The taskbar goes live in Windows 11 build 22581

Mar 24, 2022 16:21 GMT  ·  By

The release of Windows 11 build 22581, which is now live in both the Dev and Beta channels, has been considered by Microsoft the perfect opportunity to make the new tablet-optimized taskbar available for all testers out there.

In other words, if you’re part of the Windows Insider program, you should now be able to try out the new taskbar that has been specifically developed with tablet in mind.

This taskbar was introduced with build 22563, and it’s exclusively available on devices that can be used as tablets (2-in-1s), such as Microsoft’s Surface lineup.

It comes with a collapsed state that shows only the critical status icon and an expanded mode that allows for each touch interactions.

No work on the ETA for production devices

“We’re introducing a new taskbar state that’s specifically designed to make you feel more confident and comfortable using your device as a tablet. Your taskbar will automatically transition to this optimized version when you disconnect or fold back the keyboard on your 2-in-1 device.  This feature only works on devices that can be used as tablets. It does not work on laptops or desktop PCs,” Microsoft explained when the feature first went live.

“There are two states of this taskbar: collapsed and expanded. In the collapsed state, the taskbar gets out your way, gives you more screen space, and prevents you from accidentally invoking the taskbar when you’re holding your tablet. In the expanded state, the taskbar is optimized to be easier to use with touch. You can easily switch between the two states by swiping up and down on the bottom of your device.”

As usual, the new tablet-optimized taskbar doesn’t have a release date, but given it’s now available for all testers, it shouldn’t take too long before it goes live in production builds of Windows 11 as well.