Yes, but only in the newer Sticky Notes that lives inside the OneNote app: pop a note out and click the pin icon in its top bar. The older Microsoft Sticky Notes app cannot stay on top, and Microsoft’s own support pages still say so. If you use the older app, cannot get the new one on a work PC, or want the same behavior for other note and reference windows, PinPoint from Automata Labs pins any window on top with a hotkey or an automatic per-app rule.
Keep a note, checklist or reference window visible while you work, with one hotkey.
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Why do I get two different answers about Sticky Notes staying on top?
Because there are two different apps with the same name, and the answers you find online are each correct for one of them.
- Microsoft Sticky Notes is the long-standing standalone app many people have used since Windows 10. Microsoft’s support pages for it, including Get started with Sticky Notes and Troubleshoot Sticky Notes, state: “You cannot currently have Sticky Notes stay on top of other applications.” The suggested workaround is pinning the app to the taskbar, which makes it quick to open but does not keep a note visible.
- The new Sticky Notes in OneNote is a feature of the OneNote app for Windows. In a September 2024 Microsoft 365 blog post, the OneNote team announced: “You can now pin your popped out notes, so they stay above other applications while you multitask or switch between apps.”
So if a friend says “just click the pin” and you cannot find a pin, you are almost certainly in the older app.
How do I tell which Sticky Notes I am using?
Microsoft’s post describes the new version’s Start menu shortcut as having a “purple-tinted Sticky Notes icon with the new tag,” which makes it “easily distinguishable from the existing Microsoft Sticky Notes app shortcut in the Start menu.” That shortcut “launches the OneNote app directly into the new Sticky Notes view.”
| Clue | Microsoft Sticky Notes (older app) | Sticky Notes in OneNote (newer) |
|---|---|---|
| Where it comes from | Standalone app | A feature of the OneNote app for Windows |
| Start menu icon | The classic Sticky Notes icon | Purple-tinted icon with a “new” tag |
| Pin a note on top | No, per Microsoft Support | Yes, on popped-out notes |
| How you update it | Through the app itself | By updating OneNote |
| Notes sync | Microsoft account | Microsoft account, shared with OneNote |
If you only see one Sticky Notes entry in Start and it has no “new” tag, you have the older app.
How do I pin a note on top in the new Sticky Notes?
Following Microsoft’s instructions:
- Open the new Sticky Notes from its Start menu shortcut, or from OneNote.
- Open the note you want and pop it out of the main window so it floats on its own.
- Click the pin icon in the top bar of the popped-out note.
The note now stays above other windows while you switch apps. Click the pin again to release it. Only popped-out notes have the pin, so a note still docked inside the main Sticky Notes list will not float.
Why can’t I get the new Sticky Notes on my work PC?
Microsoft’s September 2024 FAQ listed three reasons you might see an error instead of the new view:
- “If your workplace uses Intune policy on Windows, the new Sticky Notes feature won’t be available.”
- “Those with Office LTSC licenses are not eligible to use the new Sticky Notes.”
- Otherwise, “the feature is still rolling out to your device.”
That post is from 2024 and the details may have changed since, so check with your IT team if you hit the error. The practical point stands: on many managed PCs, the only Sticky Notes you have is the one that cannot stay on top. Microsoft also says the older app “will still be available,” so it is not going away on its own.
What are my options if my Sticky Notes cannot stay on top?
You have three realistic choices.
Option 1: Switch to the new Sticky Notes. If you can install or update OneNote and your account is allowed to use the feature, this is the simplest built-in fix. Microsoft says notes from the older app sync across if you sign in to both with the same account.
Option 2: Use PowerToys Always On Top. Microsoft’s free PowerToys Always On Top “allows you to pin windows above other windows.” Press Win+Ctrl+T on the active window to pin it, and press it again or close the window to unpin. It is a good manual tool, with one limit for people who want notes always pinned: you press the shortcut each time you reopen the window. Our guide to the always on top shortcut in Windows 11 covers it in more depth.
Option 3: Use PinPoint. PinPoint does the same job as a dedicated, automated tool. You can pin with a global hotkey, or set a per-app rule so a chosen app is pinned the moment it launches, with no keypress at all.
How does PinPoint keep a note on top?
PinPoint is a small Windows utility that keeps chosen windows above everything else. Its Microsoft Store listing describes these features:
- Global hotkey pinning: pin any application window “Always on Top” with a customizable shortcut.
- Intelligent auto-pinning: pick an app from your running processes and PinPoint keeps it in the foreground from launch.
- Workspace pin profiles: save sets of pinned windows for different kinds of work and switch with one click.
- Visual borders: color-coded frames, with adjustable thickness, show which windows are pinned.
- Exclusion rules, so utility panels and alerts do not interrupt your pinned layout.
- Timed countdown release, which unpins a window after a set duration.
- Multi-window support: pin as many windows as you need.
- Offline and private: no account, no analytics, and under 14 MB on disk.
For notes, auto-pinning is the useful part. A sticky note you have to re-pin every morning is a note you stop looking at. A rule that pins your notes app at launch means it is simply there.
We have not tested PinPoint with every version of both Sticky Notes apps, and Windows apps can behave differently depending on how they draw their windows. Check how your own setup behaves before you rely on it. If a particular window will not stay on top, our article on always on top not working in Windows 11 explains the usual causes.
Set a rule once and your notes app is pinned every time it opens.
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Which approach should I use?
| What you need | Best fit |
|---|---|
| You use OneNote and can get the new Sticky Notes | The built-in pin on a popped-out note |
| You need one window on top now and then | PowerToys Always On Top (Win+Ctrl+T) |
| You want notes pinned automatically every time | PinPoint per-app auto-pinning |
| You pin several reference windows, not just notes | PinPoint profiles and borders |
| Your work PC blocks the new Sticky Notes | PinPoint or PowerToys, if your IT policy allows them |
A note on that last row: if your PC is managed, check that installing a Store app is allowed before you do it. Both PowerToys and PinPoint are ordinary desktop apps, but company policies vary.
Are there better places to keep a note than a sticky note?
Sometimes. If your “note” is really a checklist you follow while working, a pinned plain text window can be easier to edit and search. We describe that setup in keeping a Notepad checklist always on top. If you work across several virtual desktops, also read keeping a window on top across virtual desktops, because pinning on top and showing on every desktop are two different settings.
Frequently asked questions
Can the old Microsoft Sticky Notes app stay on top?
Not by itself. Microsoft’s support pages say “You cannot currently have Sticky Notes stay on top of other applications.” A separate tool such as PowerToys Always On Top or PinPoint is needed.
Where is the pin icon in Sticky Notes?
In the new Sticky Notes in OneNote, it is in the top bar of a note after you pop the note out of the main window. Docked notes do not show it.
Do I need OneNote for the new Sticky Notes?
Yes. Microsoft describes it as “a feature of the OneNote Windows app,” and you update it by updating OneNote.
Will my old notes move to the new Sticky Notes?
Microsoft says they sync across if you sign in to the older app and to OneNote with the same Microsoft account, with that account set as the primary one in OneNote.
Can PinPoint keep several notes on top at once?
Yes. Its listing supports pinning as many windows as you need at the same time, with borders so you can see which ones are pinned.
Try PinPoint
Get PinPoint from the Microsoft Store. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription, and the Store listing shows the current price.
For a side-by-side with Microsoft’s free tool, read PinPoint vs PowerToys.
Pin your notes and reference windows once, and let PinPoint keep them in view.
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Microsoft, Windows, OneNote and PowerToys are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. PinPoint is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.
Last updated 22 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.