How to Use Peek, Shake and Snap Features in Windows

The Peek, Shake and Snap features are widely used among Windows users. Yet, I'm sure that many people are there, who're not aware about these features and struggling to know what is the use and how to use them. And I'm aiming this tutorial for those people..!

Peek

First let's know about the Peek feature. The Peek feature allows a user to preview the Desktop and buried windows (programs that are hiding from currently opened window) without minimizing the current-opened window. You'll understand more, while learning how to use it.

Suppose if we've too many programs/windows opened as in the screenshot.

And usually what we do to see the Desktop and Gadgets..? We'll Minimize all of the opened windows and then look at it..! There comes the help of Peek feature..! Just move your cursor to the end of the Taskbar; what do you see..? You can do this also by pressing the Windows Logo Key + Spacebar.

And if we click there, all the windows opened will be automatically get Minimized and you could see the Desktop alone. Clicking on it again will restore all opened windows. Pressing the Windows Logo Key + D will also do the same.

Along with previewing Desktop, Peek feature allows previewing a specific window among opened windows. For that, hover on the icon of an opened program/window in Taskbar. Now, you'll see the thumbnail of the window. Hover on it. And you'll get the preview of that program alone, where all other opened windows appears in transparent. I've depicted this below.

Shake

What if you need to focus on a single window, where a lot of other programs are opened up? There comes the help of Shake feature.

Click on the Titlebar of the window and move it back and forth quickly. All the other windows will be Minimized to the Taskbar and you'll be able to concentrate on that window alone. And shortcut for doing this is press the Windows Logo Key + Home.

[Note]
Dialogue boxes will not work with Shake feature.

Snap  

Snap feature allows the user to resize a window and arrange it in an easy and specific manner. And the aim of this feature is to make the organizing and readability of windows in a user-comfortable way.

Let's see how we can use it. Click on the Titlebar of a window and move it to the far end of - Right/Left side - the Desktop. You'll see an extended outline around the window. Release the Mouse button and now you could see that window is extended the size to half of the Desktop. This is one of the primary use of Snap. As we could arrange windows in this way, it's very useful when we we've a 'crowded' Desktop. And the shortcut is Windows Logo Key + Left/Right Arrow Key.

Now, click on the Titlebar of a window and move it to to the top of the Desktop. You'll see a large extended outline around it. Release the Mouse button to see the window Maximized. Shortcut is Windows Logo Key + Up/Down Arrow Key.

And the third use of Snap is to expand a window vertically with one click. Hover on the outline of a window to see a Double Headed Arrow and click and drag it to top of the Desktop.You'll see an extended vertical outline and when we release the Mouse button the window will be expanded to that width.

And that's all about Peek, Shake and Snap. Use it and enjoy..! If you've any doubts, post it below.