Powertoys: Add hot corners functionality to PowerToys

[widersky]

Summary of the new feature/enhancement

Operating systems such as macOS or some Linux distributions have hot corners option in their functionality. It would be great to have something like that in Windows. Although there are third party applications that provide such functionality (e.g. WinX Corners), they are sometimes limited.

Proposed technical implementation details (optional)

For example, you can set one of the default options:

• Opening the task view
• Opening the start menu
• Opening of the action centre
• Opening Cortana (?)
• Opening the Alt-tab interface
• Execution of own powershell / cmd command

[LRitzdorf]

One thing to note: the Windows 10 interface already includes actions for three of the four screen corners. Clockwise from top right, we have Close Window, Show/Peek At Desktop, and the Start Menu. In addition, for apps with their icon in the upper left corner (and Chrome, before receiving Material Design tabs), clicking there gives options like Restore, Move, Minimize, and Maximize.

To summarize: your idea is appealing, but it seems that (most of) the screen corners are already full.

[widersky]

@LRitzdorf thanks. But I meant the actions that are done when you get to the corner with your mouse, without click. This could speed up work in certain situations. For example, after reaching the upper left corner, a view of tasks would show up.

[LRitzdorf]

Task View from the upper left corner would definitely be useful, but what happens when you try to close a window from the upper right corner and accidentally trigger the associated hot corner action? Just trying to avoid counterproductive results here.

[widersky]

@LRitzdorf Some tools of this type allow you to set a slight delay (500ms for example) to prevent this behavior. Others trigger the action only when "pressure" on a corner is detected (similar to showing a hidden dock in macOS).

[LRitzdorf]

@widersky Excellent point, both of those would certainly help.

[crutkas]

neat idea.

[crutkas]

adding help wanted sticker as it isn't something that we're planning for v1.0. If a community member would love to work with us, happy to spend time with everyone help out with design.

[nbrombal]

I use an AutoHotKey script to do this exact thing—touching the mouse to the upper left-hand corner of my screen triggers the Task View. It's immensely useful to me, and a habit I picked up from macOS where I do the same gesture to trigger its Task View equivalent, "Mission Control".

I think it's a perfect fit for PowerToys!

For what it's worth, it was previously suggested under #1003 in December, so I know there's been some interest in it for awhile.

[yllekz]

Love this idea and sorely miss this feature from macOS. Would love to see this come to Windows as a PowerToy.

[tps125]

Would love to see this idea implemented as well.

[gpproton]

This totally would make life easier whenever 1 use my windows PC

[damianlavalle]

It would be so useful to have one of the corners prevent sleep/screen saver by default since that feature doesn't seem to exist in windows by default and even 3rd party is clunky at best. It might need to use the same sleep prevention mechanism that media playback apps use, but I'm not sure how that might affect notifications. In any case, sleep prevention is so desperately needed for those who utilize external devices, like microscopes and watching on the screen. The damn computer eternally attempts to sleep because there's no need to touch the keyboard or mouse for extended periods and turning off sleep isn't a very power conservation way to go either.

[sacameron]

Would love to see this! This is one clear usability perk that macOS has over Windows today that I would love to see Windows gain. Seems like a good fit for Power Toys.

[Jay-o-Way]

@widersky You mean like Windows 8 had?

[widersky]

@Jay-o-Way I don't know how it was in Windows 8, I almost don't use this version of Windows.

[cangulo]

If anyone wants a temporal workaround, you can use AutoHotkey as I explain in the following post:

https://carlosangulo.es/blog/productivity/2020-08-02-setting-hot-corners-in-windows-10-with-autohoykey/

[gczark]

I just want to mention the tool OneQuick that we've been used as a reference here https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/3690.

There's a similar feature as shown here.

You can set a command in the stay(beta) to open an app.

[HWilleboordse]

but it seems that (most of) the screen corners are already full.

Why are current the screen corners fixed? This feel narrow minded.

What if the windows user do not use this current corners feature because they wish for other actions to increase their productivity?

[Jay-o-Way]

Why are current the screen corners fixed?

@HWilleboordse Because you have a Start button in the bottom-left and every window that is maximized or on the right side will have it's [X] close button in the top-right and you have the Aero Peek function in the bottom right.

[HWilleboordse]

Why are current the screen corners fixed?

@HWilleboordse Because you have a Start button in the bottom-left and every window that is maximized or on the right side will have it's [X] close button in the top-right and you have the Aero Peek function in the bottom right.

1 - The start button position depends on the location of the windows bar (the user can drag the windows bar to different screen locations)
2 - Area peek is a feature the user can turn on/off. (Like many I have all visual windows effects turned to speed performance of the OS)
3 - Moving the mouse pointer to a hot area / corner (and not click there) does not effect the windows feature you mentioned and should work fine (as is proven by many other 3rd party utilities and their users)

[HWilleboordse]

For now I switched to Samsung Easy Setting Box software.
Dell desktop management is also a good alternative.