Forum Discussion
System tray icon issues on Windows 11 Insider Build 22581.1 in Beta Channel
So far I have run into two new issues with the system tray icons with the Windows 11 Insider Build 22581.1 released in the Beta Channel.
1. I'm not able to move system tray icons around as before
2. System tray icons are not being removed after closing the app or killing the process (*workaround is to restart the explorer.exe process for icon to be removed from tray).
I'm hoping these issues will be resolved soon.
Found a solution to moving the order of the icons. If you go to Settins/Personlization/Taskbar/Other System Tray Icons, then turn off all the icons that are not hidden, at that point turn each back on, but turn them on in the order you want them to display and they will stay in that order. Haven't tried restarting yet, though, to see if it holds. Maybe later today.
- Great tip! (although I had to turn them back on in reverse order, so the last one I turn on is the most right-aligned icon... mental gymnastics), If you could re-order the icons on the settings page by dragging the bars that would be an alternative. I'll try a restart now. Thanks!
DrBobNZ The order resets after a restart though, right?
I also don't like the new change and wish for the icons to be draggable again.
The spacing is also larger than previously, which is undesirable.
Furthermore, and perhaps unrelated, whenever the location icon displays, the entire task bar jiggles across to the left, and then back to the right, which is very distracting.
I've moved the start menu position to the left instead of centre to resolve that.
Stop making this a tablet OS!
We do not all use tablets. I use a keyboard and mouse!
Keep the operating system so it is usable for these people.
You should make a separate OS for tablets if there is such a need for all of these changes.
- while i understand it's to "unify the pc and tablet experience" i don't see why being able to drag the icons was a bad thing on a tablet anyway? or why they'r alienating most if not all of their pc user base for the much much smaller percentage of users who use windows on a tablet? like, afaik most tablet users use either ipads or android tablets, its only business or the odd personal users who use surface tablets that "benefit" from this change, and even then it's hardly a benefit. as others have said, I hope they rethink it. maybe adding it in like how windows 10 had a tablet mode? if that's turned on then no icon movement, but when in pc mode it works how it always has.
RoflnomishHa, my tray just vanished! When I unhide the apps they just appear on my toolbar. Awesome! lol
WOW, so Microsoft removed a desktop feature everyone liked to improve tablet operation. Isn't there a tablet mode, is it too much to ask you to code one more line that only removed this feature in that mode? Also what's with the icons being really spaced out now, They are notification Icons they don't need massive amount of space around them at the expense of having to have 2 layers of normal Program Icons! MS, you need to get some better UI designers, this is day one stuff!
Yeah, they should be getting devs who are more up to spec for their pay grade. The current devs need to be assigned to either take out the trash, or wipe butt.
Same here. Can't view hidden icons on the system tray, can't drag them after updating to this version.
- PLEASE restore the ability to move the system tray icons and keep their orientation upon restart, this is a regression, not progress, what possible purpose does it provide by placing the icons haphazardly on every restart...
- Yeah, its BS....MS are either saying the messed up or they don't have a clue what users want.
@yep, contextual menu hidden, system tray causing unresponding right down screen and around icons(!), some of those should be fixed, lets try
- BRAVO, idiot Microsoft developers! Keep messing it up! Seems like each experience update you release, the taskbar only gets worse.
ALL WE NEED IS YOU DEVIATE THE TABLET VERSION OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM FROM THE PC VERSION, IT ISN'T THAT HARD! - Same here It is very annoying
Apparently you can't move icons by design (including dragging to the hidden icons area):
https://aka.ms/AAga4lh (feedback hub link)
We'll be continuing to monitor this feedback, but with the updates we made for the new tablet-optimized taskbar in Build 22563, we're no longer supporting dragging icons between the system tray and the show hidden icons flyout. Instead, you should use the Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > System tray section to manage these icons.
- Same here. If this was really by design, it was a terrible decision.
- Same issue here plus watermark on desktop
- This is precisely why I was vociferously against all of you begging for the unification of Control Panel & Settings. Congratulations, this is what you've wrought. Now simple tasks like this one will be moved to the Settings app. MMC was the bedrock of Windows and its ability to run n+1 instances is why it was so coveted. Settings does not support multiple instances.
