Windows 11 users can soon tell the taskbar to never combine app icons

[Daniel Sims]

Something to look forward to: Windows 11's implementation of the taskbar – one of the operating system's most fundamental elements – has been quite controversial since Windows 11 launched. A Windows researcher recently uncovered evidence of the impending return of a Windows 10 feature developers nixed for Win 11.

Windows 11 users will soon see a new taskbar setting to prevent it from combining app icons when it runs out of space. Windows 10 still has the feature, and many users requested its return when Windows 11 shipped without it. It is one of many taskbar features Microsoft incidentally confirmed with the latest Windows 11 preview build.

Windows Researcher Albacore tweeted a video demonstrating upcoming Windows 11 taskbar personalization functions that Microsoft hasn't yet mentioned. In the video, he toggles the task view and widget icons, changes the icon orientation from left to center, and customizes how the search bar appears. Albacore also mentions ungrouped items and item labels in the tweet.

Taskbar item labels (as well as ungrouped items) are indeed on their way to Windows 11 â¨
Here's a demo of the current state of the feature, definitely further along than last time we looked at it

Fiddled with a few settings in the video so you can see how it reacts pic.twitter.com/7A7H0MWpJV

– Albacore (@thebookisclosed) April 19, 2023

This week's Insider Preview blog post doesn't note these changes, and it's unclear when these features will release to more users. The latest version, build 23440, lets users hide the time and date in the system tray and diagnose network problems by right-clicking the tray. Users can also quickly check the latest insider release notes from the taskbar. Some of these features existed in previous Windows versions.

Although the Windows 11 taskbar was unpopular at launch, Microsoft has added various new features over the last year. The company adjusted the experience for touch mode, retooled the overflow function when many windows are open, and incorporated Bing's AI-powered search features. Additionally, Microsoft might soon add the ability to force-close applications by right-clicking the taskbar instead of going into the task manager.

However, one requested feature from earlier Windows editions that won't return soon is the ability to move the taskbar to the sides or top of the screen. Last year, Microsoft said it doesn't think enough users have spoken up to justify the amount of work resurrecting the movable taskbar requires. The company would have to check every app icon for compatibility. The task might become even more burdensome as Windows 11 gains more apps.

In the meantime, if the default Windows 11 taskbar doesn't have the functionality you want, you can try a third-party taskbar tool. Alternatively, follow our somewhat dated guide to making Windows 11 more like Win 10. If you need to buy Windows 11, a Professional license is currently on sale for $50.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/98394-windows-11-users-can-soon-tell-taskbar-never.html

 

[winjer]

Finally.

 

[psycros]

I'm more upset by the fact you can't stop it from hiding most of the entire system tray in a stupid pop-up menu. With Windows 12 already well into development, I think Win11 may be the most avoided version since Millennium.

 

[torchyear]

Yay! And so Microsoft slowly turns Windows 11 back into Windows 10 by returning one feature every year. Maybe we'll get a functioning version of File History sometime in 2028...

 

[Nobina]

Them taking features out and putting them back in shows they're torn between what they want Windows to be and how their users use it.

Users are content with the way things are but Microsoft wants "only one way to use it", kinda like MacOS. By doing that they get the worst of both worlds cause they don't go all in on one thing.

 

[Aus spot]

Finally, wanted to downgrade for this very issue

 

[0dium]

Wow, a nice new feature we never had in prior versions of Windows. Oh wait...

 

[fadingfool]

Moving the task bar was a simple regedit hack - but then microsoft removed this option in the latest version. The size of the taskbar was also adjustable but again removed by microsoft. I will be upgrading to windows 10 soon at this rate....... The moveable task bar has 14042 upvotes on the Feedback Hub - how many more do they need https://aka.ms/AAd2jme for anyone else that wants to upvote it.....

 

[return]

I just use startallback.

 

[neeyik]

Moving the task bar was a simple regedit hack - but then microsoft removed this option in the latest version. The size of the taskbar was also adjustable but again removed by microsoft. I will be upgrading to windows 10 soon at this rate....... The moveable task bar has 14042 upvotes on the Feedback Hub - how many more do they need https://aka.ms/AAd2jme for anyone else that wants to upvote it.....

This is why I bought Start11 -- provides full control (or as much as it can) over the taskbar and start menu appearance, location, etc. It's somewhat buggy at times but I'll be damned if I'm going to forgo decades of having the taskbar exactly how I want it.

 

[netman]

"However, one requested feature from earlier Windows editions that won't return soon is the ability to move the taskbar to the sides or top of the screen."

Any New Registry hack to achieve this...?

 

[Hodor]

Which proves that a trillon dollar corporation doesn't have an QA department. Because anyone, I mean anyone, who has ever used Win 10 would have told them immediately that Win 11 sucks, for this and many other reasons.

But if you don't ask anyone, except brainless CEO and his poltroons, then no testing or research is necessary. Because they know everything. They should fking apologize to customers for releasing Win 11.

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

M$FT angers me so much with this crap. They actively go in and rip out stuff that we use. If you want to do a new design, fine... set it as default but stop removing the old stuff because it is often times way more useful for advanced users.