Windows 11 was launched last year with a lot of controversial and radical changes, including a new Start menu and more. If you recently upgraded to Windows 11 and were surprised to see how different the taskbar was, you’re not alone. The latest version of the taskbar has divided its users.
The new taskbar has been rebuilt from scratch and it doesn’t come with features available in Windows 10. The taskbar has some confusing design features. For example, it doesn’t come with a full-fledged right-click menu. While you can still right-click on the taskbar, you cannot make any significant change to the taskbar without opening the settings app.
Microsoft has acknowledged and continues to admit that the taskbar is still a work in progress, but the development has been slow and the company isn’t really doing anything about missing features.
Microsoft has responded to the feedback and restored some features like drag and drop in the latest update, but users are still expecting faster progress. Thankfully, it looks like significant changes are coming. According to references spotted in a new preview build, Microsoft is testing two variants of the taskbar:
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While one variant includes the new search bar design styles, another one explores significant improvements to the overflow UI.
As you can see in the above screenshot, Microsoft is working on improving the taskbar overflow interface. The new taskbar app list overflow could make it easier to select a running app when you have too many apps open at the same time or the resolution of the device is really low.
The purpose is to reduce clutter and offer a modern flyout experience. We don’t know when this new overflow feature is supposed to arrive for production devices, but we’re expecting some improvements to drop later this year. That’s because Microsoft is already planning some features much sooner and outside the primary features updates.
Don’t expect radical changes to the taskbar
The company will release the first big Windows 11 update codenamed ‘Sun Valley 2’ later this October. In addition to this big feature update, Windows 11 will also get changes via monthly cumulative updates with additional polishing for the taskbar likely shipping this fall.
However, there are a few things that won’t change for a while. According to Microsoft officials, you won’t be able to reposition the taskbar because the “animation flow” of the Start menu is not designed to handle a different taskbar position.
In fact, Microsoft believes that moving the taskbar is not important for most users and it wants to focus on adding more important features to Windows 11.
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