Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 dev build that adds a long-awaited feature allowing users to ensure that all windows are shown as individual items in the taskbar.
The option, known as "never combined mode," is rolling out with the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466 to the rebooted Dev Channel flighting 23000 series builds.
"We're excited to bring you an early version of one of our most requested features for Windows 11, never combined mode," Microsoft's Amanda Langowski and Brandon LeBlanc said.
"In never combined mode, you'll be able to see each window of your applications on the taskbar individually, as well as their corresponding labels."
Redmond says the feature is still in early development, but it will allow users to set the taskbar to display labeled app icons individually.
The new never combined mode is rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel, so it might take some time to reach all enrolled devices.
Once available, you can enable the feature by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and setting the 'Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels' to "Never."
Microsoft has also introduced a new setting named ‘Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels on other taskbars’ that lets you configure whether buttons should be combined on other displays.
According to its entry in Microsoft's Feedback Hub, the option to never combine app icons in the taskbar was one of the most requested Windows 11 features, with more than 17,000 upvotes and over 2,100 comments.
One more reason not to upgrade out of the way
Many Windows 10 users, including some of us at BleepingComputer, have refused to upgrade to Windows 11 due to this feature not being available.
Other Windows users appear to have the same concerns based on comments to the Windows 11 Feedback Hub regarding this missing feature.
"I know my company will not upgrade to Windows 11 until this feature is added back," one of the Windows customers said before Microsoft announced the feature is being re-added.
"OMG YAY! It's been a long time since I've eagerly awaited a Windows patch. But today is that day... FINALLY," another one added after this preview build was released.
This week's Dev preview build has also added the new Dev Drive feature shipping with the Windows 11 22H2 'Moment 3' update, a ReFS storage volume designed to improve performance for developer workloads.
Microsoft is also testing additional Windows 11 backup and restore capabilities to make moving your apps and most important files easier when switching PCs via a new Windows Backup app.
Comments
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 11 months ago
Ages ago, there was a post about how at least some teams of Microsoft UX designers use Macs.
They should hire people, who use Windows exclusively. Anyone who uses windows knows how necessary the never combine option if for productivity. Windows power users would also never accept the settings abomination or combined battery and wifi status.
NoneRain - 11 months ago
I disagree. I think you always need to look around to have the best of the worlds. To have someone looking on macOS , KDE or whatever, just adds to the vision of the UX team. If only MS wouldn't deliver half of a solution at a time...
How the 'never combine' is for power users? I have rn 32 windows in 14 apps. If they were not grouped my taskbar would be a mess. I think it's just a preference, not a necessity for "anyone who uses windows".
Windows should have this option from the start, so the user decide. But as said, MS only delivers half-baked cakes.
sadcomputer - 9 months ago
Use multiple levels on the taskbar. in Win10pro I had 3 levels, & could quickly click between INDIVIDUAL mails, webpages, folders, & programs. It was great for productivity. The constant sifting through a stack of "since these are related, we're storing them together for you to sift through" every single time you switch tasks is too cumbersome.
Especially cumbersome when I'm sending an email from another app.
Click out of that app
Click down to taskbar
Float over email app, WAIT for all emails and outlook to pop up
Find New Email,
Then hit send.
It's just a nonsensical way to "clean up" a UI.
This shouldn't have been shipped without this feature. Same with customizing the top
tech_engineer - 11 months ago
2 years too late...
hp[e they fix all the other less-productivity changes: like right click sub-menu, start menu customization, and a bit less ads
spacelizard - 11 months ago
I think you can shift-right-click to get the old functionality in the meantime. Context menu keys on keyboards seem to work too.
spacelizard - 11 months ago
Yes please! If it works well enough I might just dump Explorer Patcher :)
BigMoser - 11 months ago
Can we call this what it actually is? This isn’t a new feature, it is a bug fix for a (critical) regression. This should have been a stop ship level regression and 11 should have never been released with this crap. Microsoft needs to stop emulating the single worst fearful of macOS, their shitty dock. The mac dock has always sucked, we don’t want it.
IT75 - 10 months ago
This is great finally, thanks for reporting on this! I have been waiting for this so I added a computer to the dev channel to try it out and got sent built 23481. No "Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels" option under Personalization - Taskbar - Taskbar behaviors for me. But then I rebooted a couple of times and then it appeared. Sweet:)
TV4Fun - 10 months ago
"the feature is still in early development"? Why? This is a feature every version of Windows has had since 95. They shouldn't need to re-develop it.
Sam Gunn - 3 months ago
I just got a new Dell laptop. Inspiron 15 3000. It dosen't have the ability to ungroup tabs. Is there an update to download? Its Windows 11, just like in the article.