Arguably, the Windows Taskbar is the most used piece of graphical user interface (GUI) of the operating system and Microsoft is looking to make it more intuitive by allowing users to adjust what’s shown or hidden from sight.
According to last week’s Windows 11 Beta Inside channel release, Microsoft is testing new Taskbar tweaks that include new animations for hover-over, new shortcut keys, adding a Windows Studio shortcut for supported devices, and streamlining the view of system clock, short date, and notifications.
Presumably, if the feedback is positive enough, users will soon be able to view a Windows 11 Taskbar with fewer pixels taken up by random icons tucked into the far left of the screen as well as being able to press WIN+T (or click on the Taskbar) to open apps by pressing the first letter of the app name that’s intended to be open. In addition, there will be more space and focus on open applications as well refinements in the smoothness of the utility area.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
- We are trying out a more simplified system tray to highlight the date/time in a shortened form and to show the notifications bell icon based on DND status. Without the notification bell icon, you can get to your notifications by clicking the date and time to Notification Center. You can revert to the long form of the date/time and bell icon visuals by toggling the values in the Settings via Settings > Date and Time under “Show time and day in the system tray” and Settings > System > Notifications under “Notifications”. These settings are also accessible through the context menu shown by right clicking the system tray clock/bell icon button.
- We’ve updated the previews that show when you mouse-over/hover over apps on the taskbar. We have also improved the animations for when these previews show on the taskbar based on Insider feedback.
- Updated the taskbar to now support first letter navigation, so when keyboard focus is set to the taskbar (WIN + T), you can press a letter, and it will jump to the open or pinned app whose name starts with that letter. Pressing the letter multiple times will jump to the subsequent app which starts with that letter, if there are multiple apps for that letter. For those using uncombined taskbar, rather than app name, the first letter navigation will use window name. Along with this, pressing Home and End will now move keyboard focus to the first and last (respectively) items in the taskbar.
[Windows Studio Effects]
- Windows Studio Effects delivers AI-based camera and audio enhancements on devices equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Today, you can access Studio Effects in Quick Settings from the system tray of the taskbar. To further streamline your experience, an icon will now appear in the system tray when using any application with a Studio Effects-enabled camera. Simply click on this icon to launch the Studio Effects page in Quick Settings. Additionally, hovering over the icon will display a tooltip indicating which application is utilizing the camera.
Again, Microsoft is testing the new tweaks to the taskbar in Windows 11 version 23H2 builds in a pre-release cycle for now, but the new additions could make their way to lower Insider rings and non-testers in the coming months.
It may not be the floating taskbar concept clocked during the dual screen-Windows X days, but any intuitive change is welcomed.
