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Windows 11 Taskbar width

mtess30 20 Reputation points
2024-01-07T16:53:44.4633333+00:00

Since Windows update from 10 to 11 I've been struggling with how to set up taskbar width:

  1. Initially there was a huge blank space between the ... icon and the tray (marked in blue on screenshot 1), which was annoying - why hide icons when there is a huge empty space for them
  2. And now suddenly there are only 5 icons on the taskbar and the rest 10+ are hidden, whereas the taskbar has a huge chunk of empty space for those icons, which is ridiculous

I would like the Win10 behavior - all icons taking all space and not being hidden in the ... tab. Ideally, if all don't fit, they should shrink in size, but that's step 2 at this point.

Screenshot 2024-01-06 000452

Screenshot 2024-01-07 184147

Windows 11
Windows 11
A Microsoft operating system designed for productivity, creativity, and ease of use.
8,735 questions

2 answers

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  1. Erland Sommarskog 104.7K Reputation points MVP
    2024-01-07T18:31:11.36+00:00

    You are not the first to feel dismay over the Win11 taskbar, but I guess that there is someone who loves it.

    There are couple of utilities out there to fix the taskbar. Myself, I use ExplorerPatcher. It works well most of the time, but I recall I had a situation where Explorer was not working, and I had find out how to uninstall it through the Run window in Task Manager.

  2. Ian Xue (Shanghai Wicresoft Co., Ltd.) 32,736 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2024-01-09T08:12:21.6066667+00:00

    Hi Mtess33,

    Please understand that Microsoft has made some changes to the taskbar design and functionality on Windows 11. One of the changes is that the taskbar size is now fixed and cannot be adjusted. Additionally, the icons on the taskbar are smaller and closer together, which can make them more difficult to see for some users.

    While this change may be frustrating for some users, it is possible that Microsoft made this decision to provide a more streamlined and modern user interface. However, if you are having difficulty seeing the icons and text on the taskbar, there are a few things you can try:

    Adjust the scaling settings: In the Display settings, you can adjust the scaling to make everything on your screen appear larger. This may help make the taskbar icons and text easier to see.

    Use a third-party taskbar tool: There are several third-party tools available that allow you to customize the taskbar, including resizing and adjusting the icon size.

    Provide feedback to Microsoft: If you feel strongly about this issue, you can provide feedback to Microsoft through the Feedback Hub app. This may help them understand the impact of the change and consider making adjustments in the future.

    Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app - Microsoft Support

    Overall, it may take some time to adjust to the changes in Windows 11, but there are some options available to make the taskbar more visible and user-friendly.

    Best Regards,

    Ian Xue

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