14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 11 is now live with lots of improvements, but on the other hand, it also needs further polishing, especially for the features that Microsoft has introduced new in this operating system.
The taskbar, for example, features a new approach that has all the icons centered, with the Start menu also realigned based on an idea originally implemented in Windows 10X.
But one feature that’s missing from the taskbar is support for ungrouping app icons and show labels, something that users really don’t seem to be able to live without.
Combining the app icons on the taskbar
In a post on the Feedback Hub, which has already received over 11,000 upvotes, users explain Windows 11 shouldn’t always combine app icons, as this significantly affects their productivity.
“I would like to submit my disappointment that Windows 11 has killed Taskbar Button ungrouping, an important multitasking feature many people use – very limiting that there is no built in option to disable grouping and view multiple windows from the same app in the Taskbar. Due to this I will NOT recommend upgrading anyone in my organization,” someone says in a comment.
“Really hope this comes back. Windows 11 is far less productive given the number of apps and windows of the same apps I run across multiple displays,” another user adds.
At this point, there’s not even a response from Microsoft, so clearly, if such a feature ever makes its way back to Windows, the whole thing is unlikely to happen overnight.
The rollout of Windows 11 takes place in stages, with Microsoft using this release model to make sure bugs don’t affect a significant number of devices. However, the company expects the rollout of Windows 11 to be completed by the summer of 2022, so the whole thing will likely be accelerated once most bugs are ironed out.