Microsoft PowerToys may soon get one of the best macOS features

A tabbed UI in File Explorer is not the only macOS-inspired feature coming soon to Windows 11. Apple's desktop operating system has many convenient tricks, so Microsoft and other developers think about implementing similar ideas in Windows and third-party apps. For example, you can press the Spacebar key to preview any file in macOS. Soon, a similarcapability may arrive in PowerToys.

u/MSFT-SAM, a member of the Microsoft Photos app team, published on Reddit a prototype of a new PowerToys module called Peek. This project aims to provide users with "a lightning-fast file preview feature for Windows." PowerToys Peek should let you select any file in File Explorer and press dedicated keys to preview the file without opening another app.

A prototype of the PowerToys Peek utility.

PowerToys Peek, in a nutshell, is an alternative take on a popular third-party app QuickLook from the Microsoft Store. But, unlike QuickLook, which allows previewing files with the Spacebar key, you would need to use a key sequence to trigger Peek. That is because PowerToys does not allow single-key shortcuts. On the upside, PowerToys would let you create custom shortcuts to preview files, and additional customizability is always a plus.

For now, PowerToys Peek is just a prototype, and the demo displays how the tool works with images only. Still, it shows great potential as the prototype reduced image opening time from 400ms with the Photos app to 40ms with Peek.

The developer wants users to provide feedback and share their ideas for future improvements and early implementations in PowerToys. You can share your thoughts about PowerToys Peek in the comments below or the original post on Reddit.

Microsoft PowerToys may soon get one of the best macOS features