HiddenWindow
A refined open-source window orchestration layer for Windows.
Move inactive windows to the screen edge. Recall them naturally. Keep your attention at the center.
Product website · Latest release · 中文说明
Closing a window loses context. Minimizing it means finding it again. HiddenWindow introduces a third option: keep the window where you remember it, without keeping it in your current field of view.
Drag a window to the top, bottom, left, or right edge of any display. HiddenWindow moves it just beyond the screen, leaving a precise visible edge. Approach that edge to reveal the window; move away and it quietly retreats.
- Dock and hide on all four screen edges
- Recall windows by approaching their corresponding edge
- Match the pointer to the correct hidden window when several share one edge
- Work naturally across multi-monitor layouts
- Ignore maximized and fullscreen windows
- Pause or resume docking globally with
Ctrl + Alt + H - Tune edge sensitivity, visible width, animation timing, and hide delay
- Launch with Windows and check for updates automatically
- Run as a portable, single-file application
HiddenWindow v2.1 gives the application, website, browser tab icon, and documentation one coherent visual language:
- a warm white canvas, near-black typography, and a stable gray scale;
- grid, baseline, spacing, and type hierarchy instead of decorative surfaces;
- thin, consistent lines with one restrained blue-gray focus color;
- a lighter brand mark that shows a window moving beyond the display boundary;
- a completely redesigned Settings and About experience;
- automatic interface localization based on the Windows display language;
- manual language selection: Follow system, 简体中文, or English.
The window-docking engine remains intentionally focused. The redesign changes how HiddenWindow communicates and feels without turning a small utility into a complicated workspace product.
The Chinese-first product website includes a complete English presentation. The website and application share the same Edge Window mark, light canvas, typography hierarchy, control geometry, and product language.
The following Chinese prompt is the shared v2.1 design brief. Keep its intent when evolving the Windows app, website, icon, or documentation.
角色设定： 你是一名偏爱「少即是多」的极简主义 UI 设计师，需要为产品团队说明 Minimalism 家族的视觉原则和适用场景，避免大家误把「简单」理解成「随便」或「什么都删掉」。
场景定位： 极简家族适合信息结构清晰、内容质量高、品牌气质偏理性或高端的产品，例如文档工具、写作平台、作品集网站、高端品牌落地页和数据故事页面。它特别适合需要长时间阅读或思考的场景，让用户在没有视觉噪音干扰的情况下专注于内容本身。
视觉设计理念： 极简主义不是「空白越多越好」，而是通过有意识地删减装饰，把视觉注意力集中在核心元素上。界面以黑白灰为主，辅以极少数强调色；结构上依靠网格、基线和明确的层级关系组织信息，而不是靠边框、阴影和复杂背景。标题、正文和辅助信息在排版上有清晰的节奏，让用户能一眼看出「哪里最重要」「哪里是说明」「哪里是补充」。
材质与质感： 在 Minimalism 家族中，材质被压缩到几乎看不见——没有明显的纹理和渐变，阴影如果存在也非常轻微。页面主要由干净的白色背景、细线分隔和少量浅灰区块构成，辅以清晰的黑色文字。所有元素的边框、线条和图标都保持细而稳定的线宽，避免粗重轮廓打破整体的轻盈感。页面的「质感」来自版面秩序和留白，而不是来自表面的华丽效果。
交互体验： 交互反馈在极简风格中是克制而明确的。按钮悬停后可能只改变边框颜色、文字颜色或透明度，而不会出现大幅缩放、阴影爆发或炫目渐变。链接在 hover 时出现简单下划线即可；卡片在交互时可以轻微调整背景色或边框颜色，但仍然保持「安静」。动画节奏通常偏慢且流畅，避免频繁闪烁，让长时间阅读不被打扰。
整体氛围： Minimalism 家族营造的是一种安静、清晰、带有思考空间的界面气质。用户进入页面时不会被视觉效果轰炸，而是感受到宽阔的留白、整齐的文字和少量有力的视觉焦点。它非常适合作为内容或品牌的「画廊空间」，让真正重要的文字、图像和数据成为舞台主角。
HiddenWindow uses the Windows UI culture on first launch:
- Simplified Chinese Windows → 简体中文
- Other display languages → English
- Manual override → Follow system / 简体中文 / English
The choice is stored locally in %AppData%\HiddenWindow\settings.json. No language or usage data is transmitted.
- Download
HiddenWindow.exefrom Releases. - Run it; no installer is required.
- Right-click the tray icon and open Settings.
- Drag any eligible window to a screen edge.
- Move the pointer to that edge to recall the window.
- Press
Ctrl + Alt + Hto pause or resume docking.
src/HiddenWindow/
├── MainForm.cs Tray lifecycle, menu, hotkey, updates
├── DockManager.cs Docking, reveal, hide, and animation engine
├── SettingsForm.cs v2.1 settings interface
├── AboutForm.cs v2.1 product and website presentation
├── Localization.cs Simplified Chinese and English resources
├── UiControls.cs Shared monochrome controls and brand mark
├── EdgeHintForm.cs Window-title hint shown at the screen edge
├── Settings.cs Local configuration model and persistence
├── WinApi.cs Win32 and DWM interop
└── Assets/ Windows application icon
scripts/
└── generate_brand_assets.py Reproducible PNG and ICO generation
Requires the .NET 8 SDK on Windows, or a recent .NET SDK with Windows targeting enabled.
dotnet build .\src\HiddenWindow\HiddenWindow.csproj -c ReleasePortable single-file build:
dotnet publish .\src\HiddenWindow\HiddenWindow.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:IncludeNativeLibrariesForSelfExtract=trueOutput:
src/HiddenWindow/bin/Release/net8.0-windows/win-x64/publish/HiddenWindow.exe
HiddenWindow 是一款轻量、克制的 Windows 窗口编排工具。把暂时不用的窗口拖到屏幕边缘，它会自动收进屏幕外；鼠标靠近对应边缘时，窗口自然滑回，离开后再次隐藏。
v2.1 以极简主义重新统一软件、官网、浏览器图标和文档：亮色纸面、黑白灰秩序、细线与极少量强调色。软件默认跟随 Windows 显示语言，也可以在设置中手动选择“跟随系统 / 简体中文 / English”。完整中文文档请阅读 README_zh.md。
HiddenWindow v2.1.0 is the current stable release. Download the portable, self-contained HiddenWindow.exe from the latest release; no installer or separate .NET runtime is required.
HiddenWindow is released under the MIT License.
Designed for focus. Built by Maziyang2.