Microsoft has announced major upgrades coming soon to the Taskbar on Windows 11 that will enable new capabilities that users have been requesting since Windows 11’s debut in 2021. With these updates, the Taskbar will be more customizable, with users being able to change the size and position of it.
“Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we’ve heard from you. We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace,” says Microsoft EVP of Windows & Devices, Pavan Davuluri.
The new Windows 11 Taskbar when docked to the left of the display. (Image credit: @PdroPM on X)
Sources say these new resize options will behave similarly to the ones found on Windows 10. The Taskbar’s height and icons will become smaller, with the date/time and widget button text collapsing to one line instead of two.
Being able to resize the Taskbar will allow users with smaller screens to free up some real estate for apps, without outright removing the Taskbar from the screen. Users have always had the option to auto-hide the Taskbar, but not everybody likes that option. Some people want to see the Taskbar, they just don’t want it to take up that much space.
In addition to the new resize options, Microsoft is also making the Taskbar movable again. Users will be able to position the Taskbar at the bottom, top, left, or right side of the desktop. It appears the ability to do this will be configurable in the Windows Settings app, and not freely draggable like it was on Windows 10.
Internal builds of the OS have a debug menu that lets you quickly switch its position via a right-click menu, but it sounds like this interface will not ship in the final product. Instead, users will need to select the “Taskbar Settings” option first to be taken into the Windows Settings app where the user will see options to move the Taskbar.
This debug menu lets developers easily switch the Taskbar position during development. (Image credit: Windows Central)
Sources tell me that the new, movable Taskbar will be fully functional in any position. Taskbar flyouts such as the quick settings panel, Windows Search pane, and Widgets Board will adapt accordingly to the position that your Taskbar is in, with the only limitations being the inability to display the search bar on the Taskbar when in vertical positions as there’s not enough space.
I’m also told that internally, Microsoft has labeled its Taskbar positioning work as “Priority 0,” meaning it’s considered a highly important feature that must ship within this release cycle. The resizable Taskbar is “Priority 1,” which means it’s still important to deliver as soon as possible, but Priority 0 items take precedent.
Ultimately, it’s clear that Microsoft is working on a number of important customization options for the Taskbar that are designed to appease users who have argued Windows 11’s interface isn’t as configurable as previous versions of Windows. Hopefully, the ability to move and resize the Taskbar will go a long way to convincing power users to make the switch from Windows 10.
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