Windows 11 is finally getting a feature I’ve been waiting for since the OS’s release: a ‘never combine’ option for the taskbar. Oh, what a joyful and rapturous day! (ahem).
This is one of several changes introduced by a new preview build (23466 ) in the Dev channel, and it has previously been speculated about in several leaks.
When you enable the taskbar’s ‘never combine’ mode, apps are always kept as separate entries on the bar, even if multiple copies of the same application are open at the same time.
When there are multiple instances of an app, Windows 11 stacks them up – combines them, so to speak – into a single entry on the taskbar. As the name implies, never combined means that this does not occur, and they all remain separate – and you can see the labels on those individual instances (telling you which web page is currently active, for example, in a browser window).
According to Microsoft, not all testers will see this right away because it is a gradual rollout. So, even if you’re a Windows Insider in the Dev channel, it could be a while before you see the option.
Happiness is a taskbar that does not combine
The addition of the never combined option for the taskbar is a big deal for me, as the lack of this feature is the main reason I haven’t upgraded to Windows 11. (There are other niggles, too, but let’s not stray off-topic).
That probably sounds a little dramatic, but stacking apps on the taskbar is a dealbreaker in my opinion. I despise this method of operation – it truly irritates me – so I was perplexed when Windows 11 appeared without ever combining (as it was known in Windows 10 – I’m not sure why it’s now ‘combined’ in Windows 11, but it doesn’t matter).
As far as I’m concerned, removing choice is never a good idea, but Microsoft did it for a reason, we were told. According to the usual insider sources, adding what appears to be a simple bit of functionality on the surface was a fairly complex issue involving how the latest OS’s interface was built from the ground up.
I’m not sure how much of that I believe, but I can accept the basic premise. I just don’t understand why Microsoft waited so long to include this in Windows 11 – clearly, it was near the bottom of whatever interface priority lists were created internally.
But, hey, it’s here now, albeit in beta form. Hopefully, Microsoft will be able to incorporate this change into the big update at the end of the year (23H2). After all, the hard part should have been laying the groundwork, so honing the feature shouldn’t be too difficult. I hope.
Then I can finally start that Windows 11 upgrade and catch up with the times. Following the announcement that Windows 10 will not receive any new features (aside from minor tweaks – there will be no 23H2 update for the older operating system, as you may recall), this feels like a more pressing need.
