How to summon an open app onto the current monitor in Windows

When I’m in my streaming studio, I don’t see my second monitor. Apps tend to remember where they last opened, so I’m faced with the problem that some content appears on the second monitor, but I can’t easily drag it over to my main monitor. I was wondering if there was a way to bring it over with a keyboard shortcut, and alas there is: by way of pressing Windows + Cursor Keys.

Here’s how it works:

  • summon the task bar and click the app/window in question (this brings it into focus)
  • now press Windows/Start + Left/Right
  • this will snap the app/window to the left/right of the current monitor
  • keep pressing until it moves to the other monitor

This shortcut us designed to snap apps to the left or right, but it’s a clever toggle that goes through all three states of the window, until it comes back to its current (un-snapped) position. In a multi-monitor environment, it will do so first on the current, then on the next monitor, until it goes back to the first monitor. In a situation like mine, you can keep pressing this combination until you see the app appear on the current monitor.

Another internet mystery has been solved!

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