- Windows 11 users could have the ability to move the taskbar
- This has been a long-desired feature as it has always been possible to do this in Windows 10.
- If it happens, it will likely arrive with the big 26H2 update towards the end of the year.
Microsoft is rumored to finally plan to give Windows 11 users the ability to move the taskbar.
Windows Central claims to have received word from its sources that Microsoft will change the taskbar so that it is no longer docked in its default position at the bottom of the desktop.
You’ll be able to move the taskbar to the top of the screen or have it run vertically on either side of the desktop, which is a functionality that many people have been desperately wanting for a long time.
How long? Since Windows 11 first came out, people were baffled that this functionality wasn’t available to be brought over from Windows 10 (where you could, and still can, have the taskbar in any orientation you want).
In addition to the ability to reposition, sources Windows Central spoke to also believe that Microsoft will offer an option to resize the taskbar. If you don’t want the bar to take up the entire width (or height) of the screen, whichever side of the screen you’re on, you can make it shorter.
This would be a very welcome addition in terms of interface customization for Windows 11, but for now it remains a rumor.
We’re told that work has begun on this taskbar revamp and that the new bar should be revealed “over the summer,” or that’s Microsoft’s expected timeline. This looks like a feature that will be introduced with the 26H2 update and could be revealed mid-year.
Analysis: the serious task of improving Windows 11
Why is Microsoft apparently doing this now? You could argue that it was on the “to-do” list anyway, since there are a lot of interface-related things that didn’t carry over from Windows 10, like this one, that has been implemented in recent history (like the “never merge” option with apps in the taskbar).
However, I always had the feeling that moving the taskbar was something that would never happen with Windows 11, and that it was a feature that was being delayed indefinitely. But Microsoft is under a lot of pressure to improve Windows 11 now, and it appears that this is an expansion of a recently announced package of measures to appease those who are fed up with various decisions related to the desktop operating system. That is, pushing AI features too much and not fixing the basics of Windows 11.
Those critical fixes include addressing slow performance in certain areas of the interface, as well as stemming the flow of bugs (which have gotten out of control again) and adding core features that were removed, such as moving the taskbar.
Apparently, this taskbar functionality is becoming a high priority for the Windows team, which is again another sign that Microsoft isn’t messing around with this. It would seem that 2026 is the year we will try to regain Windows 11’s reputation, and it’s great to see. Or rather, it will be great to see the results (hopefully) assuming Microsoft delivers.
However, I don’t think the company can fail to comply if it wants to regain trust in Windows 11. As I mentioned before, I think this is vital because of AI, and the AI agents that Microsoft wants it to use when they go live within the operating system. Because no one will use these agents if they are afraid that the AI creations will somehow fail and act badly.
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