The short answer
- Use a note window that stays on top. In Stickies (mine, $4.99 once with a 7-day free trial), both the dock and notes you pop out stay on top of other windows by default.
- Microsoft Sticky Notes: the version that comes with OneNote has its own always-on-top option for a note.
- Any other notes app: Microsoft's free PowerToys has an "Always On Top" tool. Click the note's window and press Win+Ctrl+T to keep it above everything else.
- Games: set the game's display mode to borderless or windowed full-screen. In exclusive full-screen, the game takes over the screen and no other window can show on top of it.
Keeping a note on top in Stickies
- Open the note you want to keep in view.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or click Float on the desktop) to pop it out into its own window.
- Drag it where you want it and resize it. The pin button at the top keeps it on top of other windows, and it's on by default.
A popped-out note remembers where you put it, and it comes back in the same spot the next time Stickies starts. Click the pin button again if you'd rather it go behind other windows.
The dock at the edge of your screen also stays on top by default, so you can reach your notes over a full-screen app. You can turn that off in Settings → General → Keep the dock on top.
Why games are different
Games usually offer three display modes. In windowed and borderless (sometimes called "windowed full-screen"), the game is a normal window that fills the screen, and a note that stays on top shows over it. In exclusive full-screen, the game takes direct control of the display. Windows then shows only the game, so no notes app can draw over it.
Most modern games run borderless by default, or have it in their display settings. It looks the same, and switching to other windows is faster.
If the Windows key doesn't work in a game
Some games turn off the Windows key while you play, so Win+Alt+N does nothing. Alt+Shift+N and Ctrl+Alt+N make a new note too. Many games also keep the mouse inside the game, so the hotkey is easier than reaching for the screen edge.
Things to keep in mind
- A note on top covers part of the game. Keep it small and in a corner, or put it on a second screen. There's a guide for that.
- Screen sharing: if you share your whole screen in a call, people see notes that are on top. Share a single window instead if a note is private.
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