Here's an easy way to temporarily peek at the desktop in Windows 11

Want to temporarily peek at the desktop while browsing in Windows 11? We’ve got you covered.

If you remember the good old days of Windows 7, 8, and 10, you may remember the Aero peek feature. When enabled, you can hover your mouse pointer over the taskbar thumbnail of an open window. The other open windows on the desktop will become transparent, revealing the content of the window you are hovering over.

With the release of Windows 11, however, the Aero Peek feature that allowed users to preview windows and access the desktop has been “discontinued.” It appears that Microsoft has decided to remove this feature as it moved away from the Aero Glass transparency effects and other visual elements that were present. 

However, there are still alternative methods to temporarily peek at the desktop. Here’s how you can achieve that with this simple shortcut. 

How to temporarily peek at the desktop in Windows 11

1. During any open window, press the Windows button + , (comma).

2. If you click anywhere on your cursor, the screen will revert back to the previously-opened window

The Redmond-based tech giant’s aim with Windows 11 was to create a more modern and streamlined user experience, and as a result, certain legacy features and design elements, like the Aero Peek, have been deprecated or removed.