For User Interface aficionados and Windows power users alike, Stardock’s Fences 5 comes out of preview and is available for all as of today.
Fences 5 has been in preview for a bit now, but to catch all other Windows users up on the utility of the app that is described as a resource that “solves the problem of a “messy desktop” by automatically organizing Windows desktop icons into shaded areas, creating a clutter-free and productive workspace.”
With Fences 5 now generally available, Windows 10 and 11 users can now fiddle with a features list that includes a Chameleon mode, updated Peek mode, Taskbar hot corners, advance deployment tooling, and app engine optimizations.
Chameleon Mode
Similar to how Apple manages its new Widget platform in MacOS Sanoma, Fences 5 users will be able to fade desktop apps into the background in a semi-transparent look that allows them to be less distracting but also easily accessible.
Users can also customize the interactions with desktop icons in Chameleon mode such as tweaking mouseover-highlighting, blending, and more.
Peek Mode
If transparency is too subtle of an option for some users, Fences 5 builds on its Peek Mode with new single-click interactions that can be toggled quickly from the taskbar. In Peek Mode, users can bring app icons to the foreground from its background resting place. Peek Mode is akin to a quick picture-in-picture functionality for quick references or application launches.
Taskbar Hot Corners
Taskbar hot corners can now be used to bring up the improved Peek mode for desktop icons and comes with new control options for power users.
Hot corners could be a great alternative for users who want to reduce the number of icons in the taskbar while still wanting to interact with the updated Peek action in Fences 5.
Advance Deployment Tooling
For enterprise users, Fences 5 brings improved deployment tooling that enables organizations to easily deploy custom dashboards for desktop icons across companywide Windows PCs. There have been improvements to the way Fences manages import/export layouts, loading configurations from a network drive during logon, as well as kiosk functionality.
With Kiosk mode, the new configuration allows admins to lock the desktop UI as well as remote configuration to mitigate employee middling that results in useless support ticket filings.
Fences 5 also centralizes licenses control for easier management of fleet devices.
Improved Performance
While Stardock adds improved performance under its list of new features, it doesn’t point to any specific comparisons but does offer up a few quality-of-life listings such as a re-organized configuration panel, improved localized translations, and easily accessed options from Fence groups. Users will be the judge of whether Fences 5 performs markedly improved from Fences 4 which was already a solid platform.
Fences 5 normally starts at $9.99 for a yearlong subscription, but the site currently has it listed at $8.99 for the same starter pack of features. Other pricing options include a multi-device subscription that starts at $17.99, and the Object Desktop which also bundles a dozen other Stardock apps into the subscription.
