taskbar

Microsoft insiders and community sleuths have flagged a new UI experiment that could fundamentally change how Windows 11 handles persistent system chrome: Microsoft appears to be prototyping an extra taskbar — a secondary, optional taskbar surface designed for richer customization and a...

Microsoft shipped a small, convenient behavior in Windows 11 but left out the final mile of usefulness — and a fast-moving community mod has now delivered the missing piece: per‑app taskbar volume control that works by simply hovering and scrolling over individual taskbar icons. Background /...

This genius mod that makes volume control in Windows 11 so much better — a deep dive Windows 11 finally cleaned up a lot of UI cruft, but in the process Microsoft consolidated several tiny, incredibly frequent interactions (volume, media, battery, lock‑keys) into the Quick Settings panel. That’s...

I used a tiny, open‑source tweak to turn my chaotic Windows system tray into something calm, usable, and—most importantly—predictable, and the change felt disproportionately big compared with the small amount of time it took to apply. The author at MakeUseOf described that same revelation after...

Microsoft is switching on a trio of Microsoft Teams messaging protections by default for tenants that still use the out‑of‑the‑box configuration, a move that will automatically enable weaponizable file type protection, malicious URL detection, and an end‑user false‑positive reporting mechanism...

If you use Windows 11 every day, a handful of overlooked shortcuts and settings can convert tiny, repetitive interruptions into seconds (and eventually hours) of reclaimed time — and the five tricks below are among the simplest, most reliable wins you can enable in minutes. They range from the...

Windhawk — an open-source “mod marketplace” for Windows — has become the go-to solution for users who want to un-shackle Windows 11’s restrictive taskbar and restore the look, behavior, and useful shortcuts that Microsoft removed or limited. In short: if you’ve been annoyed by the simplified...

Microsoft is rolling AI agents into the Windows 11 taskbar in the latest Insider preview, introducing visible, monitorable agent tasks, a developer-facing Agent Launchers framework, and a new Ask Copilot taskbar experience — all delivered as opt‑in previews in build 26220.7523 for Insiders in...

Every fresh Windows 11 installation ships with a grab bag of first‑party apps—some genuinely useful, some quietly redundant, and a handful that feel like marketing dressed up as convenience—and ZDNet’s pragmatic “11 I keep / 11 I ditch” checklist is one of the clearest, user‑centric guides for...

Windows 11 ships with a slick, modern coat of paint—and with it a surprising amount of visual noise that can puncture concentration minutes after first boot. The three low-friction hacks that follow — declutter the taskbar, disable built-in ads and recommendations, and hide or remove desktop...

Microsoft has quietly restored the long-missed option to use smaller taskbar icons in Windows 11 — but with a distinctly modern twist: the icons can now scale down independently while the taskbar itself keeps its original height, and you can choose whether this happens all the time, only when...

Windows has quietly allowed a thriving ecosystem of third‑party tools to pick up the slack where Microsoft chose simplicity over flexibility, and nowhere is that tension more visible than the taskbar — a small strip of UI that, for power users, defines the efficiency of their entire workflow...

Windows 11’s future should be defined by practical fixes that improve everyday productivity, not just another round of Copilot polishing — here are five immediate features Microsoft should prioritize, how to enable or approximate them today, and why these changes matter for both home users and...

Customize Taskbar for Productivity: Pins, Toolbars & Notification Tweaks Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 15 minutes If your desktop feels like clutter, you miss quick ways to launch apps, access folders, or manage notifications. A well-tuned taskbar can shave seconds off everyday...

Windows 11 includes a one-click, officially supported way to restore the classic left-aligned taskbar icons — but that simple fix is not the same as moving the entire taskbar to the left edge of the screen, and the difference matters for safety, stability, and what Microsoft actually supports...

Windows 11’s taskbar is no longer a static band of icons — it’s a tunable productivity surface that can be pared down to near-invisibility or loaded with every visual cue and quick-action a power user could want. The five practical taskbar tricks summarized in the Pocket‑lint piece are a concise...

God Mode is less drama and more efficiency: a decades‑old Explorer shell trick that consolidates Windows’ scattered controls into a single, searchable “All Tasks” view — and when pinned smartly it can turn the Windows taskbar into a one‑click admin console. Background / Overview Windows has...

Microsoft’s push to make Windows 11 an “agentic” operating system took a visible step forward this week as Copilot and new AI agents were shown moving from background concept to taskbar-first features that users — and attackers — will watch closely. Background: the shift to an agentic Windows...

Windows 11’s taskbar is more capable than it looks — and a few overlooked tricks can make it feel genuinely productive again. The headline: while Windows 11 removed some legacy customization and locked down others, the taskbar still hides practical features that speed everyday workflows. You can...

Microsoft has quietly restored one of the simplest — and most requested — taskbar niceties to Windows 11: the ability to display your battery percentage directly on the taskbar, alongside a set of redesigned, color-coded battery icons that make charge state readable at a glance. Background...