More than 5 years after launch, Windows 11 is finally bringing back the movable Taskbar

Windows 11 preview builds in the Experimental channel now let users move the Taskbar to the top, bottom, left, or right edges of the screen, restoring one of the most basic and requested features that was removed from Windows 10 without any clear reason. The change is part of Microsoft’s Windows K2 initiative and is available in build 26300.8493. Vertical layouts are back, though they abbreviate the year and don't show seconds in the clock.

The update also supports app labels and ungrouping on vertical Taskbars through the “Never combine” setting. Windows 11 adjusts the Start menu, Search interface, system tray, and other elements based on Taskbar position, with live previews available in settings. However, auto-hide remains unreliable, and Windows 11 still doesn't support dragging the Taskbar or manually resizing it like Windows 10 did 🙃. Microsoft is also adding a smaller Taskbar option through the existing “Show smaller taskbar buttons” setting, allowing the Taskbar to shrink automatically when space runs out.

The build 26300.8553 also brings a larger Start menu update with new controls to show or hide sections such as Pinned, Recent, and All apps independently. Users can choose between small, large, and automatic Start menu sizes, hide their name and profile picture, and access a redesigned Start settings page. Search also now supports substring matching, making files with compound names or content easier to find through partial terms.