Windows 11 Pro. 64 bit: Taskbar

hi ChrisCanfield​ You’re correct- in Windows 10 the taskbar height and layout were more flexible, but in Windows 11 the taskbar has been completely redesigned. The ability to resize it by dragging or using the old Registry tweak (e.g., TaskbarSi) was blocked starting with later builds of Windows 11.

At this time: What’s possible in Windows 11 natively:

You can choose taskbar alignment (left/center) via Settings → Personalization → Taskbar.

You can choose which icons show in the taskbar corner and overflow.

But you cannot resize the taskbar height or show text labels for running apps in the stock taskbar.

Alternatives:

Third-party utilities

Tools like StartAllBack or ExplorerPatcher restore many classic Windows 10 taskbar features, including resizable taskbar and text labels.

Many Windows 11 users rely on these for more customization.

Provide Feedback to Microsoft

Since this limitation is by design, the best way to influence change is to use the Feedback Hub app (search Feedback Hub in Start) and upvote similar requests (e.g., “Resizable Taskbar in Windows 11”).

Stay on Windows 10

If resizing the taskbar and showing full program names is critical to your workflow, Windows 10 is still supported until October 14, 2025, so you could remain there until Microsoft either adds the feature back or you’re ready to adopt a 3rd-party workaround.