Microsoft is expanding Windows 11 personalization with movable taskbars, a compact taskbar option, and more direct control over the Start menu. The company is already testing taskbar placement on any edge of a display, while separate taskbar positions for individual monitors remain under evaluation rather than broadly available. These changes address several long-standing complaints, but they are currently experimental and should not be confused with features already included in the stable version of Windows 11.
What Microsoft Is Actually Testing
Microsoft has introduced new taskbar and Start menu experiments through a Windows Insider testing channel. The active taskbar experiment allows participants to move the taskbar to the top, bottom, left, or right edge of a display. Microsoft is also testing a smaller taskbar and preparing additional Start menu settings.
The distinction between testing and evaluating is important. Movable taskbar positions are already being distributed to selected testers, but assigning a different position to each monitor is described as an additional feature still being evaluated. This means a report that Microsoft is testing per-monitor positions may describe the broader development effort, but the feature is not necessarily present in the current experimental build.
The confirmed experiment lets users move the Windows 11 taskbar to any screen edge. Independent positions for separate monitors remain a possible later addition.
New Taskbar Position Options
The redesigned settings allow the taskbar to be placed along any edge of the screen. Horizontal taskbars can use left-aligned or centered icons, while vertical taskbars can use top-aligned or centered icons. Start, Search, and related panels are intended to open relative to the chosen taskbar location.
A taskbar placed at the top therefore causes Start to open from the upper part of the display rather than remaining anchored near the bottom. A taskbar on the left or right becomes a vertical interface, which can be useful on wide displays where horizontal space is abundant. This is more than a visual change because taskbar labels, window grouping, flyouts, and touch behavior must all adapt to the selected edge.
Microsoft is also supporting vertical taskbars with the option to avoid combining application windows. When labels are enabled, separate windows can appear as individually labeled buttons. This may benefit users who regularly switch among several documents, browser windows, terminals, or development tools.
Different Taskbar Positions Per Monitor
The proposed per-monitor control would allow each display to use its own taskbar arrangement. A user could place a taskbar at the bottom of one monitor and along the side of another, rather than applying one position across the entire desktop. Microsoft has acknowledged this scenario as an area it is evaluating, along with additional drag-and-drop behavior.
This would be particularly relevant for mixed monitor layouts. A secondary display positioned below a main screen may work best with the taskbar on the lower monitor, while a portrait display may benefit from a vertical taskbar. OLED users may also prefer to keep persistent interface elements away from the primary screen to reduce the amount of static content displayed there.
Windows already provides options for showing taskbar buttons across multiple displays, but that is different from assigning a completely independent position to each taskbar. The proposed feature concerns the geometry and location of the interface on each monitor. Until Microsoft releases a working implementation, its exact behavior with primary displays, auto-hide, app buttons, and system tray icons remains uncertain.
The Smaller Taskbar Option
Microsoft is also testing a compact taskbar mode with smaller icons and reduced height. The purpose is to recover vertical workspace, especially on laptops and other displays with limited screen area. The setting can be changed without restarting Windows or signing out.
The option is expected to appear under the taskbar behavior settings as a control for smaller taskbar buttons. When the compact mode is applied consistently, both the icons and the taskbar itself become smaller. This differs from earlier experiments that reduced icon size without reliably shrinking the full taskbar area.
A compact taskbar may be useful for productivity applications, spreadsheets, browsers, and development environments where additional content space is valuable. However, smaller targets may be less convenient for touch input or users who need larger interface elements. The most practical implementation is therefore an optional setting rather than a universal reduction.
New Start Menu Controls
The Start menu changes focus on separating sections that were previously controlled through several related settings. Microsoft plans to provide individual switches for Pinned, Recommended, and All. A user could therefore create a minimal Start menu containing only pinned applications or retain a larger layout that displays every section.
Start menu size will also become adjustable. The planned choices include Small and Large, allowing users to preserve a preferred layout instead of relying entirely on automatic sizing for each display. Microsoft is also adding an option to hide the account name and profile image, which may be helpful during presentations, screen sharing, recording, or streaming.
| Control | Purpose | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Taskbar on any screen edge | Places the taskbar at the top, bottom, left, or right | Experimental testing |
| Different position per monitor | Allows separate taskbar layouts for individual displays | Being evaluated |
| Smaller taskbar | Reduces icon size and taskbar height | Experimental testing |
| Start section switches | Separately shows or hides Pinned, Recommended, and All | Planned experimental rollout |
| Small or Large Start menu | Preserves a preferred Start menu size | Planned experimental rollout |
| Hidden profile information | Removes the account name and picture from Start | Planned experimental rollout |
Separating Start Recommendations From Recent Files
One significant change concerns the relationship between Start recommendations and recent items elsewhere in Windows. Disabling recommended content in Start has historically affected recent files and taskbar jump lists because the controls were connected. Microsoft plans to add a separate setting so Start file recommendations can be disabled without removing recent-file functionality from other parts of the system.
This is an important usability improvement because the features serve different purposes. A user may want taskbar jump lists for quick access to recent documents while keeping the Start menu limited to pinned applications. Treating those preferences independently gives users more precise control over privacy and workflow.
Microsoft also plans to rename the Recommended section to Recent. The revised name more accurately describes a section that primarily contains recently installed applications and recently accessed files. Users who do not want the section will still be able to hide it through the new layout controls.
Why Users View the Changes as Restored Functionality
Much of the reaction to these experiments reflects the history of the Windows taskbar. Earlier Windows versions offered more flexible movement and sizing, while the original Windows 11 taskbar removed several established customization options. Some capabilities have gradually returned, including uncombined taskbar buttons and labels, but the restoration process has taken years.
As a result, users may view the new features less as innovation and more as the recovery of basic desktop functionality. That criticism is understandable because taskbar placement is a mature interface concept rather than an entirely new technical category. At the same time, the Windows 11 taskbar was substantially rebuilt, so older behavior cannot always be restored by simply exposing a hidden switch.
The engineering explanation does not eliminate the usability problem. Removing a widely used capability creates disruption regardless of why the underlying interface was rewritten. The more important measure will be whether the restored version is stable, accessible, compatible with multiple displays, and less restricted than the feature it replaces.
Why Per-Monitor Placement Matters
Multi-monitor desktops are not always arranged as identical screens placed side by side. Users may combine a large central display with a smaller monitor underneath, a portrait monitor on one side, or a television positioned above the main workspace. Applying one taskbar location to every display does not suit all of these arrangements.
- A lower secondary monitor can function as the natural bottom edge of the entire workspace.
- A portrait monitor may use a vertical taskbar without sacrificing much document width.
- An OLED primary display can remain free of a continuously visible static taskbar.
- A presentation display can use a simpler layout than the operator's main screen.
- Different icon alignment may improve reachability across displays of unequal size.
Independent taskbar placement could therefore solve practical problems rather than merely offering decorative customization. It would also reduce dependence on unofficial shell modifications for layouts that the standard Windows settings do not support. The value of the feature will depend on whether system tray behavior, notifications, Start placement, and application buttons can also be configured logically.
Current Limitations and Known Gaps
The experimental alternate-position taskbar is not yet feature-complete. Auto-hide and the tablet-optimized taskbar are not initially supported when the bar is placed on another edge. Touch gestures are still being developed, and a full search box may be replaced by a search icon in alternate positions.
Drag-and-drop behavior is another area still being considered. This may refer to moving the taskbar more directly, arranging elements, or supporting interactions that depend on its location. Microsoft has indicated that it wants to avoid accidental movement, so the final system may rely on settings rather than the older unlock-and-drag method.
Experimental Windows features can change, disappear, or remain limited to test channels. Their appearance in a preview does not guarantee inclusion in the next public Windows update.
Unofficial customization utilities may already reproduce some of these layouts, but they modify or extend parts of the Windows shell. Compatibility can break after cumulative updates, and behavior may differ from one Windows build to another. Anyone relying on such software should consider update compatibility, recovery options, and the source of the utility before installing it.
What to Expect From the Rollout
The new controls are being introduced through an Experimental Windows Insider channel rather than the normal stable release. Features in this channel may be tested with a limited group, changed in response to feedback, or withheld from public release. Enrollment in a standard preview channel does not necessarily mean the settings will appear immediately.
Users should therefore avoid assuming that a specific monthly update will include movable taskbars or the redesigned Start controls. Microsoft must still address alternate-position auto-hide, touch input, visual consistency, multi-monitor behavior, and other reliability concerns. A gradual rollout is more likely than a single update that delivers every proposed option at once.
Those testing the features should evaluate more than appearance. Useful feedback includes whether flyouts open on the correct monitor, full-screen applications overlap the taskbar, labels remain readable, scaling works across displays, and the system tray appears where expected. These details will determine whether the restored flexibility feels integrated or unfinished.
Final Assessment
Microsoft's Windows 11 experiments represent a meaningful expansion of taskbar and Start menu customization. Moving the taskbar to any screen edge, reducing its size, independently controlling Start sections, and separating Start recommendations from recent files all address specific usability complaints. They give users more control over workspace efficiency, privacy, and interface density.
The per-monitor feature requires more cautious wording because Microsoft is evaluating it rather than confirming a complete public implementation. Its eventual release would be especially valuable for stacked monitors, portrait displays, mixed screen sizes, and setups where the taskbar should remain off an OLED panel. Until it appears in a usable build, its final options and limitations cannot be assumed.
The broader criticism that Windows 11 is slowly restoring features removed from earlier versions remains relevant. Whether the process is viewed as overdue repair or careful redevelopment, the practical outcome matters more than the label. A stable system that preserves modern Windows behavior while returning flexible desktop controls would be a clear improvement for users who manage complex workspaces.
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Windows 11 taskbar, taskbar position per monitor, Windows 11 Start menu, smaller taskbar, Windows Insider features, multi-monitor taskbar, Windows customization, Start menu controls, Windows 11 updates
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