Active Windows 11The Taskbar is finally getting some major improvements, including support for repositioning and resizing. However, these are not completely new capabilities, as they were already available in Windows 10 and earlier versions of the operating system.
as part of Windows K2 With the initiative, Microsoft is addressing some of Windows 11’s biggest pain points to restore user trust, and several of those improvements are coming to the Taskbar experience.
In the latest Windows 11 preview build from the Experimental channel for version 25H2, Microsoft restores the ability to place the taskbar on any edge of the screen. The company also provides an option to minimize the Taskbar.
Windows 11 restores the Taskbar position
When the company released Windows 11, despite its modern look, it introduced a redesigned Taskbar that removed several key features, including the ability to change its position on the screen.
Now, after years of user complaints, Microsoft is admitting that many of the Taskbar features available in Windows 10 are the right approach.
starting with Build 26300.8493users can position the Taskbar at the top, bottom, left or right edge of the screen.
Microsoft too notes Windows 11 automatically aligns interface elements based on the position of the taskbar. For example, when the Taskbar is placed at the top of the screen, Start menu and the Search interface opens from the top edge down.
Buttons, system shell icons, and other interface elements are aligned correctly regardless of Taskbar location, including the date and time display. However, when using the vertical layout, the system displays the year in an abbreviated form rather than in full four-digit format. Additionally, the seconds are not displayed when the Taskbar is positioned vertically.
One thing to note is that whether you position the Taskbar on the left or right, both layouts support grouping using app labels. “Never Merge” choice.
The new “Taskbar position” option is available here Settings > Personalization > Taskbar Under the “Taskbar Behaviors” section.
One of the interesting facts about applying settings is that each of the options creates a live view of the desktop background.
Microsoft says it is working on further improvements and improvements. However, the company notes that auto-hide does not currently work properly, and the tablet-optimized Taskbar is not supported on layouts other than the bottom position.
Windows 11 restores resizing functionality for the Taskbar
As part of the original release of Windows 11, Microsoft also removed the ability to resize the taskbar. In fact, the Taskbar was noticeably taller than previous versions, in part because the company deliberately optimized the experience for touch devices.
Now, this ability is finally back with a new option that reduces the height of the Taskbar and button size, giving users more screen real estate.
The change is subtle but immediately noticeable, especially for users accustomed to the smaller taskbar design from the Windows 10 era. The reduced size makes the desktop more compact and familiar without significantly changing the overall Windows 11 design.
Microsoft also notes that resizing the Taskbar in Windows 11 does not require you to exit or restart your computer. But as far as I remember, Windows 10 behaved the same way, so in the previous version it wasn’t exactly a limitation. However, Microsoft is highlighting the behavior as part of an updated app.
Instead of adding a separate setting, the company is modifying an existing one “Show smaller taskbar buttons” option to control both icon and taskbar size.
Previously, this feature only reduced the size of Taskbar icons to fit more apps in the same space. Enabling the option now also minimizes the Taskbar itself.
You can find the settings below Parameters > Personalization > Taskbar in the year “Taskbar Behaviors” division. To permanently minimize the taskbar, you must select “always” choice.
If you choose “When taskbar is full” if you set it, the Taskbar will stay at its default size until free space runs out. At this point, instead of moving apps to the overflow menu, Windows 11 automatically switches to a smaller Taskbar and icon layout to fit more apps on the screen.
Windows 10 had a better implementation
While these are welcome additions, the app still feels a bit incomplete compared to the experience available on Windows 10.
For example, in Windows 10, as long as the Taskbar is unlocked, you can simply drag it to the top, bottom, left or right side of the screen with minimal effort and fewer clicks.
To change the position of the Taskbar in Windows 11, you must now go to the “Taskbar” settings page, expand the “Taskbar behaviors” section and manually select the desired layout. Dragging the taskbar directly to the desktop is not supported.
Similarly, while Windows 10 included a toggle to make the Taskbar and icons smaller, it allowed users to freely resize the taskbar height by dragging the edge with the mouse. This flexibility has made it possible to create a number of closed and running applications that the new Windows 11 application does not yet support.
The new approach isn’t necessarily bad, but the Windows 10 app was more flexible and user-friendly.
Windows Central’s Take
I want to see Microsoft finally bring back these Taskbar features because honestly, they should never have disappeared in the first place. The ability to move the taskbar or minimize it may sound small, but these are customization options that people want. Their absence felt unnecessarily restrictive compared to Windows 11 Windows 10.
At the same time, this implementation still feels like the company is cautiously reintroducing features rather than fully embracing the flexibility that users have become accustomed to for decades. Relocating the Taskbar in Windows 10 was natural, as you could simply drag it to wherever you wanted. Now the process is buried inside Settings, and some functionality like multi-row taskbars is still completely missing.
I think these changes are important because they show that the company is finally listening to long-standing feedback rather than forcing a simplified design philosophy on power users. Over the past few years, I’ve seen the company slowly reverse a few of its decisions with Windows 11, and this feels like another example of Microsoft realizing that removing customization options wasn’t the right move.
What are your thoughts on these new Taskbar features in Windows 11? Let me know in the comments.
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