Windows 11 brings a fresh look and exciting features, one of these features is taskbar grouping, which helps users organize their open applications more efficiently. With taskbar grouping, you can reduce clutter, easily find and switch between multiple instances of the same program, and enjoy a cleaner and more organized desktop.
In this article, we have discussed what is taskbar grouping in Windows 11 and how you can enable or disable it.
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What is taskbar grouping?
The taskbar in Windows 11 acts as a hub for all your open applications, making it easier to switch between them seamlessly. Taskbar grouping takes this convenience a step further by grouping together multiple instances of the same application, reducing clutter and providing a more organized desktop environment. Instead of having several individual icons for each instance of an application, Windows 11 taskbar grouping consolidates them into a single icon.
Microsoft has released a new version of Windows 11 for developers, and it includes a highly anticipated feature. This feature allows users to make sure that each window they have open appears as a separate item on the taskbar. It’s called never combined mode, and it’s available in the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466 for the Dev Channel.
With never combined mode, you can easily see all the open windows for your applications on the taskbar, along with their labels. Microsoft is still working on this feature, so it’s in the early stages of development. It’s currently rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel, so it may take some time before it’s available on all devices that are enrolled in the program.
How to Enable or Disable taskbar grouping
Once this feature is available, users will have the flexibility to enable or disable taskbar grouping based on personal preference. To disable or enable it, follow these steps.
Step 1: Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar. In the context menu that appears, select Taskbar Settings.
Step 3: In the Taskbar settings window, locate the Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels option under the Taskbar behaviours section.
Step 4: By default, the setting is set to the Always option, which means the grouping of apps is enabled. Click on the options beside the Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels option to open the dropdown menu.
There are three options available.
Always – This option groups similar applications without displaying any labels.
When the taskbar is full – This option displays individual icons with labels until the taskbar becomes crowded, after which it starts grouping the applications.
Never – This option disables taskbar grouping, showing all icons individually, even for multiple instances of the same application.
So, if you want to disable the taskbar grouping choose the Never option and if you want to enable it again choose the Always option in the dropdown menu.
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