How to Enable or Disable Peek in Windows 11

What is Peek?

Peek is a Windows 11 feature that lets you instantly view your desktop without minimizing open apps. When you move your mouse pointer to the far right edge of the taskbar 🖥️, all active windows become transparent. You can also hover over any taskbar icon to see a live thumbnail preview of that specific window.

• When you move your mouse to the very right edge of your taskbar 🖥️, your open windows become see-through. This lets you quickly see your desktop.
• You can also hover your mouse over an app’s icon on the taskbar 🖥️. A small picture, or preview, of that app will show up. If you hover over that preview, it becomes a larger, live view of the app.

It’s like getting a quick look without actually switching to the window.

There are two main ways to manage Peek: through Windows settings ⚙️ or by editing the Registry. We’ll start with the standard method.

Option 1Use Visual Effects Settings

Windows has a settings area that controls how Windows looks and how well it runs. Peek is found in this area.

Step 1Open Performance Options

The Performance Options window controls visual effects and system appearance settings in Windows 11. To open it, press the Windows key and R on your keyboard to launch the Run dialog box. Type SystemPropertiesPerformance in the text field and press Enter to open the settings menu directly.

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard. This opens a small box called the Run dialog.
2. In the box, type SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe and then press Enter or click the OK button.

The "Taskbar behaviors" window offers many options, but you only need to focus on the "Peek" setting to control how Windows 11 shows you a preview of the desktop when you hover your mouse over the show desktop button.

Step 2Find and Adjust the Peek Setting

The Visual Effects tab contains checkboxes for managing individual interface animations and transparent display features. Scroll through the list of settings to find the option labeled Enable Peek or Allow transparent glass. Check this box to turn Peek on or uncheck it to turn Peek off.

Scan through the list of checkboxes. You are looking for an option that says something like "Enable Peek" or "Allow transparent glass."

• To Turn Peek On: Make sure the box next to "Enable Peek" (or a similar phrase) has a checkmark in it. This is usually the default setting.
• To Turn Peek Off: Remove the checkmark from the box next to "Enable Peek."

Step 3Apply Your Changes

Applying your updated visual effects configuration requires saving the changes in the main properties window. Click the OK button at the bottom of the Performance Options screen. Windows updates the interface immediately, allowing you to test the new setting right away.

1. Click the OK button at the bottom of the Performance Options window.

Windows will apply your setting right away. You can test it by moving your mouse to the far right corner of your taskbar. If you turned Peek on, your open windows should become see-through. If you turned it off, nothing should happen.

Option 2Manage Peek with Registry Editor

Registry Editor (a database for storing low-level operating system settings) lets you modify Windows 11 features when standard menus fail. This advanced method requires caution because incorrect changes can cause system issues. Use this alternative approach only if the visual effects menu does not work for you.

If you are uncomfortable editing the registry, please use Option One. Always back up your registry before making changes. This website assumes no responsibility for problems arising from registry edits.

Step 1Open Registry Editor

Registry Editor is the built-in Windows 11 tool used for viewing and changing system configuration keys. Press the Windows key and R together on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Type regedit into the text field and press Enter to launch the editor.

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
3. If a User Account Control (UAC) box appears asking for permission, click Yes to let the Registry Editor make changes.

Step 2Go to the Correct Registry Location

Registry Editor organizes settings in a hierarchical folder tree to help you find specific system configurations. In the left panel of the window, click the arrow icons to expand folders until you reach the exact path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM.

In the left side of the Registry Editor window, click on the folders to open them until you reach this path:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM

To get there, you might need to click the arrow next to folders to expand them. For example, click the arrow next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then find and click Software, then Microsoft, and finally Windows. When you click on Windows, look for the DWM folder in the list and click on it.

Step 3Change the EnableAeroPeek Setting

The DWM folder contains specific keys that control desktop window manager behaviors, including taskbar preview transparency. Look for the setting named EnableAeroPeek in the right-hand panel and double-click it. Change the Value data to 1 to turn Peek on or 0 to turn Peek off.

To Turn Peek On (Set Value to 1):

1. In the right side of the window, look for a setting named EnableAeroPeek.
2. If you see it, double-click on it.
3. A window will pop up. In the "Value data" box, change the number from 0 to 1.
4. Click OK.

If EnableAeroPeek does not exist:

1. Right-click on an empty spot in the right side of the window.
2. Choose New, then choose DWORD (32-bit) Value.
3. Name the new setting exactly EnableAeroPeek.
4. Double-click the new EnableAeroPeek setting you just created.
5. Set its "Value data" to 1.
6. Click OK.

To Turn Peek Off (Set Value to 0):

1. In the right side of the window, look for a setting named EnableAeroPeek.
2. If you see it, double-click on it.
3. In the pop-up window, change the "Value data" from 1 to 0.
4. Click OK.

If "EnableAeroPeek" doesn't exist, you typically don't need to do anything to turn Peek off. If it's missing or set to 0, it's typically off by default. However, if you want to be sure it's off, you can create it as described above and set its value to 0.

It can only be 0 or 1. A value of 1 means "on" (enabled), and a value of 0 means "off" (disabled).

Step 4Apply the Changes

Registry modifications require a system restart to take full effect across the operating system. Close the Registry Editor window and restart your computer normally. Once the system boots back up, test the Peek feature by moving your mouse to the far right edge of the taskbar.

1. Close the Registry Editor.
2. Restart your computer.

After your computer restarts, test the Peek feature. It should now work according to the setting you changed in the Registry.

Summary

Peek is a Windows feature for quickly previewing your desktop or apps. You can turn Peek on or off using the Visual Effects settings by checking or unchecking the 'Enable Peek' box. For advanced users, Peek can also be managed by changing the 'EnableAeroPeek' value in the Registry Editor.