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Microsoft Testing Adjustable Taskbar, Start Menu In Windows 11 (bleepingcomputer.com) 91

Posted by BeauHD from the user-friendlier dept.
Microsoft is testing long-requested Windows 11 customization options, including a resizable taskbar, smaller taskbar buttons, and a more configurable Start menu that lets users reduce recommended content. BleepingComputer reports: Starting with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8493, the taskbar can now be configured to use smaller buttons and moved to the bottom, top, left, or right side of the screen. "The ability to move the taskbar to the top or sides of the screen has been one of the most requested features, and we are bringing it to Windows 11," said Diego Baca, partner director of Microsoft Design. "With this update, when small taskbar is enabled, you get smaller icons, a shorter taskbar, and more vertical space for your apps (see video below). No restart or sign-out is required."

[...] Microsoft is also rolling out changes to give Windows users more control over the Start menu, allowing them to toggle off recommended content and customize its size. "These controls are designed to work together. If you want a Start menu with just your pinned apps, you can turn off Recommended and All," Boca added. "If you want a full Start that shows everything, you can leave it all on. The goal is simple: it is your choice, and it should be easy to make." However, Microsoft will maintain a list of recently installed apps, as it is a key way for users to discover new applications alongside the Microsoft Store.

Furthermore, Microsoft is improving file relevance by adjusting how files are displayed and ordered to prioritize the most relevant items, and will also allow users to hide their name and profile picture from the Start menu. [...] In addition to taskbar and Start menu improvements, the company plans to reduce notifications, simplify Windows settings, and ensure that device setup on new Windows PCs requires fewer reboots. Microsoft is also working on improving Windows search, aiming for a more consistent experience across the Start menu, taskbar, File Explorer, and Settings.

Microsoft Testing Adjustable Taskbar, Start Menu In Windows 11 More | Reply

Microsoft Testing Adjustable Taskbar, Start Menu In Windows 11

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  • "reduce recommended content" yeah, REDUCE (Score:5, Informative)

    by MIPSPro ( 10156657 ) on Monday May 18, 2026 @01:07PM (#66149435)
    I notice they say "reduce" not eliminate. This is your OS vendor, who's putting random advertisements (or maybe targeted ones too) on your Start Menu and probably other spaces they can try to distract your eyeballs. Think about that. You pay them like $100 for the OS tax then they stuff ads in your face, just for extra bonus / great justice. Thanks Uncle Microsoft. We love you buddy. Fuck us some more, please.

    • I notice they say "reduce" not eliminate.

      I noticed recommended content could be turned off in Win11 long ago. Maybe they are making it easier to do so, but its always been there.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by tbords ( 9006337 )

        I notice they say "reduce" not eliminate.

        I noticed recommended content could be turned off in Win11 long ago. Maybe they are making it easier to do so, but its always been there.

        This just means you'll receive generic advertisements instead of targeted ones

        • False. Disabling advertise ID does what you describe. The "Recommended Content" (called suggestions depending on your windows version) specifically means Windows will not populate the task bar or start menu with any apps that you didn't explicitly download or weren't explicitly a part of a windows release (yes you'll still get Cortana, no you won't get Candy Crush, or PDF X-Change, or whatever someone pays to get MS to put there).

          You may still get ads on the lock screen, but for that you just need to turn o

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by drnb ( 2434720 )

          I notice they say "reduce" not eliminate.

          I noticed recommended content could be turned off in Win11 long ago. Maybe they are making it easier to do so, but its always been there.

          This just means you'll receive generic advertisements instead of targeted ones

          No. There are settings to turn it off entirely.

    • I hope that you are wrong. I'm slowly getting ready to move to mint with a vm for windows.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      This is also the users that tolerate this crap and ask for more, at least some of them. Yes, MS has no honor, integrity, decency or skill, but they are getting away with it because they do not get called out.

  • Movable taskbar....putting a feature back in that's been there since windows 95, until you deliberately removed it for no good reason.

    You can keep your ads and B.S., I will keep using Windows 10 as long as I can. It works great and doesn't harass me.

    • until you deliberately removed it for no good reason.

      They were doing a ground-up rewrite of the shell to eliminate technical debt and use newer graphical APIs that can handle things better like display scaling and acceleration.

      That's fine. The problem is that the new standard is to introduce something new that's only half-finished while removing the old and then slowly over years add missing features back. It's the same problem with Classic vs "New" Outlook. For some reason, the Control Panel is still here after 10+ years of trying to get the Settings app t

      • Pff I still remember being able to hold shift and select any number of taskbar entries at the same time, then right click close-all. That went away for no reason at all. Use groups they say. Well I was selecting things that were not part of a group, jerks.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by hjf ( 703092 )

          they also remove drag-hover-drop . it's so infuriating to have to organize your windows in a specific way to drag a file over to another window, OR use ctrl-c/ctrl-v

          it was as easy as drag the icon to the next window "through the taskbar" which made the other window come front, and drop the icon.

          i guess they removed that option since they started forcing taskbar grouping by default. a feature i remove from every windows and KDE machine I set up. I don't see any benefit in "grouping" or "compacting into an ic

      • For some reason, the Control Panel is still here after 10+ years of trying to get the Settings app to be feature complete

        Because Control Panel is the best and fastest way to find what you want. It is clearly laid out, descriptive, and allows you to get things done.

        Whereas, Settings is configured as if someone threw a ball of yarn into a box and let a cat play with it, then the cat threw up from playing so hard.

        • More than that, there's just missing shit. Especially in the audio controls. Half the time you have to go to the legacy control panel applet because that's the only place the setting exists besides the registry editor.

          It's fucking garbage, and it's been garbage for a really long time for something that is just UX design and making the same API call the fucking control panel applet makes.

      • They were doing a ground-up rewrite of the shell to eliminate technical debt and use newer graphical APIs that can handle things better like display scaling and acceleration.

        That's nice. Did they develop to a spec that was either missing this simple and useful functionality, or did they just decide that because they were late they were cutting features, only to add them back years later?

    • Same here.

      "But, it doesn't get security updates anymore!" If you know how to secure a computer, that fills that gap, keeping it behind a good firewall, not clicking just any link or ad or downloading every single thing you see online.

      • No one ever mentions that this is an option. The tech media just screams, "Your computer will be useless after they stop supporting Win10!" For a lot of people, sure, I wouldn't recommend using legacy OSs. For a small group of us, it's perfect. Once I got a substantial number of updates, I disabled automatic updates via the policy editor, before it started installing nags to upgrade to Win11 and trying to trick you into it. If it ain't broke...

        • Very true... for the general audience, they have to keep up-to-date, even if it means installing Win8 or ME or 11... but, that small group (which isn't really that small) would be fine with an install of WinXP with no virus scanner and only a firewall (and it'd be more secure than Win11 current update).

          (and, now and then... those older versions are handy for oddball stuff)

      • Windows 10 gets security updates until 2032 on the version that sucks the least.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      putting a feature back in that's been there since windows 95

      Microsoft just keeps recycling both their good ideas and bad ideas in semi-cycles, kind of like fashion where jeans get skinny, then bell-bottom, back to skinny, etc. etc. etc.

      Looking like they are innovative appears more important than being innovative, or at least easier to fool the masses with. Youngbies find disco new and fresh, yet I've seen it come in and out of style multiple times. Just give it a different name. It's not Clippy, it's Copilo

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Tablizer ( 95088 )

        Re: "amazing that MS has been the main biz desktop OS for almost 40 years"

        I was thinking Windows, but longer if you include DOS.

    • until you deliberately removed it for no good reason.

      There was a good reason: Incompetence. It's one of the curses or refactoring. Any time you re-write something you won't make it feature complete. Some feature always gets left behind.

      You can keep your ads and B.S.

      Never seen an advert on Windows 11. The same toggle that disables them in Windows 10 also disables them in Windows 11. If you don't know which option I'm talking about then ask a teenage child to help teach you how to use that new fangled computer thing.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mccalli ( 323026 )
      Yeah, but I heard exactly the same thing about Windows 7 (although admittedly never about 8). If you're using Windows, you will eventually move for something. Whether it's hardware, or some new app you want...can't predict it. Just that looking at the pattern over many years, you will.

      I have an install of it. I don't use it, I'm Mac for my main platform and Linux for my gaming. But I still have a Windows partition, and it's Windows 11 too, mostly to handle odd manufacturer firmware update programs for ex

    • My thoughts too. And if this was their most requested feature, why did it take over 4 years to bring back?

    • But requested by who? Out of the hundreds (thousands?) of other people's computers I've worked on, I could count the number of users who moved the task bar on one hand.

  • I make heavy use of the quick launch feature on a double height taskbar in Win10, and no it's not the same as 'pinned apps'.

    There are some workarounds and third party options to restore that functionality, but again, why did you take it out? When it's disabled it's not bothering anyone who doesn't want it.

  • try explorerpatcher (Score:4, Informative)

    by rta ( 559125 ) on Monday May 18, 2026 @01:25PM (#66149493)

    since win 10 was EOLed I switched to win11 with the free Explorer Patcher https://explorerpatcher.net/ [explorerpatcher.net]
    to restore the taskbar to win 10 capabilities (multiple rows, small icon, don't combine)

    I hope they throw the guy some dollars for making their crap livable. (ok and so should I)

    • Too late - already pulled over everything important to Linux, so Windows is just a game launcher now. And that doesn't need a taskbar.

      The migration wasn't only due to the taskbar, but the taskbar was definitely front-of-mind when making the decision, as it's something in my face every time I use the computer. My other complaints about Windows are years (or decades) old, so this could be seen as the straw that broke the camel's back.

      The 3rd party taskbars for Windows might be useful, until they break Windows

  • What a time to be alive (Score:3)

    by greytree ( 7124971 ) on Monday May 18, 2026 @01:26PM (#66149495)
    "resizable taskbar, smaller taskbar buttons, and a more configurable Start menu that lets users reduce recommended content"

    And to think some people say Microsoft has no new ideas.

  • Fix performance first (Score:3, Interesting)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Monday May 18, 2026 @01:31PM (#66149501)
    Window 11 is painful to use. Things draw in like I'm on a Pentium 3 with 256mb of RAM.

    If you can't spy on me without killing performance don't do it.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      I find it odd that MS keeps adding NEW bugs to MS-Paint and changing shit around for no known reason. Digital entropy? WTF are they doing with it?

      (I know, I shouldn't use MS-Paint, but old habits are hard to kick, and competitors make equivalent operations harder.)

    • Things draw in like I'm on a Pentium 3 with 256mb of RAM.

      I seem to recall the Windows of the day running blazingly fast on a Pentium 3 with 256MB of RAM, so yeah it's a good comparison. If you were trying to say Windows 11 is running slow then maybe you need to find out what's broken in your system (check your video drivers for a good first step).

      Now as for Microsoft's shitty app shipped with Windows 11 (Teams, Outlook, Edge) they are all painfully slow bloated resource hogs with all the appeal and speed of a dead whale.

      • Ever tried running Windows Vista on a minimum spec computer? Painful doesn't even begin to describe it. That's where we're at right now with Windows 11 but at least in the case of Vista they were doing a bunch of fancy modern operating system tricks that brought new features, albeit stupid new features but still they were genuinely trying new features. The hardware at the time couldn't handle that, you really need it about four times as much RAM and an SSD to do what they were doing and that was just too ex
      • What's wrong with Edge? It's just Chrome with the Google crap replaced with MS crap.
    • It sounds like something is wrong with your computer. I've seen Win11 hacked to run on a 4th gen i5, and it doesn't perform as poorly as you describe.

  • ...instead of stopping the ship sinking.

  • innovation 2026 (Score:3)

    by awwshit ( 6214476 ) on Monday May 18, 2026 @02:04PM (#66149579)

    Microsoft Innovation in 2026, bring back features people actually wanted.

  • win 7 (Score:3)

    by groobly ( 6155920 ) on Monday May 18, 2026 @02:10PM (#66149597)

    In other words, Microsoft needs to upgrade win 11 to win 7.

    • I'm hoping they can upgrade the OS all the way to Windows 2000. Peak UI, peak performance, and peak efficiency.

      • I disagree with "peak UI". The Start menu was horribly abused with with branding and indexing/searching wasn't always great.
        e.g. Start => Software Co Name => Division Name => Software Name => launch application

        • Windows 7 had the best UI with Aero. It introduced the application pinning feature on the taskbar that nobody can live without anymore. People complained about the resource usage, but I ran games for most of a decade with Aero enabled, and it never bothered me.

          Obviously it had all kinds of problems too, "best Windows UI" isn't saying much. But it's definitely not the worst Windows UI either. That's probably Metro, or Bob if you count that.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by mccalli ( 323026 )
            I mean - the Apple's "Microsoft - Start Your Photocopiers!" definitely applied to the start of the Win 7 era. It was pretty much a straight lift of Aqua, ironically (given this post's subject) with more flexibility on positioningthe task bar vs the Dock. Certainly Windows didn't introduce pinning apps.

            By the end of it though, I thought that Win7 had better actually window management than the Mac did, and even with the split view stuff etc. that's been introduced since I still feel that in order to get th

      • It was, but I don't know if it'd run on modern hardware (24-core Threadripper, Titan X, 128gigs DDR4)... they'd probably have to rewrite the code to use the newer hardware, and they wouldn't see profit in it.
        XP was great, also... Win7 was fine once you disabled some of the _new hotness_ features.

        Don't think 2K would handle SSDs and NVMEs correctly, though.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GoJays ( 1793832 )
      They did it in gaming, so why not do it with an Operating System? I bet it would be a massive success. I can see it now... "Windows 7 Remaster"
  • I didn't enjoy any desktop after W7 and had a look around. Open Shell works perfectly well.

  • Discover new applications? Hell no (Score:3)

    by hackertourist ( 2202674 ) on Monday May 18, 2026 @02:56PM (#66149711)

    it is a key way for users to discover new applications

    I don't want to "discover" new applications in the Start menu, ever.
    The ONLY applications that appear in the Start menu should be the ones that I PUT THERE by installing them, so I don't need to discover them.

    • Run Windows Update, you never know what you might get. You wanted Updates? Pshh, you wanted CoPilot!

      Never know what you might discover that Microsoft is doing to your computer today.

    • "users to discover new applications" simply means users will see our adverts

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mccalli ( 323026 )
      How do you know they exist in the first place? Start menu is a copy of the Apple menu as enhanced by an ancient shareware utility called "Hierarchical Menus". That add-on does exactly what the start menu does, allowing shortcuts to be grouped in folders etc. and for nesting of folders. It predates the Start menu by a few years.

      One of the points was to be able to organise by category. I might not know what the thing-to-set-up-a-disk-partition is called, but it's probably in a menu hierarchy called "Utilit

      • nothing at all should be in the Start menu except your own choices

        That's not quite what I meant. I expect the Start menu to contain:
        - everything that is part of the OS
        - every application I install.

        To me, the phrase "discover new applications" sounds like Microsoft intend to deploy shovelware, where the first indication that anything new has been installed would be new crap in the Start menu. That's what I don't want.

        One of the points was to be able to organise by category

        I used that extensively on older Windows versions, but the recent versions have enshittified the Start menu to the point where that no longer works. OpenShell

      • I think you misunderstand what is going on here. "Discovery" doesn't mean something you know and chose. It means discovering something that Microsoft arbitrarily loads on to your machine as a link that installs on first use.

        For example you may be a perfectly happy user of Adobe PDF reader, so it should be a complete shock to you that your Start Menu suddenly has PDF-Xchange editor listed in it (while this is a good tool in general, it should appear on anyone's computer unless they chose to go install it fro

  • "However, Microsoft will maintain a list of recently installed apps, as it is a key way for users to discover new applications alongside the Microsoft Store."

    "... alongside the Microsoft Store" is where they are still going to ingest your searches for data mining so they can sell it to whoever is paying for "recommend apps".

  • Yeah let's change things that are less important, and foist the other things, like want to chose default apps? Further it.
  • Microsoft took enshittification to the whole new level, where you can't even pay them to go away. Gaming is the last reason I have Windows in my household. Everything embedded is Raspberry Pi OS, anything causal use is MacOS or iPadOS,

  • FVWM had these like 30 years ago...

  • To save vertical space. But bigger and more pixel rich monitors took care of that.

    My funniest use of a vertical taskbar was for a cousin who broke the upper left corner of his laptop's LCD. Vertical taskbar + Wider taskbar saved that laptop from the scrap heap, as the crack only obscured the start button and some pinned crap.

    I did not caught on to Sysadmins moving the taskbars around so that when they remoted into machines, they knew, at a glance, exactly where were they (taskbar on the left: My machine, ta

    • Not sure how true it is, but it was said that the taskbar problems were due to poor communication between the various developer groups at Microsoft, and not a deliberate decision to remove the feature.

      Not to mention, movable taskbars confused no one. They weren't easy to move by accident, and even if those monkeys did eventually type out Hamlet, the resultant side-bar functioned exactly like the bottom-bar. And I'm sure there was a GPO to disable it in corporate settings.

    • I do that. taskbar on left - my machine. bottom is user machines. I might stick the server taskbars at the top, seems like a nice idea
  • Every Windows version since XP has attempted to keep the user--from using the only thing that Microsoft got right: the taskbar. Microsoft, dija take the AI out of Windows? Um...we reduced the appearance of it.

  • Mirosoft should just recognise the changed industriaö landscape and release Windows 11 as open source, so we can quickly discover and fix all the security issues, and enable all these customisations. I always thought Nadella would have the courage to do that.

  • I've given up on expecting the start menu to do anything anymore. Knowing Microsoft, they'll maliciously misinterpret your feature requests and make things worse, like what they did with the seconds counter of the system clock.

  • I mean that was one of the big things with Chicago when they wanted to re-rejuvenate Windows with Windows 95.

  • Microsoft had done good stuf years ago!

    Why do they keep mucking with it!

    And there is no reason to have adds, suggestions and other internet stuff in my blody task bar!

  • Nope. (Score:2)

    by ledow ( 319597 )

    Too little, too late.

    I moved on to better OS when you started messing with stuff and REFUSED to even give me an option to put it back how it was.

    Modern Windows UI/UX literally and actually hinders my workflow because of enforced nonsense that I don't want.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bn-7bc ( 909819 )
      I was resupply happy on win11 until i decided to test Ubuntu (24.4 at the time 26.4 now), thing is I did not know what I was missing before, now it's like "phyhere is an upgrade (notification icon) yea I have a minute" an literally a minute late (well obv + a reboot if there is a kernel update or anything else really major) yhhe update is done and evrything works as before an maybe even better, how refreshing not to have that sight uptick in bloodpressure on every update
  • Has no-one heard of StartAllBack ? I've been using it ever since my firm went Win11 - it certainly allows me to use small icons and move the bar to the left of the screen etc.
  • How hard would it really be to allow Plasma, Gnome, XFCE, Budgie, or other desktops to run on top of Windows? With all of Microsoft's resources, and engineering skill, including unlimited capital, why not just allow the user to pick the desktop that fits their needs and use cases? Give the user a choice between KDE or DWM (I think that's what the Windows desktop is called), and watch the usability skyrocket.

    There probably or almost certainly would be some licensing complexity / issues to work out, but t

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