How to keep sticky notes always on top on Windows
Short answer
Microsoft Sticky Notes does not keep notes above other windows by default, so they vanish behind whatever you click next. Microsoft PowerToys can pin any window on top with Win+Ctrl+T, which works for a note too. AppRig builds it in: pop any note out as a sticky, click its pin, and it stays on top, remembering its position and pin across restarts.
The manual way
Microsoft Sticky Notes is built into Windows 10 and 11 (search “Sticky Notes” from Start). It is fine for jotting things down, but by default a note is just another window: click anything else and the note slides behind it.
The usual free fix is Microsoft PowerToys. Install it, switch on its Always On Top utility, then click a note and press Win+Ctrl+T. The note stays above every other window, with a coloured border to show it is pinned; press the shortcut again to unpin it. This works on any window, not just notes, but the pin does not survive closing the note or restarting.
For a reminder at a set time you still need something else, such as a calendar event or a phone alarm, because Sticky Notes has no due dates.
The faster way with AppRig
In AppRig, Alt+Click any note to pop it out as a sticky that floats over your desktop. Each sticky has its own pin button: click it and the note stays on top while you work in other apps. Edits sync back to the original note live, and sticky positions and pin states persist across sessions, so your notes come back where you left them.
Notes can carry a due date and reminder. When one fires, clicking the notification opens that note as a sticky that is already pinned on top. If you want every new note to start life as a sticky, turn on New card opens as floating note in Settings. To capture a thought without opening anything, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A from anywhere for Quick Add.
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Common questions
Why do my sticky notes disappear behind other windows?
Sticky notes are ordinary windows, so Windows stacks them like any other app. The moment you click your browser or editor, that window comes to the front and covers the note. To keep a note visible you need an always-on-top setting, either from the notes app itself or from a separate tool that can pin any window above the rest.
Can I pin any window on top in Windows without extra apps?
Windows itself has no general always-on-top option, though a few apps (such as some media players and the Calculator in its compact mode) offer their own. The common free fix is Microsoft PowerToys: turn on Always On Top, then press Win+Ctrl+T on any window to pin or unpin it. A coloured border shows which window is pinned.
How do I get a note to pop up at a specific time?
Microsoft Sticky Notes has no timed reminders, so people often pair it with Outlook, the Calendar app or a phone alarm. A notes app with built-in due dates is tidier, because the reminder and the note are the same thing. In AppRig, when a note's reminder fires, clicking the notification pops that note out as a sticky that is already pinned on top.
Do sticky notes stay on the desktop after a restart?
It depends on the app. Microsoft Sticky Notes keeps your notes, and can sync them if you sign in with a Microsoft account, but whether the note windows reopen on their own varies between versions. If you rely on notes being on screen every morning, check that your notes app reopens them where you left them.
Related questions
AppRig does this and more, all in one local-first Windows app. See what AppRig does →