Windows Calculator gains Always-on-Top mode for Windows Insiders

By Sean Endicott
published

Calculations just got a bit easier thanks to Compact Overlay mode for Windows Insiders.

What you need to know

  • The Windows Calculator now supports Compact Overlay mode for Windows Insiders.
  • The feature allows you to keep the calculator on top of all other windows.
  • The feature was first mentioned last month, but it is now rolling out to Insider.

The built-in Windows Calculator gained an Always-on-Top mode recently for Windows Insiders. The feature allows users to pop the calculator into a mini-view that remains on top of all Windows (via MSPU).

The feature was first announced last month and was mentioned in the release notes for Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18956, though it clarified that the feature would ship in the future. Reddit user Leopeva64-2 spotted the feature rolling out to Insiders earlier today.

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Microsoft open sourced the Windows Calculator earlier this year and this new addition is a result of that process.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com (opens in new tab).

6 Comments
  • Why only insiders? I thought the whole point of the MS store was to get these updates quickly?
  • After 90 years! Finally 🙌🙌🙌
  • Huh? It has to be in the tiny compact overlay mode for it to work? What a terrible idea ... Why can't they just have regular always-on-top? In my mind that's a basic feature.
  • Because UWP API sucks. Everything made UWP lack basic features like this.
  • Utterly unbelievable.... 30 years ago every app in windows had an option to be set on top. We are going backwards now. Come on MS....
  • Bob, I don't believe that's ever been a native option in Windows. I do recall that the AMD drivers used to include an option to "Keep on top" if you right-clicked in the title bar, but it was not standard Windows. There probably were other third-party ways to add this too. I suspect some of those might still work in Windows 10, and that a third party could provide that capability.