Windows has no built-in shortcut that keeps a window on top. With PowerToys Always On Top the default is Win+Ctrl+T, and you can change it. With AutoHotkey you write your own. Below is how each works, how to choose keys that do not clash with other programs, and how to fix a shortcut that stays silent.
The default shortcut in PowerToys
According to Microsoft's PowerToys documentation (checked in October 2026), Always On Top pins the active window when you press Win+Ctrl+T. To unpin it, press the same shortcut again or close the window. The shortcut applies to the window that is active at that moment, so click the window you want first.
Change the shortcut
The same documentation lists the activation shortcut as a customisable setting. Open PowerToys Settings, go to Always On Top and record a new combination. Pick something you can press with one hand and that you do not use elsewhere.
Your own shortcut with AutoHotkey
If you prefer a script, AutoHotkey v2 can bind any combination to the active window. This line binds Ctrl+Alt+T:
^!t::WinSetAlwaysOnTop -1, "A"In AutoHotkey's hotkey syntax, # stands for the Windows key, ! for Alt, ^ for Ctrl and + for Shift. The value -1 toggles the setting and "A" means the active window. To use Win and Shift instead, write #+t::.
One note from the same page: pressing a hotkey that includes Alt or the Windows key may cause extra simulated keystrokes, by default Ctrl. If a menu or another program reacts oddly after the shortcut, that is the first thing to read about.
Choosing keys that do not clash
Two things decide whether a shortcut works.
- Whether another program already holds it. Microsoft's documentation for RegisterHotKey, the function programs use to register a global shortcut, says it typically fails if the same keys are already registered for another hot key. Shortcuts that involve the Windows key, it adds, are reserved for the operating system. So the first program to claim a combination keeps it.
- Whether it interferes with typing. On some keyboard layouts the right Alt key works as AltGr and is used to type extra characters. A shortcut built on Ctrl and Alt can then collide with those characters. If a shortcut types a letter instead of acting, or fires while you type, move to a combination with Ctrl and Shift, or add a third key.
A practical order: pick a combination with at least two modifier keys, avoid single letters on their own, and test it in the programs you use most.
Pin the active window or pick one
Shortcuts like the two above act on the active window, which means you have to click the window first. Pin Windows has a different route as well: Ctrl+Alt+P lets you click any window, or choose it from a list, without activating it first, and Ctrl+Alt+T toggles the active one. All three shortcuts in the app can be remapped, and it tells you when a combination is already taken. Pin Windows is being prepared for Microsoft Store and is not available there yet.
When the shortcut does nothing
- Check that the tool is running. A shortcut does nothing if its program is closed.
- Change the combination. If another program holds the keys, a different combination usually fixes it.
- Close other utilities with global shortcuts, one at a time, to find the one that holds the keys.
- Check that the target window is not an administrator window. A tool running as a normal user is often unable to change such a window. Our troubleshooting guide explains this and the other common causes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the always on top shortcut in Windows 11?
Windows 11 has no built-in one. With PowerToys Always On Top the default is Win+Ctrl+T, which you can change in PowerToys settings.
Can I use my own shortcut for always on top?
Yes. PowerToys lets you record a different combination, and an AutoHotkey script can bind any combination, for example ^!t::WinSetAlwaysOnTop -1, "A".
Why does my shortcut type a letter instead of pinning the window?
On some keyboard layouts the right Alt key works as AltGr, which types extra characters, so Ctrl+Alt shortcuts can clash with typing. Use Ctrl+Shift or add another key.
Why does a shortcut stop working after I install another program?
A global shortcut usually fails to register when another program already uses the same keys. Change one of the two combinations.
Does the shortcut work on every window?
No. Windows of apps running as administrator are often out of reach for a tool running as a normal user.