Microsoft is testing out resizable taskbar icons in Windows 11 that can shrink as you open more apps or stay at a smaller size for good. The new options are included in the latest Insider Preview Beta.
Windows 11 tests taskbar icons that scale up and down like on a Mac
Microsoft is testing an update to the Start menu, too.
Umar Shakir is a news writer fond of the electric vehicle lifestyle and things that plug in via USB-C. He spent over 15 years in IT support before joining The Verge.
If you’re on the beta, under Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors, you can now select options under Show smaller taskbar buttons: Always, Never, or When taskbar is full. The third option will scale down icons so that they all can fit and not get hidden away in a second menu.
The behavior appears to be similar to macOS where icons on the dock get smaller as more applications or minimized windows are added.
X user phantomofearth, who frequently digs through Insider builds, posted that there’s an update to the Start menu as well. Now, it has a larger layout that includes the ability to hide the recommended recent apps and can show all of your apps on the page.
Microsoft notes that people who update to this Insider Build might lose those cool new battery charge status icons it introduced in January, but the company plans to bring it back to Insiders soon.
