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How to let windows 11 "never combine taskbar buttons"?
How to let windows 11 "never combine taskbar buttons"?
- The November 2023 update added “never combined” mode on the taskbar for Windows 11. To find this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors. Set Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels to Never. It also added a separate setting for turning this feature on for other taskbars when you use multiple monitors.
1,327 Replies
- Deleted
Windows11 23H2 Update - is now officially available, you can download the Installation Assistant to speed up the rollout of new features and perform system updates safely:
https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11
- ceantucoIron Contributorfinally!!! i upgraded to 23H2 and now I have the option to never combine! yay!
- Allen_BrowneCopper Contributor
YES! We can now ungroup icons in the taskbar, like the 2 Firefox windows in the screenshot below.
Thank you, Microsoft. That's my biggest bugbear with Win11 resolved.
- LuciePenCopper Contributor
Whoohooo! Yippeeee!!!!!!! My taskbar buttons are finally uncombined!
- HairdIron Contributor
Never Combine is back for me but the bar behaves strangely. Too many icons and it does not compress them tightly like it did on Windows 10. There is no choice available through Windows to use smaller icons. There is a registry edit that I have seen, but it does not work. Has anybody else found a solution to having smaller icons in the taskbar?
- DialTollFree-1-8664820712Copper Contributor
great jobhuali1405
- JK__9008181Copper ContributorFrustrating really.
All my life i have used task bar on the left side and Icon never to be grouped.
I usually have many excels open at the same time and grouping has made my life totally miserable. - netpoint935Copper Contributor
In Windows 11, you can choose how taskbar buttons are combined or displayed for open windows. If you want to set the taskbar to "never combine taskbar buttons," you can do so by following these steps:
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Right-click on an empty area of the taskbar. This will open the context menu.
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Click on "Taskbar settings" from the context menu. This will open the Taskbar settings page in the Settings app.
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Scroll down to the "Combine taskbar buttons" section in the Taskbar settings.
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Click the drop-down menu under "Combine taskbar buttons" to reveal the available options. By default, it may be set to "Always" or "When taskbar is full."
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Select "Never" from the drop-down menu. This option will ensure that taskbar buttons are never combined, even when you have multiple windows of the same application open.
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Close the Settings app, and your taskbar buttons should now be set to "never combine."
Keep in mind that this setting may take effect immediately, so you'll notice the change in how taskbar buttons are displayed right after you select "Never."
Please note that the steps may vary slightly depending on your specific version of Windows 11, but these general instructions should guide you to the taskbar settings where you can adjust how taskbar buttons are combined or displayed.
[link removed by admin]
- BrianJ2290Copper Contributor
This doesn't help all the time and still leads to an unstable situation where Windows 11 will repeatedly and randomsly gow back and forth to group and ungroup icons in the taskbar tray depending on if you exceed a certain set number of open files or close one or two. It's frustating because sometimes even when you don't increase the files that are opened it will suddnely and randomly decide to group them, but a few seconds later it ungroups them. I just saw this happening while writing this comment, though I was not doing anything to those files. This happens even when there is a large amount of open taskbar space that shouldn't necessitate the groups action. Has anyone else experienced this? netpoint935
- MSRX92Iron Contributor
BrianJ2290 "This doesn't help all the time and still leads to an unstable situation where Windows 11 will repeatedly and randomsly gow back and forth to group and ungroup icons in the taskbar tray depending on if you exceed a certain set number of open files or close one or two."
Yes, while it works correctly most of the time for me, occasionally it will suddenly put half my icons in the overflow bar, even though half my taskbar is empty. No idea what sets this off, but the fix seems to be shutting down all my programs and then reopening them.
- Jim_T1405Iron Contributoryou haven't provided any version info, so there's no reason to believe you. And you are wrong. It's not back.
- drdougIron Contributor
netpoint935 again ignore these instructional posts, they are spam hoping you will click on the bogus link at the bottom.
again same instructions word for word by a first time poster (scammer)
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- NSoni_RSCopper ContributorCan anyone here confirm if Windows 11 Enterprise Version 22H2, OS Build 22621.2361 has "Never combine Taskbar" feature released?
If not, then for Enterprise version is it even possible to get this feature? Thanks for your input. - MIGUELZUCopper Contributor
22H2 - 22621.2361 build has the option now.
- Jim_T1405Iron ContributorNo, it's not. I have Windows 11 Home Version 22H2 OS Build 22621.2428 with Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22674.1000.0 on an Asus VivoBook that I got in late 2019 and THERE IS STILL NO NEVER COMBINE TASKBAR BUTTONS option. It's not there. This is why I don't upgrade any of my other machines and I don't let any of my clients, friends, or family do it, either. The OS is, for me, nearly UNUSABLE without NEVER COMBINE TASKBAR BUTTONS and I don't want to install 3rd party programs on this particular machine. I already have SylphyHorn on my power w10 machine, because Microsoft still doesn't do the desktop switching task well. If someone tells you otherwise, challenge them for version info, etc.
Lucky you … In Europe at the moment there ist no 22H2 because of copyright and data protection issues
- Deleted
Why are you providing false Information?
Have you ever been to Europe?
https://learn.microsoft.com/pl-pl/privacy/eudb/eu-data-boundary-learn
https://learn.microsoft.com/pl-pl/privacy/eudb/eu-data-boundary-transfers-for-all-services
- NSoni_RSCopper Contributor
I updated Windows 11 Enterprise to Version 22H2, OS Build 22621.2361. Restarted the laptop.
But I cannot find "Never Combine" like everyone else 😞
What am I missing?- drdougIron ContributorAs "Taskbar Behaviours" is missing there is likely a problem with the install, try
Restart Again
Check for another update.
You are using Win 11 Enterprise some features are often different in the Enterprise versions. Was Taskbar Behavior there before the update?
Contact Win help- NSoni_RSCopper ContributorYes - it was there in Windows 10.
- greenfrogCopper ContributorThe only difference I can see is my PC is on Windows 11 Pro, not Enterprise.
I can see my Experience is set to: Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22674.1000.0
Not sure if this is the difference?
- Deletedhttps://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/09/26/the-most-personal-windows-11-experience-begins-rolling-out-today/
- DeletedIt seems that the new Copilot (Preview) is also in the optional update plus the paint app and the snipping tool updates.