or programs. Therefore, it is best to get the application from another source, like the one we listed. Although you can install third-party script software and create a custom script that does the same thing, using an app is much quicker and easier.