- Windows 11 users might get the option to move the taskbar
- This is a long-sought after feature, as it has always been possible in Windows 10.
- If this happens, it will likely happen with the big 26H2 update towards the end of the year.
Rumor has it that Microsoft is finally considering giving Windows 11 users the ability to move the taskbar.
Windows Central claims to have learned from its sources that Microsoft will change the taskbar so that it is not 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 run it vertically on either side of the desktop, which is a feature that many people have been desperately looking for for a long time now.
How long? Since the release of Windows 11, when people were perplexed that this feature couldn’t be imported from Windows 10 (where you could, and still can, have the taskbar in any orientation that suits you).
Besides the ability to reposition, sources interviewed by Windows Central also believe that Microsoft will offer an option to resize the taskbar. If you don’t want the bar to span the entire width (or height) of the screen – regardless of which side of the screen it’s on – you can shorten it.
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 redesign and that the new bar should be revealed “over the summer,” or that’s Microsoft’s expected timeframe. This looks like a feature that will be introduced with the 26H2 update and could be revealed around the middle of the year.
Analysis: The serious task of improving Windows 11
Why is Microsoft doing this now? You could argue that this was on the “to do” list anyway, because there are a bunch of interface-related things that haven’t been ported from Windows 10, like this one, which has been used in recent history (like the “never combine” option with taskbar apps).
However, I always felt like moving the taskbar was something that would never happen with Windows 11, and that it was a feature that was indefinitely delayed. But Microsoft is now under heavy pressure to improve Windows 11, and it appears to be an expansion of a recently announced set of measures to appease those fed up with the various decisions surrounding the desktop operating system. Namely, pushing the AI features too much and not fixing the basics of Windows 11.
These fundamental fixes include addressing slow performance in certain areas of the interface, stemming the flow of bugs – which has gotten out of control again – and adding back core features that were removed, like moving the taskbar.
Apparently this taskbar feature has become a high priority for the Windows team, which is yet another sign that Microsoft isn’t messing around here. It looks like 2026 is the year we try to restore Windows 11’s reputation, and it’s great to see. Or rather, the results will be great to see – hopefully – provided Microsoft delivers.
However, I don’t think the company can fail to deliver on its promises if it wants to restore trust in Windows 11. As I’ve said before, I think this is vital because of AI – and the AI agents that Microsoft wants you to use when they go live in the operating system. Because no one will use these agents if they are afraid that the AI creations will fail and behave badly.
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