Microsoft is bringing a classic Windows Taskbar feature to Windows 11 for the first time. Windows 11 has faced stringent criticism from users for lacking many features in older versions of the OS. Unfortunately, the Taskbar hasn't been spared either, as it lacks some handy functions that were present in Windows 10. According to Microsoft, the deprecated features result from a newly-reconstructed Taskbar that requires the developers to build all the features from the ground up, meaning some legacy functions had to be left out, no matter how popular they were.
Released to the public last year, Windows 11 is the latest version of Microsoft's desktop operating system and comes with many new features and functions. One noteworthy change in the new OS is Android app integration, although users won't be able to natively run Android applications on their PC until next year. The new OS also offers many other new features, including better virtual desktop support for enhanced multitasking, desktop widgets and better support for touchscreens, voice commands and stylus. Microsoft also calls it the most secure version of Windows it has ever released, making it a worthy upgrade over Windows 10.
According to Windows enthusiast and serial tipster Albacore, Windows 11 will soon get a 'Never Combine' taskbar setting that was a part of earlier Windows releases but deprecated in Windows 11. The feature, which was introduced in Windows 7, allows users to see a separate icon in the Taskbar for each open window of the same app rather than combining them under a single icon. It was one of the missing features that Windows users complained about the most when Windows 11 came out.
New Windows 11 Feature
It is worth noting that as of build 25246, the ability to show the app title on the Taskbar icon is not yet restored. The feature was available in older versions of Windows, but there's no word on whether that will also make a comeback when this is rolled out to the stable channel. So people eagerly waiting for this feature will be hoping that the app titles also make a comeback in a future build.
Meanwhile, the tipster says the 'Never Combine' feature is "forcibly disabled" in the latest build and "no UI for enabling this exists in Settings yet." So it's not immediately clear when Microsoft will work things out and enable it for all users to enjoy. Either way, it is still good to see that Microsoft is listening to user feedback and implementing some of the most-wanted changes in Windows 11, like introducing native tabs in the Windows File Explorer.
Source: Albacore/Twitter