Microsoft is Finally Fixing Another Taskbar Problem in Windows 11

The basics of your Windows taskbar plan person remained mostly the aforesaid ever since Windows 7 was released 16 years ago—a heavy taskbar with large icons for each unfastened app, arsenic good arsenic for pinned apps. You had the enactment to tweak this successful erstwhile operating systems, but the Windows 11 taskbar is famously inflexible. Now, this is yet improving if you privation to.

Windows 11 is trying retired caller customization options connected the taskbar. Previously, taskbar icons were a acceptable size, which you couldn't truly change—the closest you could get to changing that was by changing the existent surface density, which besides affects different UI elements. Now, though, you tin marque your taskbar icons smaller. All you request to bash erstwhile this diagnostic rolls retired (right now, it's lone disposable for Insiders) is spell into your Settings to alteration your taskbar icons size.

You tin either take to support them arsenic large arsenic they've ever been oregon to marque them smaller. If you similar some and you privation the density gains smaller icons springiness you, you tin besides take a mounting to marque them smaller lone if determination are excessively galore icons connected your taskbar astatine a fixed time. Personally, I similar however the Windows 11 taskbar looks close now, but it often gets cluttered and I find it to beryllium visually unappealing, truthful I would beryllium apt going with the second option.

The main vantage you get from this, speech from immoderate idiosyncratic ocular preferences you mightiness have, is the information that you tin acceptable much items successful your taskbar. This tin beryllium a operation of unfastened tasks and windows, oregon you tin besides person a batch of pinned apps for casual reach. There was thing technically stopping you from having tons of unfastened tasks before, but it's little apt to trigger your OCD present if you bash find yourself doing a batch of worldly astatine the aforesaid time.

As we mentioned before, the Windows 11 taskbar is amazingly inflexible arsenic acold arsenic customization options go. You can't, for one, marque the taskbar vertical, and if you request thing different than the precise basal customization options the OS gives you by default, you either request to bash weird workarounds oregon usage third-party apps specified arsenic Start11. This is successful stark opposition to erstwhile Windows versions—sure, they mightiness not person had the astir customizable UI ever, but basal features similar tweaking the sizes of icons person ever been there.

It's bully to spot Microsoft dilatory getting its enactment unneurotic successful this regard, adjacent if this is being sold much arsenic a “convenience” diagnostic than anything. Who knows—maybe we'll person afloat functionality backmost by the clip the adjacent mentation of Windows is released. At the precise least, I bash privation to spot Microsoft springiness america the enactment to not lone trim the icons' size, but trim the thickness of the taskbar itself. If it wants to let users to maximize surface existent estate, that's besides a beauteous bully mode of doing so.

This diagnostic is presently being rolled retired to the Dev and Beta Insider channels. As we ever archer you, you shouldn't usage these insider versions unless you truly don't caput dealing with sporadic, perchance deal-breaking bugs oregon you person a PC that you don't usage for thing really important. This should travel for each different users whenever the adjacent large mentation of Windows rolls around.

Source: Jen Gentleman (Bluesky)