Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- PCWorld highlights Peek Desktop, a free Windows utility developed by Microsoft VP Scott Hanselman that’s inspired by a similar macOS Sonoma feature.
- The tool allows users to instantly hide all open windows with a single click to access desktop files and folders, then restore them to their previous positions.
- This convenient desktop management feature has received multiple updates since its recent release, offering Windows users functionality previously exclusive to Mac systems.
Microsoft veteran Scott Hanselman, current Vice President of Developer Community, has put together a nifty Windows tool called Peek Desktop, which can be downloaded for free via GitHub.
Once you’ve installed the application, you can click on your empty desktop wallpaper to instantly hide all open windows and apps, making it much easier to access the files and folders on your desktop.
When you’re done and want to bring your open windows and apps back, just click on the desktop wallpaper again—or the taskbar. Boom, everything returns to where it was.
You might notice that this behavior is very similar to a feature that debuted in macOS Sonoma. That’s because Hanselman was taken by the feature, clearly stating that he drew inspiration from it.
Peek Desktop first released two days ago and has since gone through 9 total releases—from v0.1 to v0.6.2—with micro adjustments made each time. It’s a useful tool and hopefully we’ll see Peek Desktop become a native Windows 11 feature in time.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish.


