Microsoft to remove some popular taskbar customization options in Windows 11

On June 24, 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 11 with an impressive list of new features and capabilities. With the next operating system from Microsoft comes Android apps support, an entirely redesigned UI (including a new File Explorer,) better window management, etc. The drastic changes in the UI also mean that users will have to say goodbye to some of the existing options in Windows 10.

Yesterday, Microsoft published a document with an extensive list of removed and deprecated features in Windows 11. That list reveals Microsoft's plan to remove some popular taskbar and Start menu customization options.

The taskbar can't be moved

To begin, Windows 11 will not allow you to move the taskbar from the bottom edge to the top, right, or left. Without specifying reasons, Microsoft says that alignment to the bottom of the screen is the only location allowed in Windows 11. Although Microsoft does not mention taskbar resizing, a leaked Windows 11 build revealed three hidden size options.

My People

Next, the "My People" panel is no longer available, meaning you cannot pin favorite contacts to the taskbar. Unlike the ability to move the taskbar to the top or sides of the screen, "My People" was not very popular among Windows 10 users. Microsoft deprecated that feature long ago, and, probably, not many users will miss it.

The taskbar is not customizable

Microsoft says that in Windows 11, apps can no longer customize areas of the taskbar, and some icons may not appear in the system tray after upgrading from Windows 10.

The Start menu

Windows 11 also comes with a redesigned Start menu, which means some old features go away. The new operating system does not support Live Tiles, as Microsoft now recommends users check "glanceable, dynamic content" on widgets. Also, you can no longer create groups of tiles, apps, and folders or resize the layout.

Finally, the radical change in the UI implies that pinned apps and sites will not migrate when upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10.

Although Microsoft says Windows 11 no longer supports Live Tiles, a recently leaked build revealed that a simple registry tweak could bring back the classic menu. We do not know whether that tweak will survive to the final version or the first public preview version of Windows 11. Microsoft plans to release Windows 11 for Windows Insiders next week. Before installing Windows 11, we recommend checking Microsoft's recommendation and minimum hardware requirements.

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