Windows 11 will recover a function that existed since Windows 95 and that Microsoft decided to eliminate at a stroke
Microsoft is developing one of the functions most requested by Windows 11 users since its launch: the possibility of move and resize the taskbar. According to sources of Windows Central Familiar with the company’s plans, the Windows team is working to allow it to be placed at the top, left or right of the screen, in addition to adjusting the space it occupies on the screen.
The development of this feature is considered a high priority for the Windows team, meaning they are allocating additional resources to make sure it arrives on time. If plans do not change, the novelty would be presented during the summer. Microsoft has made no official comment on these plans.
Thirty years of history eliminated in one fell swoop
The oldest people in the place know that the movable task bar is nothing new. Actually, it has been a feature available for Windows users since Windows 95more than three decades ago. However, when Microsoft released Windows 11 in 2021, it made the decision to rebuild the taskbar from scratch using a new development framework. This technical decision, although with its underlying reasons, had a direct and immediate consequence: eliminating the possibility of moving or resizing it.
The reaction from users was immediate and overwhelming. The Windows community has been demanding the return of this feature for five years, making it one of the most persistent complaints surrounding the operating system. Faced with Microsoft’s inaction, the ecosystem of third-party tools reacted quickly: applications such as WindHawk, ExplorerPatcher or StartAllBack They gained popularity precisely for returning features that Windows 11 had eliminated, including a more customizable taskbar. That thousands of users turned to external tools to recover something they had on Windows 10 says a lot about the scope of the problem.
Microsoft in correction mode: user pressure and the ghost of Windows 10
This news is not an isolated event. Microsoft has been trying for months to rebuild its relationship with Windows 11 users, an operating system that is not completely convincing. The market share data is eloquent: despite being officially in end of support from October 2025Windows 10 remains one of the most used versions. The resistance to updating reflects an accumulated mistrust.
And not without reason. The first Patch Tuesday of 2026 left computers unusable by causing the UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME error on devices with Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, preventing the system from booting. It was the latest episode in a streak of problematic updates that have broken everything from Task Manager to gaming performance. The general feeling is that Microsoft has prioritized the integration of AI functions that no one has asked for while neglecting the stability of the base system.
It is striking that both Microsoft and Apple are simultaneously in correction mode. Just a few days ago we learned that iOS 27 will prioritize code cleaning and improving autonomy over flashy new features, adopting a strategy very similar to the one that Microsoft now seems to follow. The big two of desktop and mobile software seem to have reached the same conclusion at the same time: You must first regain the trust of users before continuing to add layers.
In addition to the taskbar, Microsoft is working on other improvements claimed by users, such as overall system performance and issues with File Explorer. The company has a complicated task ahead of it: regaining the trust of a loyal user base that has been feeling ignored for years.
