One of the most criticized elements of Windows 11 has been the taskbar. This element has been one of those that has changed the most with the arrival of the new system, since it has been programmed from scratch to include changes such as being able to center the icons as if it were a “dock”. But, in the process, Microsoft left many options in the dark, functions that are widely used by users and that, after two years of waiting, are finally going to return.
Since the arrival of the first version of Windows 11, Microsoft has been returning some of the removed functions to the taskbar. For example, one of the most talked about features was the limitation of dragging files to open programs within this taskbar. Little by little, these limitations have been disappearing, and users have begun to be more or less satisfied. Above all, with two of the latest changes: the possibility of showing the seconds on the clock and being able to launch the task manager from this taskbar.
But Microsoft still has two more surprises for this taskbar, two long-awaited functions that are surely very well received by users.
The two novelties of the Windows 11 taskbar
These two new functions are not yet available, but the code within the operating system has already begun to be seen, so it should not take long for them to reach all users signed up to the Microsoft Insider program. The first of these functions will allow us see the name of open programs on the taskbar. By default, in Windows 11 only the icon appears (the same as in Windows 10), with the difference that in its predecessor it was possible to display the name.
And the second of the novelties is related, since it allows us show all open windows without grouping. In order to save space and order the taskbar, Windows 11 groups all the windows of the same program that we have open at the same time. Eventually, this becomes history, and users will be able to choose whether or not to group windows together.
Albacore
@thebookisclosed
Taskbar item labels (as well as ungrouped items) are indeed on their way to Windows 11 ✨
Here’s a demo of the current state of the feature, definitely further along than last time we looked at itFiddled with a few settings in the video so you can see how it reacts https://t.co/7A7H0MWpJV
April 20, 2023 • 01:13
If all goes well, we’ll likely see these two features in a few weeks, at least in the Canary branch of Windows. And they will arrive, if we are lucky, with the Moment3 update, or, if not, we will have to wait for 23H2, the big fall update of this year.
Still too limited
Despite the fact that the taskbar has improved a lot since the launch of the operating system, today it is still much more limited than that of Windows 10, Windows 8 and, above all, Windows 7. Without going any further, one of the features that we still can’t use is to move the taskbar to the side or to the top of the screen.
We hope that little by little these removed features will continue to make their way to the operating system, especially the one just mentioned. But, for now, being able to move the taskbar is nothing more than a utopia.
