Microsoft is testing one of the most-requested Windows features in years: a movable taskbar. Starting with today’s Experimental channel build (26300.8493), Insiders can dock the taskbar to the top, left, or right of the screen instead of being stuck at the bottom. The update also brings a smaller taskbar option and some search relevance fixes that should make local results actually show up when you want them.
Today’s Build Numbers
- Beta Channel: Build 26220.8474
- Experimental: Build 26300.8493
- Experimental (26H1 / Canary 28000 series): Build 28020.2134
- Experimental (Future Platforms / Canary 29500 series): Build 29591.1000
Movable Taskbar
The taskbar has been pinned to the bottom of the screen since Windows 95, with brief detours in Windows 7 and 10 where you could drag it to other positions. Windows 11 locked it back to the bottom at launch, which frustrated a lot of users who had gotten used to working with it elsewhere. Today that changes, at least for Experimental channel Insiders.
The setting is under Settings, then Personalization, then Taskbar, then Taskbar Behaviors. You can move it to the bottom, top, left, or right. Tooltips, flyouts, and animations follow the taskbar to its new position. You also get icon alignment controls: top-aligned or centered when the taskbar is vertical, left-aligned or centered when it’s horizontal. And if you use “Never combine” with labels on a vertical taskbar, each open window gets its own labeled button, which makes switching between a lot of open apps much easier to manage.
A few things aren’t there yet. Auto-hide doesn’t work in alternate positions, touch gestures for non-bottom positions are still in progress, and Search boxes revert to a search icon when the taskbar is moved. Microsoft says drag and drop and per-monitor taskbar positions are also being evaluated. These are Experimental channel builds, so rough edges are expected.
Smaller Taskbar
Also new is a compact taskbar option for anyone who wants to squeeze more screen space out of their setup. The smaller taskbar shrinks the icons and reduces the taskbar height, with Start, Search, and the system tray all scaling down to match. It’s the same setting area as the taskbar position controls. Good news for small laptop screens and tablet users in particular.
Smarter Search
Windows Search is getting a relevance fix that’s been needed for a while. When you search for something and you have a matching file or app on your device, that result will now reliably show up before web suggestions. It sounds basic, but Windows Search has had a habit of burying local results under Bing links for years. More relevance improvements are promised in upcoming builds.
Widgets Badge Gets Quieter
A small but welcome Widgets change: the taskbar badge that appears when Widgets has something to show will now match your Windows accent color instead of always showing red. Red badges read as urgent and tend to trigger the same response as a notification you need to deal with. Matching your accent color tones that down. Microsoft is also testing adaptive badging behavior that automatically turns off the badge for users who rarely engage with Widgets.
Start Menu Gets an Overhaul Too
The deeper blog post Microsoft published today reveals significant Start menu changes coming to Experimental channel Insiders over the next few weeks. The biggest additions are section-level toggles that let you independently show or hide the Pinned, Recommended, and All Apps sections. Right now turning off Recommended also kills jump lists and recent files in File Explorer, which is an annoying side effect. That’s being fixed with a separate control so you can hide Start recommendations without breaking anything else.
Microsoft is also renaming the Recommended section to Recent, which more accurately describes what it shows. Other additions include Start menu size settings so your preferred size sticks across different displays, and the option to hide your name and profile picture in Start, useful when you’re sharing your screen or presenting.
None of the Start changes are in today’s build yet, but Microsoft says they’re rolling out to Experimental channel Insiders over the coming weeks.
Beta Channel Transition
Today Microsoft is also expanding the rollout of its revamped Windows Insider Program channel structure to more Beta Channel devices. Insiders on Beta who haven’t moved yet will start being shifted to the new experience. Microsoft notes that those who switch to 26H1 under Advanced options may see a delay in build delivery during the transition.