PowerToys update streamlines FancyZones UI and brings several fixes
Snapping and managing windows is easier with PowerToys' streamlined FancyZones UI.
What you need to know
- Microsoft's PowerToys recently received an update to version 0.31.
- The update improves the FancyZones user interface and includes several other improvements.
Microsoft's PowerToys is a handy utility that adds several features to your Windows PC. The features it adds are generally for power users, such as renaming several images at once within a set of rules or using File Explorer add-ons. PowerToys recently received an update to version 0.31.1 that includes several new features and improvements.
With the latest build comes a streamlined user interface for FancyZones, a tool that lets you arrange and snap windows into different layouts.
Here's a list of highlighted changes, as found on the PowerToys release page on GitHub:
General
- Bug report tool and improved logging now added to our system tray.
- Added in CodeQL and other CI improvements.
- OOBE Spec should be finalized
ARM64 Progress
- .NET Core upgrade for code bases the PowerToys team controls is complete. We still have two external dependencies that are .NET Framework that need to be updated.
Color Picker
- Bug fixes in editor
FancyZones
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
- Streamlined, simplified user interface (Massive thanks to @niels9001)
- Dark mode for the editor
- Certain settings (e.g. number of zones, spacing settings) can now be set on individual layouts.
- Bug fixes
File explorer
- Fixed OneDrive SVG Bug
- SVG are scaled appropriately when viewbox is provided
- SVG thumbnail quality improved
PowerToys Run
- Service management plugin (restart, stop, ...)
- Registry key plugin
- System action plugin (Reboot, lock, ...)
- Hyperbolic functions added to calculator
- Icon fixes when running in certain themes
- Unneeded dependencies removed
- Bug fixes
Installer
- Default to .NET Core 3.1.11
This version of PowerToys does not include the Video Conference Utility. Microsoft plans to roll out a DirectShow based version this month. The company hopes to merge it with the main PowerToys repository this month or next month.

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.
Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.
