"Once the utility is enabled, press the configurable Alt + backtick shortcut to cycle through that app's windows without stepping through everything else on your desktop," Microsoft explains.
Window Hopper: app-scoped Alt+Tab behavior
Microsoft has added a new PowerToys utility called Window Hopper that mirrors the familiar Alt+Tab window switching experience but restricts the cycle to the currently focused application. The feature is meant to help users move quickly between an app’s windows — for example, when juggling "multiple browser windows, terminals, File Explorer windows, or editor instances," Microsoft says.
By default the utility is activated with an Alt + backtick shortcut; PowerToys settings allow the shortcut to be changed and to map separate keys for switching to the next and previous app window. The behavior is explicitly described by Microsoft as a way to "cycle through that app's windows without stepping through everything else on your desktop."
PowerToys v0.101.2362.0: release and packaging
The Window Hopper is part of PowerToys version 0.101.2362.0, which the publisher released today. PowerToys is distributed through its official GitHub repository, where a detailed changelog is available for each version.
PowerToys traces back to the Windows 95 era as a collection of small freeware tools and, after a revival in 2019, now exists as an open-source utility pack "designed to enhance Windows functionality and streamline tasks previously requiring third-party tools."
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See what we buildCommand Palette compact mode and PowerDisplay controls
Alongside Window Hopper, version 0.101.2362.0 introduces a compact mode for the Command Palette quick launcher. The compact mode opens the tool as a search box and places it at a configurable vertical position on screen, giving users a smaller, focused launcher experience.
The release also "adds support for PowerDisplay linked controls to adjust keyboard shortcuts for Windows and the current active app," expanding the ways users can bind and adjust shortcuts tied to displays and active applications.
ZoomIt DemoMirror and mouse effects
Other notable additions in this release extend presentation and pointer visibility tools. A new ZoomIt capability called DemoMirror lets users mirror a region of the screen, a window, or the entire screen onto a second monitor. This is presented as a tool for demonstrations and multi-monitor workflows.
The update also adds a Mouse Highlighter ripple mode that produces composition-based visual effects on mouse clicks, useful for recording, demos, or helping viewers track pointer activity.
What this means for people juggling windows and for open-source contributors
- People juggling multiple windows: The Window Hopper shortcut and compact Command Palette should speed small, repetitive workflows — for example, moving between several terminals, browser windows, File Explorer instances, or editor windows — by avoiding the larger Alt+Tab cycle that includes all desktops and applications.
- Open-source contributors and maintainers: PowerToys continues to publish releases and a detailed changelog through the official GitHub repository, making the new utilities and settings visible and auditable to contributors and administrators who track changes or package builds for broader deployment.
PowerToys' continued incremental updates — from the January 0.97 addition of CursorWrap, a multi-monitor "teleport" for the mouse pointer, to this latest 0.101.2362.0 release — show an ongoing effort to refine small, practical desktop features. For anyone who relies on keyboard-driven navigation or who presents across multiple displays, the new Window Hopper, compact Command Palette, DemoMirror, and mouse-highlighting modes provide immediately usable options; the release notes and full changelog on the project’s GitHub page contain the official details.
