One of the best features of macOS Finder is the Preview feature, which allows you to instantly see a file’s content by selecting it and pressing a key. This makes accessing and navigating between files much easier. While Windows File Explorer has a preview pane, it’s limited in size and often lacks detail. If you want this functionality on Windows, you can enable a macOS-like Preview feature using the PowerToys application, a powerful tool from Microsoft.
With the Peek feature in PowerToys, you can preview various files directly in File Explorer using a simple shortcut. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to enable the PowerToys Peek feature and use it to preview files easily in File Explorer. Let’s get started.
Before You Begin
- Administrator rights are required to install PowerToys.
- These steps apply to Windows 11 and Windows 10.
- The Peek feature works only in File Explorer and may not be compatible with third-party alternatives like Directory Opus.
Enable macOS Preview Feature on Windows Using PowerToys Peek
- Get the PowerToys installer from this page.
- Double-click the downloaded file and install PowerToys.
- Press the Start button.
- Search and open “PowerToys” from the Start menu.
- Go to the “Peek” tab on the sidebar.
- Turn ON the “Enable Peek” toggle.
- Close the PowerToys window.
- That is it. To preview, select a file in File Explorer and press “Ctrl + Space“.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First of all, you need to install PowerToys if you haven’t already. To do that, download the PowerToys installer from this page, double-click the downloaded installer, and follow the installation wizard to install PowerToys.
Once PowerToys is installed, press the Start button, search for “PowerToys” in the Start menu, and click the “Open” option. This will open the PowerToys app.
In the PowerToys window, go to the “Peek” tab on the sidebar. You might have to scroll down a bit in the left panel to see the tab. On the right panel, turn ON the “Enable Peek” toggle.
That is it. You’ve enabled Peek, a feature similar to Preview on macOS. To use it, open the File Explorer, select the file you want to preview, and press the “Ctrl + Space” shortcut.
If you don’t like the default shortcut, you can change it. To do that, open PowerToys, go to the “Peek” tab, and click the “Edit” icon next to “Activation Shortcut“.
Now, press the shortcut you want to assign and hit “Save“. Keep in mind that your new should should start with a modifier key. i.e., the Windows key, Ctrl, Alt, or Shift keys.
Wrapping Up — macOS Preview Feature in Windows to Preview Files
As you can see, if you enjoy the Preview feature in macOS, you’ll love Peek. It’s a simple feature, but the convenience and quick access it offers make it incredibly useful. This is especially true if you frequently work with many files and want to see their contents without fully opening them. Just install PowerToys, enable the Peek feature, and you’re all set.
Give it a try, and I’m confident you’ll find it helpful.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
