- Windows 11 users could get the option to move the taskbar
- This has been a much requested feature for a long time now as it has always been possible to do this in Windows 10
- If that happens, this will likely come with the big 26H2 update towards the end of the year
Rumor has it that Microsoft is finally planning to allow Windows 11 users to move the taskbar.
Windows Central claims to have received word from its sources that Microsoft will change the taskbar so that it is not docked to the default position at the foot of the desktop.
You’ll be able to move the taskbar to the top of the screen or have it run vertically on either side of the desktop, which is functionality that many people have been desperately wanting for a long time now.
How long? Ever since Windows 11 first came out, people were mystified that this functionality didn’t make the cut to be carried over from Windows 10 (where you could, and still can, have the taskbar in any orientation that suits you).
Along with the ability to move, the sources Windows Central spoke to also believe that Microsoft will offer an option to resize the taskbar. If you don’t want the bar to run the full width (or height) of the screen – regardless of which side of the screen it may be 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 started on this taskbar revamp and that the new bar should be unveiled “over the summer,” or that’s Microsoft’s planned timeframe. This looks like functionality that will be introduced with the 26H2 update and may be revealed around the middle of the year.
Analysis: the serious task of making Windows 11 better
Why is Microsoft apparently doing this now? You could argue that it was on the ‘to-do’ list anyway, as there are a lot of interface-related things that didn’t carry over from Windows 10 like this that have been addressed in recent history (such as the ‘never combine’ option with apps on the taskbar).
However, I always had the feeling that moving the taskbar was something that would never happen with Windows 11 and that it was a feature that was delayed indefinitely. But Microsoft is under a lot of pressure to make Windows 11 better now, and it looks like this is an extension of a recently announced package of measures to appease those fed up with various decisions around the desktop operating system. Namely, pushing too much in the way of AI features and not fixing the basics of Windows 11.
These basic fixes include dealing with sluggish performance in certain areas of the interface, along with stemming the flow of bugs — which are getting well out of hand again — and adding back basic features that were removed, like moving the taskbar.
Apparently, this taskbar functionality is being prioritized by the Windows team, which is yet another sign that Microsoft isn’t messing around here. It looks like 2026 is the year of trying to regain the reputation of Windows 11 and it’s great to see. Or rather, the results will be amazing to watch – hopefully – provided Microsoft delivers.
However, I don’t think the company can fail to deliver if it wants to rebuild trust in Windows 11. As I’ve discussed before, I think this is crucial because of AI – and the AI agents Microsoft wants you to use when they go live in the OS. Because no one will use these agents if they are afraid that the AI creations will somehow fail and act.
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