Microsoft PowerToys is preparing to add a new Windows utility inspired by a recent macOS feature. The upcoming tool, called Show Desktop, will let users minimize all open apps by clicking an empty area of the desktop background or unused space on the taskbar.
The feature is aimed at Windows 10 and Windows 11 users who want another quick way to clear their workspace. Windows already offers shortcuts for this, including Win + D and the small Show Desktop area at the far right of the taskbar. PowerToys’ version would add more mouse-driven options, closer to how macOS Sonoma and newer releases handle desktop clicks.
According to the current plan, Show Desktop will be able to minimize all visible windows and restore them again with the same action. Microsoft is also considering a few settings to make the tool less intrusive. Those include requiring a double-click instead of a single click and automatically disabling the behavior while games are running, so an accidental click does not interrupt gameplay.
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PowerToys Show Desktop is aimed at people who prefer clearing windows with the mouse. A productivity mouse with comfortable controls can fit that kind of window-management workflow.
The idea draws from PeekDesktop, a small Windows utility created by a Microsoft engineer. PeekDesktop mirrors Apple’s macOS Sonoma behavior, where clicking empty desktop space moves open windows out of the way. It is not a major productivity overhaul, but it could be useful for people who often work with many apps open, especially on large monitors.
The new tool follows PowerToys 0.99, which Microsoft released in April 2026. That update added two new modules: one for monitor management and another that makes window movement easier. The window dragging tool lets users hold a modifier key, such as Alt, and click anywhere inside a window to move it across the screen. It also supports resizing with a modifier key and the right mouse button, making it easier to manage windows whose title bars are crowded or hard to grab.
Microsoft has not announced when Show Desktop will ship in a public PowerToys release. For now, the feature is still being tracked through the PowerToys GitHub repository.